286 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. t September 29 , isai. 
employ to destroy these pests is placing Broad Bean stalks 
between the branches and the wall, about a dozen in a tree, 
searching them every morning. These insects are easily dislodged 
from the Bean stalks by blowing them into a bottle half filled 
with water.—G., Kent. 
A WEEK IN LONDON. 
HAMPTON COURT. 
This was the next place visited, and a truly grand place it is. 
The Palace alone is worth a long journey to see, and thousands do 
not know that this magnificent pile stands on eight acres of 
ground, having six acres of foundations and ten of roofing, six 
being covered with lead and four with tiles. But it is not my 
intention in these notes to deal with the Palace or any of its 
many historic associations, but of the bedding and other subjects 
of horticultural interest. The famous old Vine is again bearing a 
heavy crop of fruit, hut showing signs of exhaustion, and one of 
the uppermost branches will in all probability die this year. It 
is a pity this interesting old Vine should be so confined for room. 
Carrying a heavy crop every year with a very restricted growth is 
sufficient to exhaust it. I do not think the roots of this Vine can 
reach the Thames, as has been frequently stated. 1 am given to 
understand the greater quantity of the roots must he in the border 
at the front of the house, as when this border is watered during 
dry weather the effect is soon discernible on the foliage of the 
Vine. Outside the vinery is a grand old plant of Wistaria 
sinensis, covering a wall 130 feet long and 25 high, but, like the 
Vine, is restricted, or would undoubtedly have travelled a very 
long distance. 
Leaving the vinery I visited the promenade in front of the 
Palace, which is fully three-quarters of a mile in length and 
broad in proportion. A finer walk is seldom seen. From this 
promenade is viewed a long subtropical border on the side of the 
Palace more than half a mile in length, and admirably suited to 
the position. On the opposite side, and running the whole length 
of the promenade, is the bedding for which Mr. Graham has 
become so noted of late years. From this point there is a grand 
view of the three avenues of Elms, which have been planted in 
double rows on each side. The centre one is most commanding, 
with the stately trees and canal of water passing down the centre, 
which is 41 yards wide, and terminates with a fine view of 
Surbiton. The grounds contain some fine old Yews, which form 
avenues, and to some might present a gloomy appearance, but 
they look grand and contrast well with the brilliant colours of the 
Pelargonium beds. 
The bedding this year is all that can be desired—in fact the 
carpet beds are not surpassed in neatness and beauty by any I 
have seen. I had concluded that carpet beds were rather un¬ 
popular after reading so much against the system, but let the 
lovers of hardy flowers go and see for themselves. They should 
watch the herbaceous border or any of the other beds as well as 
the carpet beds, and see which the people flock round and 
admire. I am fully convinced that the carpet beds are the 
most popular. In spite of this Mr. Graham adopts a wise course, 
and varies the style of bedding as much as possible, and therefore 
gratifies a great number of tastes. Those for whom the carpet 
beds have no charm can turn to the beds of fine-foliage plants or 
to the mixed beds. One of the most striking of the latter contained 
Abutilon naevium maculatum, Verbena venosa, and Iresine Lin- 
deni intermixed and edged with a broad band of the latter. This 
was a simple but an imposing bed which must retain its beauty 
until late in autumn. Violas are largely used mixed with gold 
and silver tricolor and bicolor Pelargoniums, and produce from 
a distance a very pleasing effect. In nearly every case the Pelar¬ 
goniums are planted thickly, so that if a dry season follows and 
the Violas fail early there is no blank in the beds. If, on the other 
hand, the season is moist and they grow luxuriantly, then they 
can be kept in due bounds with the knife. A silver-leaved Pelar¬ 
gonium with Viola Blue Bell and edged with Cannell’s dwarf 
Ageratum, formed an effective bed in this style. The Ageratum is 
a fine bedding plant, not growing more than 2 to 3 inches high, 
and is covered with bloom. To keep it neat the strong growths 
from the collar must be removed as they appear. One bed has a 
centre of Mrs. Pollock and Sophie Dumaresque Pelargoniums, 
carpeted with the Viola Favourite and edged with Iresine Lindeni 
and Euonymus radicans variegatus. Another example included a 
scarlet seedling Verbena, a fine flower and a bold eye, very much 
like Crimson King; Alyssum maritimum variegatum, Cineraria 
maritima, and Viola Blue Bell, with a few plants of Viola Tory, 
and edged with the dwarf Ageratum. This bed was very striking 
from a distance, and presented a very peculiar and yet pleasing 
shade of colour. Other mixed beds were formed of different 
Roses ; for example. Souvenir de la Malmaison with scarlet Ver¬ 
benas, with a band of Pelargonium Vesuvius and edged with 
Artemisia gracilis. It would occupy too much space to enume¬ 
rate all the beds, and I shall only mention one more before 
passing to the carpet beds. This was composed of Pelargonium 
Henry Jacoby edged with a band of Black Douglas and Alyssum 
saxatile variegatum. The Pelargonium is a very fine bedding va¬ 
riety, having large dark crimson trusses of bloom, which rendered 
it the most conspicuous in the grounds. 
The most attractive carpet bed was an oblong with three raised 
figures in the centre. The centre figure was an oval of Pachy- 
phyton bracteosum, the lines being marked with Echeveria secunda 
glauca, having between the two a narrow band of Alternanthera. 
At each end were two small figures of Leucophyton Brownii, and 
then follow the other two raised portions, one at each end, of 
Sempervivum montanum. On each side of the central figures are 
two others formed of Alternanthera magnifica, with another band 
on each side exactly opposite of Leucophyton Brownii. The 
corner figures, four in number, were filled with Abutilon vexil- 
larium variegatum in splendid condition. Between these a small 
circle at each end was filled with Alternanthera versicolor grandis. 
A narrow band of Mesembryanthemum cordifolium variegatum 
running through the whole of the figures described completes 
the design, except the edging of Echeveria secunda glauca and 
Sedum glaucum intermixed. This was a very beautiful bed, the 
design being excellent, and the colours most tastefully blended. 
There were other large oblong carpet beds with various designs, 
and differing widely from the one described both in appearance 
and the plants employed. In some cases the groundwork was 
formed with Mentha and in others of Herniaria glabra, a close¬ 
growing green plant much neater than the Mentha. This is 
without doubt the finest green plant used for carpet bedding, and 
it is perfectly hardy. Alternanthera paronychyoides aurea is a 
great acquisition in this class of plants, and it was used in several 
designs with great taste and judgment. Some circular beds were 
really splendid, one forming a double Grecian cross with a circle 
in the centre of Pachyphyton bracteosum, the cross of Alternan¬ 
thera paronychyoides major, the remaining portion of the bed being 
Mesembryanthemum. Another circular bed in close proximity 
to the above had figures somewhat in the shape of anchors formed 
with Abutilon vexillarium variegatum, the groundwork being of 
Alternanthera with four raised mounds of Echeveria Peacockii, a 
very striking species. Mr. Graham values this very highly, and 
is increasing his stock as much as possible. No doubt this will 
when it becomes plentiful take the place of the popular E. 
secunda glauca. 
I shall leave the bedding at this well-kept place without further 
reference to any of the many attractive beds, but before doing so 
must thank Mr. Graham for his kindness and courtesy to me, at 
the same time congratulate him on his success in flower-garden 
decoration, and I consider he well deserves the high compliments 
which have been paid him from time to time. 
Before leaving the grounds I inspected the fine avenue of Horse 
Chestnuts in Bushy Park ; they are grand trees, and must present 
a beautiful picture when in flower. This avenue is a mile long, 
and the Chestnuts are the finest I have seen. This day horti- 
culturally was brought to a close by inspecting the old 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
This is managed for Messrs. T. Jackson & Son, Kingston-on- 
Thames, by Mr. Latham. The garden is very extensive, and 
contains a good quantity of glass ; in fact some twenty men are 
employed in these gardens. The ground was well cropped with 
the best of vegetables, and large squares were devoted to Seakale, 
Asparagus, and Strawberries. I noticed on a border in front of 
one of the houses some Tomatoes planted out and trained upright 
to stakes ; the plants were bearing a large crop, the bunches of 
fruit hanging like ropes of Onions. At a rough calculation I 
should say there was fully a ton of fruit, all the chief large-fruit¬ 
ing varieties being grown ; one called Large Red was carrying the 
heaviest crop. The walls are covered with old fruit trees, which 
had formerly the spurs a great distance from the wall; they have 
now been well cut back, and good crops of fine fruit are produced 
close to the wall. The vineries are rather numerous, and some of 
the Vines are very old, but were carrying heavy crops of good 
average fruit. In one house some young Vines planted three 
years were fruiting well and growing luxuriantly. Hundreds of 
young Vines in pots were growing in a span-roofed house, the 
canes being good and the eyes plump. Several houses are devoted 
to Peach and Nectarine trees, which are planted across the house 
about 2 yards apart and trained fan-shaped to upright wires. 
More fruit is obtained by this method than by planting at the 
front of the house as is general. The only doubt I entertained was 
