JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
354 
[ October 20, 1881. 
something worth seeing in the gardens and their surroundings 
that will now be referred to. 
MARSTON HOUSE. 
This is situated on the southern slope of a heavily wooded 
eminence about two miles and a half from Frome, and commands 
a view of great extent and beauty. The mansion is approached 
by a sunken carriage drive with bold shrub-clad lawns rising on 
either side. From the north side, or carriage entrance, a fine 
flight of steps flanked by vases leads up a series of five terraces to 
the higher ground, where noble trees, glades, and an enclosed 
flower garden are the principal features. On the opposite, or 
south, front is a fine terrace walk, from which an extensive lawn 
slopes to the park. There are no flower beds, and properly so, 
here ; stately deciduous trees, a grand old Yew having a trunk 
nearly 30 feet in circumference, a fine Cedar, and Golden Welling- 
tonia being far more appropriate ornaments. It is from the 
terrace that the view is so fine, even magnificent—hill and dale, 
wood and water, rendering the scene as picturesque as it is exten¬ 
sive. The pleasure grounds are rich in trees, having an under¬ 
growth of Laurels kept cut, and the park is heavily timbered, 
Elms, Beeches, and Chestnut attaining a great size, Thorn trees 
plentiful and all aglow with extraordinary crops of scarlet fruit. 
On the mansion are some of the finest Magnolias in the kingdom, 
and adjoining it a large conservatory kept gay with flowers, of 
which Lord Cork is a great admirer. 
The gardens are on lower ground, about a quarter of a mile 
from the mansion, and separated from it by a portion of the park 
and a plantation of trees. About three acres are enclosed with 
walls, old, strong, and lofty ; most of the trees are old too, yet some 
have fair crops of fruit. Bush fruit trees have been freely planted 
some years ago, but they are infested with the Aphis lanigera, and 
much labour will be necessary to cleanse them and render them 
satisfactory. There is a fine wall of cordon Pears too closely 
planted and trained, the branches being only 8 or 9 inches apart. 
By removing the worst of them and adding fresh soil and manure 
to the roots the trees may be renovated, and they are worth the 
effort that will be made to improve them. Glass copings over 
Apricot trees prove their value, the protected trees bearing twice 
the number of fruit that others do that have no protection. There 
are two vineries with exhausted Vines, so exhausted that there 
were only six bunches in the Muscat house. Most men would 
have uprooted them, made new borders, and planted young Vines, 
but Mr. Iggulden preferred to adopt a renovating process, and 
he will succeed. By heavy dressings of manure, which Vine 
roots cannot resist, he has already secured a mass of surface 
fibres and a fair extent of young wood. Fresh soil, wood ashes, 
&c., will do the rest, and he will have Grapes next year, and 
more the year following than he could have obtained from young 
Vines, besides saving much outlay. Such Vines as these can only 
be rendered healthy and fruitful by skill combined with per¬ 
severing labour, and these they will have. 
A Peach house some 200 feet long also needs renovation. The 
trees have the “ yellows,” and only fresh soil and surface roots 
can cure them. There are some half dozen span-roofed plant 
houses and ranges of pits of great service. These are being 
stocked with useful plants. In one house Tea Roses struck in the 
spring are in 11-inch pots and flowering freely. This is as quick 
and good work as can be wished, and Tree Carnations of the same 
age in 9-inch pots are in their way equally fine, and will give an 
abundance of flowers throughout the winter. 
Oue house is brilliant with Zonal Pelargonium Guillon Mangilli, 
evidently most valuable for winter, and in striking contrast are 
a number of plants of Begonia semperflorens grandiflora. This 
Begonia should be grown in every stove or intermediate house in 
the kingdom where white fldwers are required during autumn 
and winter, especially as the plants can be so easily raised and 
grown, those in question being the produce of seed sown in April 
of the present year. This is a new variety, and was exhibited 
before the Floral Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society 
last year, and only lost a certificate by one vote ; but as the 
plants are now grown at Marston they represent a variety of 
decidedly greater merit and usefulness than some flowers that 
gain a mark of honour perhaps by one vote. This Begonia is 
much superior to the typical form, inasmuch as it is of much 
freer growth, has a branching habit, with larger trusses of finer 
pure white flowers. A great merit of the variety is that it comes 
quite true from seed, and a batch of plants must be at the least 
as valuable as a number of Primulas. All who see the plants in 
question admire them, and the sooner seed can be raised and dis¬ 
tributed the better. In another house plants of the same variety 
are associated with a small unnamed scarlet Begonia of great 
decorative value, much resembling B. Ingrami, but superior to 
it, and it is not easy to imagine a more beautiful mixture. Both 
the Begonias should be grown freely, and if grown as well as 
those at Marston they will not be likely to disappoint either 
employers or gardeners. 
The usual kinds of decorative plants—Primulas, Cinerarias, 
Cyclamens, Bouvardias, and Violets—are grown in the manner 
that Mr. Iggulden has recommended in these columns, and their 
condition testifies to the soundness of his teachings. Strawberries 
in pots are excellent; indeed, everything, that there has been 
time to do in the yet short term of service of the cultivator 
appears to have been done well. 
It is not necessary to dwell on the kitchen gardening, as in this 
branch most of the best exhibitors of the day know of Mr. 
Iggulden’s competence, and some of them would have been as 
well pleased at times if his productions had arrived too late. 
Lord Cork enjoys his garden and gives aid readily towards 
rendering it satisfactory, and there is not a doubt that his 
gardener will make the most of the means at his disposal. 
Marston taken in its entirety is a fine old country seat, and 
worthy of all the care that its noble owner exercises in its pre¬ 
servation and improvement. Notes on Longleat must be post¬ 
poned.—J. W. 
NOTES ON PEARS. 
In continuation of my article on page 312 as regards Pears, 
many people recommend strong loam for their successful growth. 
Although I know quite well it is the best, probably not two 
gardens in a score have that kind of soil, and my opinion is that 
with a little extra attention good Pears may be grown in almost 
any kind of soil. If the soil is light and poor place some good 
loam round the roots of the trees, and mulch heavily with farm¬ 
yard manure during the summer months. The ground must be 
prepared by trenching, and have the loam ready by planting time 
for placing about the roots. It is certain that the fruit will not 
be so fine on pyramid and espalier trees as on trees against walls, 
although when grown as pyramids very creditable fruit may be 
obtained, especially if on the Quince stock. In many gardens 
there is little wall space ; then the midseason and late kinds had 
better be grown as espaliers, as they come finer on that system 
than as pyramids. But where there is wall room it is best to 
devote them to the midseason and late kinds, and the early kinds 
as espaliers or pyramids. As regards the best stock for Pears 
that is a matter of opinion. If they are on the Pear or free stock 
they make trees much quicker, grow to a larger size, and are 
longer-lived than those on the Quince ; but when on the latter 
stock the fruit is often finer, the trees are more prolific, and come 
into bearing much quicker. Consequently most people prefer 
the latter stock, although some kinds will not do on the Quince, 
such as Marie Louise, Winter Nelis, and Easter Beurre. Cordons 
are all best on the Quince. If large fruit are required for exhi¬ 
bition, cordons are the best; if principally for table use, the trees 
should be fan-shaped or horizontal-trained. When grown as 
cordons many varieties may be had in a small space, and every 
place of any extent should have some cordons, as they are very 
interesting, especially when many varieties are grown. The 
following I find the best varieties for succession :—Doyennd d’Ete, 
Beurre Giffard, Williams’ Bon Chretien, BeunA d’Amanlis, Louise 
Bonne of Jersey, Beurre Hardy, BeuriA Superfin, Marie Louise, 
Pitmaston Duchess, Glou Moreau, Durondeau, Beurrd d’Arem- 
berg, Beurrd Diel, Chaumontel, Josephine de Malines, Knight’s 
Monarch, Bergamotte d’Esperen, Marie Benoit, and Olivier de 
Serres.— Fruit-Grower, Worcestershire. 
NEPENTHES RAJAII AT HOME. 
Last week this remarkable Nepenthes was exhibited for the first 
time at South Kensington, and certificated by the Floral Committee 
of the Royal Horticultural Society. As was stated in our report 
the plant was found by Messrs. Peter Veitch and F. W. Burbidge 
upon Mount Kina Balu. The accompanying engraving is from a 
sketch by Mr. Burbidge, showing the mountain as seen towering 
through the valley mists of early morning, and illumined by the 
rising sun. We are further indebted to Mr. Burbidge for the follow¬ 
ing notes on Nepenthes, which will, we doubt not, be acceptable to 
our readers:— 
“Nepenthes, or the true Pitcher Plants, are very plentiful in 
Borneo, many species growing in the lowlands near the sea, such 
as N. Rafflesiana, N. Veitchii, N. bicalcarata, N. gracilis, and its 
small variety N laevis, N. hirsuta, and others; but it is on the 
Kina Balu or ‘Chinese Widow’ Mountain, which towers upwards 
into the clouds (about a hundred miles northwards of the British 
colony of Lahuan), that the most wonderful species of the whole 
genus are to be found. The finest species already discovered on 
the rocky sides of Kina Balu are N. Rajah, so named by Sir 
