September 11, 1884. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
239 
the horse to give a sharp pull, and out comes the tree with its mass of 
roots. This is effected in a few moments, and is a speedy way of clearing 
•exhausted plantations. 
The Potato crop appeared in excellent condition ; not a trace could 
be seen of its parasitic foe having commenced its destructiveness. Scarlet 
Eunner Beans, notwithstanding the severe drought, seemed to be thriving 
well. These are generally grown in a dwarf state by continuous pinching, 
but this .season growers have found the crops more profitable by using 
supports in the shape of pea-sticks. It was an interesting sight to see a 
large field of these grown thus laden with blossom and beans. Leaving 
this interesting portion of our ride behind we soon came to a still more 
interesting spot—the object of our pilgrimage. 
MR. LADDS’ ESTABLISHMENT. 
Mr. Ladds’ Grape and Tomato-growing has, long ago, been looked 
apon as one of the wonders of gardening, and it only needs a personal 
inspection to satisfy oneself as to its accuracy. No one but a man of 
Mr. Ladds’ stamp, combining energy and great business enterprise, could 
have attained such success in producing such immense crops of Grapes 
and Tomatoes. The glass erections are very extensive. There are truly 
acres of them. Some of the houses are upwards of 400 feet long, and all 
built from Mr. Ladds’ own designs, being constructed in an economical 
and serviceable manner. There is no attempt at ornament, and the best 
possible use is made of all available space. Everything is done in a 
rough-and-ready style, even in the arrangement of the heating apparatus. 
The orthodox gardener who has been accustomed to mathematical 
precision in the arrangement of his houses, plants, &c., would be perfectly 
shocked to behold the style of doing things here. For instance, the hot- 
water pipes diverge and converge in every direction, being roughly laid 
down, independent of levels and straight lines. Old flanges of hot-water 
pipes are used for attaching to the end of the ropes for keeping the 
ventilators in position. One of the ends of these flanges is filled with 
Portland cement, with a hole in the centre to admit of the rope for the 
purpose just mentioned. 
The houses are all span-roofed. The large vinery measuring upwards 
of 500 feet in length and 24 feet wide is a splendid sight. The varieties 
grown in this house are Gros Colman and Lady Downe’s, and in size of 
bunch and berry are not to be surpassed. Some idea of the quantity 
grown in this house may be gained when I state that I was informed that 
upwards of 2^ tons are gathered annually. It is truly a magnificent 
sight to stand at the bottom end of this house and behold the almost 
countless numbers of black Grapes suspended from the roof. There is 
no scientific border-making employed here. When a new house is built 
an immense quantity of stable manure—some tons—is trenched into the 
ordinary soil, a gravelly loam, and in this the Vines are planted. When 
they come into full bearing they are liberally assisted with artificial 
stimulants. There is no undue crowding of foliage, and abundance of 
air is given. The fine plump brown shoots testify strongly to Mr. Ladds’ 
success in the thorough ripening of the wood—a great point in good 
Grape culture. 
In addition to this large house there is a house of Muscats 130 feet by 
25, in which there is an immense crop of really splendid fruit, the 
bunches and berries being of enormous size. To produce this heavy crop 
recourse is had to a liberal application of such artificial manures as 
sulphate of ammonia, nitrate of soda, and guano. There are five more 
large vineries, two of them being IGO feet by 25, and the other three 
300 feet by 25. The two first named are planted with two-year-old Gros 
Colmans. These had been cut back to half their length last season, 
which portion of the canes are now carrying about a dozen very large 
bunches each. Next year these will carry a full crop. The other three 
houses are planted with Black Alicantes of the same age as the Gros 
Colmans ]ust referred to, and are bearing similar crops. The canes are 
wonderfully robust, and evinced strong evidence of good feeding in their 
growing and fruiting stages. The roots of the Vines are entirely inside, 
and, what is of great importance, have an immense mass of feeding roots 
near the surface. Water is laid on all the houses, therefore by means of 
a good hose a needful quantity can be given without much trouble. 
It is really marvellous to what extent Vines can be cropped by the 
aid of various artificial stimulants, but it is a question whether they can 
attain more than a moderate age and yield profitable crops, which time 
and more experience alone can answer. In Mr. Ladds’ case the prospect 
is considerably different from that of the private gardener. In the former 
case, if after a few years the crops cease being profitable, they can be 
rooted out and the house occupied with a more remunerative crop. It is 
very different in the case of the private gardener. He has to maintain a 
constant supply of fruit of average quality, and cannot afford to lose a 
season or two whilst new Vines are being prepared for fruiting every 
few years. This high-pressure Grape-growing, then, is suitable for market 
purposes, but not for the average private garden. 
Tomatoes are grown here on a much larger scale than Grapes. An 
immense number of span-roofed houses, each measuring over 200 feet in 
length, are devoted to the production of Tomatoes, of which over a ton a 
day is gathered for market during the season. The Tomatoes are planted 
about 2 feet apart in the borders on each side of a narrow path which 
runs through the centre of each house. The plants are trained to a single 
stem, and are supported by means of stout strings suspended from the roof. 
A great quantity of manure is dug into the borders, and with the 
assistance of abundance of water and stimulants a marvellous crop of 
fruit in all stages of development is to be seen. No sooner is the Tomato 
crop over than the houses are refilled with tens of thousands of Straw¬ 
berries in pots for forcing. 
Mr. Ladds does not confine his attention to fruit-growing alone, but 
goes in largely for cut flower production—chiefly Gardenias, Stephanotis, 
and Tea Boses. One large span roofed house, over 300 feet long, is a 
perfect forest of Stephanotis and Gardenias. The former are planted in 
little mounds of earth on each side of the house, and the foliage trained 
up two-thirds of each side of the roof. The Gardenias occupy the central 
bed, and are planted out in mounds too, the latter being one mass of 
roots. No plants could possibly appear in better health than these, and 
the quantity of cut blooms obtained daily is astounding. Abundance of 
water and stimulants are given daily to these plants. 
Two more similarly large houses are filled with that grand Tea Eose 
Niphetos, grown in pots. Tens of thousands of fine healthy specimens 
bristling with buds of this charming Rose, as grown at Bexley, is a 
sight well worthy of a special journey alone. It is indeed wonderful to 
see such excellent results produced in a rough-and-ready style. With the 
exception of Mr. Ladds and his skilful manager, Mr. Bailey, we are 
informed that no skilled gardeners are employed, ordinary labourers 
doing all that is required. 
Mr. Ladds’ enterprise does not end at Bexley Heath. He has another 
large establishment at Hartford Heath, which, with Messrs. Cannell’s, I 
will refer to in a future issue.—T. W. S. 
Fruit Growers and those interested in pomological studies will 
be glad to know that the fifth edition of Dr. Hogg’s “ Fruit Manual ” 
is nearly ready, and will be published early in October, probably on 
the 1st. Further particulars will appear in future advertisements. 
- Dundee International Show. —This Exhibition, which is opened 
in the Drill Hall, Dundee, to-day, Thursday, is in numbers and quality 
of the productions an extremely satisfactory one. There are no less than 
350 competitors, the entries in the respective divisions being as follows :— 
Plants, 330; cut flowers, 835 ; and vegetables, 765; fruit being grandly 
shown, no less than 530 dishes and collections being entered. These 
exhibits occupy two large halls, one 161 feet long and 80 feet wide, the 
other 100 feet long and 80 feet wide. The cut flowers are arranged in a 
covered space in front of the Hall 300 feet long and 85 feet wide, a slightly 
smaller space at the rear of the Hall being devoted to vegetables in the 
principal fruit classes. The leading exhibitors are Messrs. Mclndoe^ 
Hutton ; Murray, Culzean ; Goodacre, Elvaston ; and Johnston, Glamis, 
In the plant classes Messrs. Ireland & Thomson, Edinburgh ; Clark^ 
Bros., Carlisle ; Laird & Sinclair, Dundee ; Stewart & Son, Dundee, and 
D. W. Croll, Dundee. The principal gardeners exhibiting plants are 
Messrs. Hammond, Bray ton ; Alison, Monifieth ; Brown, Orchill; 
MacArthur, Newport. The great features of the Show are the cut flowers 
and fruits, the latter being extremely fine. 
-The Official Report of the Committee of the National 
Apple Congress. —The Royal Horticultural Society will issue in, or 
about October next, a full report of the above, compiled by Mr. A. F. 
Barron, Superintendent of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardens, and 
Secretary of the Committee. It will be in book form, octavo size, and 
contain about 200 pages, embracing :—1, A general report on the whole of 
the exhibits—arranged in ten separate groups or divisions, according to 
district—including the observations of the Committee, with cultural and 
other details by the several exhibitors, &c. 2, Tabulated lists of selected 
varieties of Apples for each separate district, &c. 3, A Descriptive 
Catalogue, with classification of the whole of the varieties exhibited, 
numbering over 2000. 
- We are requested to state that Mr. R. S. Dunbar has ceased to 
be a member of The Thames Bank Iron Company, with which 
and its predecessor he has been connected for the past twenty-four 
years. 
-Apples on Last Year’s Shoots.—I have this day counted 
eight large Apples on a last year’s shoot of Keswick Codlin, and 
it is the rule over several trees, so this excellent old culinary variety 
appears to be an exception to the rule, as stated by “Non-Believer.” 
— W. 
- Fine Hydrangeas.—A correspondent informs us that the 
