326 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ October 7, im. 
with the varieties mentioned below often flowers very late, espe- 
• eially in cold positions; but this is rather a disadvantage than 
otherwise, as frost i3 frequently severe enough to spoil its appear¬ 
ance before the flowers are fully developed. To avoid this evil a 
moderately sheltered position should be selected for it. The 
variety roseus has large flower heads, extremely regular in outline 
and of a bright rosy tint, very attractive and useful. Another 
variety is appropriately named pulchellus ; it is not quite so tall as 
the type, and bears fine terminal flower heads with bright yellow 
central and rich purplish blue ray florets. It is a handsome 
variety and deserves the attention of all who desire to obtain a 
really attractive plant for their gardens, the flowers also proving 
very useful for cutting.—L. C. 
[The accompanying engraving represents a seedling Aster 
which appeared in Mr. Lee’s garden at Clevedon, and it seems 
to be an improved form of A. novas-anglise pulchellus, partaking of 
the colour that distinguishes the variety roseus. The flower heads 
are of good size and circular in outline, the rosy purple ray florets 
being closely set round the bright yellow centre. The increased 
size of the flower heads, the brighter colour, and the rather better 
form, are almost sufficient to entitle it to a distinct varietal name.] 
OLD v. GILBERT'S VICTORY OF BATH MELON. 
Foe the information of a writer in this Journal of September 
23rd (see page 292), who says he does not know what difference 
there is between the old and Gilbert’s Victory of Bath, I beg to in¬ 
form him that they are two quite distinct varieties, and anyone 
who has grown Gilbert’s Victory cannot mistake it for the old 
Victory. Why Mr. Gilbert should have named his new Melon 
Victory of Bath I cannot understand, as it has no resemblance 
whatever to the old variety of that name. I have grown the old 
Victory of Bath for more than twenty years ; it is an excellent 
Melon, oval in shape, slightly netted, and its flesh is of a dark green 
colour. When well grown it has few equals in its class. I have 
grown Gilbert’s Victory since it was sent out two seasons ago. I 
had the seeds direct from Mr. Gilbert, so there can be no mistake 
about it being the true variety. It is a round fruit of medium 
size, Trery slightly netted with me as a rule, but I have had odd 
fruits well netted, but not generally so ; flesh white, and when 
ripe the skin is of a light yellowish colour. It is quite distinct 
from any other variety that I have grown.—A. PETTIGREW, 
Cardiff Castle. 
A WEEK IN YORKSHIRE.—No. 3. 
OAKWOBTH HOUSE. 
(Concluded from page 260.) 
A little more remains to be said on Mr. Holden’s garden to 
enable its character and completeness to be comprehended by 
your readers. A great deal might be said were anything like a 
detailed description attempted of the various structures and their 
contents, for there are some forty houses in the block, the majority 
of them being of large size. As only a rapid walk was taken 
through this maze of glass, so the reference to it must be of a 
general rather than a particular character. 
The houses are entered from the picturesque balcony of the 
winter garden, the ends of some of the structures constituting the 
boundary of that remarkable edifice. In the centre is a span- 
roofed Muscat range, large and lofty, with a lantern roof. There 
are both outside and inside borders, and heat is afforded by 
twelve rows of 4-inch pipes. The Vines are covering the roof and 
bearing an excellent and uniform crop of capital Grapes. At the 
end a lean-to branches right and left, with which is connected 
other houses—one, a Fig house, is filled with splendid trees 
planted in an inside border ; another, a Peach house, but in which 
the trees do not prove satisfactory in such a lofty house, 
which is better adapted for Vines than Peaches. From here we 
enter a very long Orchid corridor with plants one side 1 and 
Nepenthes on the roof, the other side affording access to several 
other houses—Fuchsia house, Azalea and Heath house, which 
contain many healthy specimens, very large stoves tilled with 
a great assortment of healthy plants, and on to the vinery 
block. There are seven vineries, some being parallel with each 
other, and it will be necessary to make some provision against 
the roots from one border crossing to the other, which would 
be extremely inconvenient in case of any of the Vines required 
lifting, which they are certain to do' at some time or other. 
A trench down the centre between the two borders and cement 
walls would answer the purpose. The Vines are generally in 
admirable condition throughout and bearing heavily, Mr. Holden 
requiring a great supply of fruit for his many friends. In 
one house is an excellent crop of Lady Downe’s, and the best 
crop of Waltham Seedling I have ever seen. When in superior 
condition this Grape has an imposing appearance, and well 
ripened is of good quality. The roofs of the houses are supported 
by pillars, to which Tomatoes are trained on each side of the path. 
In other houses Mrs. Pince, Gros Colman, Golden Queen, and 
Alicante are doing equally well, the bunches being both large and 
numerous and the berries good. Some of the Vines, as in other 
places, lost their foliage prematurely last autumn by sudden and 
severe frosts occurring, and this defoliation has impaired the 
value of the crops. The early vinery is a lengthy lean-to, and 
the Black Hamburgh crops had been cut for some time previously 
to my visit. All the houses are well, even prodigally, heated, and 
great judgment is requisite in regard to moisture and ventilation 
in these large and essentially dry structures. 
Passing higher we arrive at another large block of houses—four 
lean-to’s and fourteen span-roofs, the ends of the latter opening 
into corridors about 10 feet wide and 160 feet long. These houses 
are devoted to Pines, Cucumbers, Melons, and small plants for 
decorative purposes, the roof of one of the lean-to’s being covered 
in every part with Tomatoes trained to wires like Cucumbers. 
The crop was a prodigious one, and the thousands of large scarlet 
fruit had a rich effect. Hot-water pipes are plentifully, almost 
too plentifully, provided in all these houses for both top and 
bottom heat, the mains passing under the paths in the front 
corridor. All the paths are of cement, but the water standing 
on those in the plant houses incommoded visitors. The walks 
were therefore given another covering of cement and made 
slightly convex, and now, as far as regards the welfare of the 
plants, &c., there is a deficiency of atmospheric moisture. 
At the back of the vineries is a range of offices 200 feet 
long, tool sheds, seed and store rooms, and with a spacious Mush¬ 
room house, all efficiently heated. Below the ground level is the 
boiler house, a huge excavation, lofty and roomy, in which the 
huge boilers are set that heat the several structures. Somewhere 
about 4 miles of piping are heated from these boilers, the remain¬ 
ing portion, H mile, being heated from the stokery of the winter 
garden. Mr. Shaw speaks highly of Weeks’s tubular boiler for 
quick action and great power. All the smoke is conducted into 
a massive shaft in the rear of the buildings. Owing to the diffe¬ 
rent levels and the arrangement of the houses there is quite a net¬ 
work of pipes, with valves innumerable, and it must be a work of 
time for a stranger to understand them and their workings ; 
indeed, Mr. Shaw observes that had he not been employed as an 
under gardener when the work of erection was in progress, he 
must have experienced great difficulty in comprehending their 
complexity now. 
All throughout the establishment good management, order, and 
excellent culture prevail; nothing appears to be neglected, nothing 
out of place—a result that certainly could not be achieved without 
the exercise of much forethought, great attention, and persevering 
industry, both on the part of the head and under gardeners, the 
former working with an object in view, and that is the very com¬ 
mendable one of endeavouring to the utmost of his power to have 
all things done well. 
Behind the large field of glass referred to and higher up the hill 
is the kitchen garden, but at this altitude the crops are all late 
—early Peas only ready in August, and Dwarf Kidney Beans can 
only be depended on grown under glass. Westward is the pleasure 
grounds, a broad undulated lawn with belts of shrubs and a few 
flower beds, this reaching to and merging into a plantation which 
is the northern boundary of Mr. Holden’s pleasure grounds. 
In the front of the mansion, and across the road that separates 
it from the dale below, is another pleasure ground with lawns, 
water, raised shrub banks, and flowers, Pansies being quite at 
home, bright and cheerful. In close proximity are large and 
massive schools for the village and district, and in the rear of them 
Mr. Holden’s stables, all very substantial, neat in design, and 
ornamental. 
Altogether Oakworth House and its appurtenances is a wonderful 
place, made and owned by a wonderful man, who has graved his 
name deeply in the tablets of history, and by his mechanical skill, 
labour, and perseverance has at the same time benefited the nation 
and enriched himself. It is such men who have made England 
great by extending her commerce, and it is of such men that the 
nation is justly proud. Had I seen no other garden during my 
short tour I should have been well satisfied with my “week in 
Yorkshire ” by having been accorded the privilege of inspecting 
the home and gardens of Isaac Holden.— A Rambler. 
Anemone japonica. —To enjoy the full beauty of both the 
pink and white forms of this valuable autumn flower we must 
have old-established plants growing in tolerably deep rich soil. 
I have a lot of clumps of both just now in full beauty ; they are 
