444 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ Member 11 , mo. 
practical horticulture in all departments. From an architectural 
point of view Trentbam also stands pre-eminent, for it is said to 
have the finest front in Europe. Whether this be true I do not 
know, but I shall never forget the admiration I felt when some 
years ago, after walking through the woods and country lanes 
from Keele and having traversed the greater part of Trentham 
Park, a gentle sweep of the drive brought the Hall in full view. 
It would be impossible for me to adequately describe its beauties, 
and as I am neither a landscape painter nor architect I will not 
attempt to do so. 
As this paper contains notes only, I shall only mention what 1 
think is likely to be of most interest to your readers, for a full 
description of Trentham would require half the Journal. Flower 
gardening was at one time a great feature there, but it is no 
longer carried out as it used to be, although I need scarcely 
say that Mr. Stevens could undoubtedly render it as good as 
he did in times past were the means forthcoming. The plant 
houses, however, contain abundant treasures. In one of the 
stoves near to the bothy were some grand specimens of Ltelia 
autumnalis 2 feet and more in diameter, in teak baskets and 
suspended within a foot or 18 inches of the roof glass, and 
shaded only from strong sunshine by means of sprays and 
boughs of Yew, thus giving them the nearest approach to natural 
shade. For size and vigour I have never seen their equals. 
The compost they were in was of the roughest description, con¬ 
sisting of fibry peat, lumps of charcoal, and sphagnum ; stag¬ 
nation was quite impossible. Out of doors, partially shaded by 
trees and shrubs, were two dozen extra strong plants of Lapageria 
alba in pots 11 inches in diameter. These I understood were for 
sale. The fine specimen Camellias in the large conservatory were 
in the most robust health and well set with buds. There was also 
a fine example of the charming Luculia gratissima, which pro¬ 
duces its huge trusses of fragrant blossoms in the greatest profu¬ 
sion during the winter months. This plant should be more gene¬ 
rally cultivated, as anyone who can grow Camellias well could 
succeed with it. The other permanent occupants were Seaforthias, 
Chamferops, Latanias, Rhododendrons, Roses, Acacias, Bamboos, 
and Hedychiums, all in a healthy condition. 
The large Odontoglossum house contained hundreds of 0. Alex¬ 
andra, many of them in flower and all first-class varieties, 
O. cirrhosum, 0. Pescatorei, 0. triumphans, O. hastilabium, O. ci- 
trosmum, and 0. nebulosum in large numbers. Mr. Stevens has a 
remarkably good variety of Epidendrum vitellinum which he 
grows extensively ; the colour is unusually bright, and the sepals 
and petals of waxy texture. Pleione lagenaria (Indian Crocus) is 
well grown at Trentham, as are also Calanthe Veitchii, C. vestita, 
Barkeria Skinneri and B. spectabilis, Dendrobium nobile, D. Wardi, 
anurn, and D. Devonianum. The copings in the new plant stove 
are very tastefully decorated with Panicum variegatum and 
Adiantum cuneatum placed alternately, the effect viewed from 
either end being most charming. Tabermemontanas are evidently 
great favourites, for good specimens are to be seen by dozens 
growing luxuriantly. Amateurs who are fond of Gardenias, but 
are not successful in growing them, should give this plant a trial; 
the soil suitable for Gardenias will grow Tabernmmontanas to 
perfection. Adjoining the stove and separated by a glass partition 
is a new aquatic house, containing a tank in the centre 40 feet 
long by 8 wide and 3 deep devoted to the cultivation of Nelum- 
biums and Nympheeas. Nelumbium speciosum, the Sacred Bean 
of the Egyptians, was producing its lovely rose-tinted flowers 
in succession. One was open on the day of my visit, and 
measured 12 inches in diameter ; after flowering the capsules 
are very interesting. Anyone possessing a stove may grow it if 
they choose, as the beautiful peltate leaves, of a rich metallic 
green, only reach the height of 4 feet. One-half of a 36-gallon 
cask, or a No. 1 pot with the drainage holes plugged up, will 
hold sufficient soil, which should be composed of loam, decayed 
manure, and grit or sand. Water should be added as the leaves 
develope until it reaches the top of the vessel ; requiring plenty of 
light they should only be shaded from very bright sun. Nymphasa 
cmrulea and N. rubra were also in flower in the same tank. 
The range parallel to the last is devoted to the cultivation of 
Tomatoes, Melons, and Cucumbers ; the latter had stems more 
like old Grape Vines than Cucumbers, they were so thick and 
knotted. Planted on hillocks as they are there, and in soil rich 
and lumpy, a soddened state of the border is nearly impossible. 
Melons are grown in the same way when not in pots, the soil 
being heavier in character: the variety principally grown is the 
old and well-tried Trentham Hybrid. The noted glass cases, 
or covered walls, designed by the late Mr. Fleming, contained 
a number of fine Cherries, Plums, Figs, Grapes, Peaches, &c., 
excepting the unheated portion of the glass wall devoted to the 
latter, where the fruit was scarce owing to the imperfectly ripened 
wood of the previous autumn. The fruit in the heated section 
was plentiful and exceedingly fine. The crops of Grapes in the 
vineries were not so good as I have seen them at Trentham in 
August. The early houses were cleared of their fruit, and the 
Vines rapidly losing their leaves, the wood being thoroughly well 
ripened. Mr. Stevens has for some years furnished the back 
walls of many of the vineries with Camellias, where they flower 
very freely; anyone having the back walls of vineries unoccupied, 
and who require an abundance of Camellias for cutting, should 
adopt the plan. Bananas have a house to themselves about 
60 feet in length and about 18 feet wide, and are planted out, a 
constant supply of fruit being kept up by succession plants. Musa 
Cavendishii is the kind grown. The old aquatic house contained 
fine plants of Alocasia metallica, A. macrorhiza, and some good 
Crotons. The roof and pillars were draped and festooned with 
the old but ever beautiful Cissus discolor ; the walls of the tanks 
were furnished with Selaginellas in a dense carpet dotted with 
good plants of Caladium argyrites plunged, thus forming an edging 
of a very pleasing kind. 
Out of doors were a number of Strawberries in pots, which for 
health and vigour could not be excelled, and I was informed that 
the only stimulant they had was night soil in the compost. This 
is a hint for growers. 
KEELE HALL. 
Keele Hall has long been famous for first-class Grapes and its 
grand Holly hedge. Under the skilful management of that able 
and respected horticulturist, the late Mr. Wm. Hill, these gardens 
assumed a prominent position amongst the best of the country ; 
nor are they receding from that position, if we may judge by the 
work being done by their present excellent Superintendent Mr. 
J. Wallis, who gained much of his experience with his predecessor 
Mr. Hill. The early Peach house was never in better condition 
than when I had the pleasure of seeing it. To say the trees were 
in good condition would be faint praise ; they were superb, not a 
trace of red spider or scale, every leaf healthy, and every shoot 
in its proper place ; no crowding of bearing wood (the stumbling- 
block of too many of our otherwise excellent gardeners), nor yet 
any waste of space, but each shoot so placed that its leaves do 
not interfere with or overshadc the leaves of its neighbour, thus 
allowing free play of air and light upon the leaves, shoots, and 
last but not least the embryo buds in the axils of the leaves. Not 
one inch of the spacious trellises was unoccupied, and the trees 
were furnished from top to bottom with wood of uniformly ex¬ 
cellent character. It is only due to Mr. Wallis to place this on 
record, for I have never seen Peach trees so good in any part of 
the country. The Peach and Nectarine trees in the later houses 
were bearing good crops of fruit of great size and excellent finish ; 
specially noticeable were Noblesse Peach and Imperatrice Nec¬ 
tarine in the Peach case. The Cucumber and Melon pits con¬ 
tained good crops, and in another pit was a fine batch of Eucharis 
amazonica plunged in leaves and producing their lovely white 
flowers. 
Mr. Wallis is busily renovating the Vines and Vine borders, 
lifting and replanting such as are likely to give satisfactory 
returns, and planting young Vines in other cases. r lhose that 
were planted last year have borne several fine bunches, and have 
furnished the house wflth good bearing wood for the ensuing year. 
The old-established Vines have carried crops this year equal to 
those of preceding years; indeed, if there is any perceptible 
change in their condition it is for the better, w T hich is yery credit¬ 
able to Mr. Wallis, considering the work they have done in the 
past under the manipulation of that champion Grape-grower Mr. 
Hill. The Black Hamburghs were very conspicuous for their 
regularity of bunch, large size of berry, and for the intensity of 
their colour and beautiful bloom. Gros Colman was also well 
grown and particularly well colouied for the time of year (August). 
Muscat of Alexandria had an exquisite amber colour, the colour 
so often coveted but so seldom obtained before the end of Oc¬ 
tober. I may here remark that the piecemeal system of making 
Vine borders is carried out here, and one that cannot be too often 
repeated in your columns, for it is even now common to see 
new Vine borders made to their full extent at once, a practice 
that cannot be too severely condemned whether the border be 
inside or out. It may here be contended that where the border is 
more or less below the surface of the surrounding ground an open 
“pit” is undesirable, which I grant ; but I reply that it is quite 
unnecessary to excavate at any time more than a foot over and 
above the space intended to be filled with new soil, and this foot 
of space I would strongly recommend to be left open if possible 
to the full depth of the border, not only as a means of drainage 
but as a means of aeration of the border, but if it cannot be left 
open let it be filled with the roughest of clinkers and brickbats 
and covered over thinly with soil. 
