162 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 21, 1890. 
speciosum, with which the border seems full ; the threadlike shoots 
entwine themselves amongst the shrubs the entire length of the border, 
and are covered with brilliant blossoms. This is a sight to be re¬ 
membered. The northern aspect suits the growth of this Tropasolum to 
perfection. An Ivy-clad building on the same side was remarkable for 
the manner in which a plant of Eccremocarpus scaber was growing at 
the base; the shoots, profusely covered with its orange red blossoms, 
came out in great relief in front of the Ivy, which made a capital 
background and also provided support for the entwining of the 
plant. 
Passing the lawn and good specimens of Coniferm and noble Elms, 
we find what was formerly a wilderness of Nut bushes and weeds trans¬ 
formed into a Rose garden, the boundary being formed with an 
herbaceous border edged with white Pinks, which are to be replanted 
every year to keep them small and neat. This makes a neat as well as 
a useful edging to such a border. The portion in the centre devoted to 
Roses mainly grown on the dwarf system is laid out in beds edged with 
Box, and narrow gravel paths between ; the leading varieties were 
planted and are thriving well. 
The kitchen garden is not large, but well situated ; the soil, a deep 
loam resting on gravel, is very fertile, as is evinced by the crops of 
vegetables and the surrounding trees. A broad path leads through the 
centre of the garden, and on each end of it is a wide border filled with 
herbaceous plants. The quarters are well stocked with vegetables and 
fruit, heavy crops of the latter in all sections, but Plums and Pears, are 
to be seen, even the latter are represented by a fair crop. The Morello 
Cherry wall is especially worthy of note ; it is situated behind the 
offices and faces almost south. The wall is 50 yards long, and is fur¬ 
nished from end to end and from bottom to top with trees as even as it 
is possible to find them, and with a crop of fruit as good as could be 
wished. The trees are in the best of health, and evidently the treatment 
accorded is of the right kind. 
The glass department is not very extensive, but the houses are well 
built. A lean-to range running across the north end of the kitchen 
garden, and facing south, is divided into four vineries, each about 
30 feet long, 18 feet wide, and about II feet high at the back, the re¬ 
maining house being devoted to Peach culture. The trees have been 
newly planted, and are most promising. The Muscat Grapes, mainly 
of the Alexandria variety, and one or two rods of Madresfield Court, 
are bearing substantial bunches. Of the Cannon Hall variety there are 
bunches with extra large berries, but, as usual with this variety, Mr. 
Hall experiences a difficulty in obtaining a good set. Another 
house is mainly occupied with early varieties—Black Hamburgh, 
Buckland Sweetwater, Foster’s Seedling, Black Prince, Madresfield 
Court, all in first-class condition. The last house of the range is 
devoted to late sorts, of which there are some very fine crops of Alicante, 
Lady Downe’s, and Gros Colman, one bunch on the rod of the latter 
measuring 15 inches long, with large berries. Very fine are the bunches 
of Alicante considering that each cane carries a full crop of fruit, not 
a few sensational bunches. The Vines here have to produce fall crops, 
and as the Grapes are always remarkable for the exceeding high 
finish at the autumn shows they reflect all the more credit on their 
cultivation. Ample space between each rod is allowed, so that the 
foliage obtains abundance of light and air. The border is kept thinly 
mulched with fresh horse droppings, which induces surface roots in 
abundance. 
Useful lean-to Cucumber and Melon houses are situated at the 
east end of the range, in which are also grown small stove plants 
suitable for dinner table decoration. A handsome new span-roofed 
greenhouse has lately been added, which is 50 feet long, 20 feet wide, 
and 12 feet high in the centre. This is filled mainly with soft- 
wooded plants, which are found useful for supplying the house with 
cut flowers. Mr. Hall deserves great credit for the manner in which 
every department is managed, and I am indebted to him for his 
courtesy during a hurried look round this interesting garden.— Visitor. 
STRAWBERRIES—A VOICE FROM AMERICA. 
I have been reading with great interest Mr. Hibberd’s paper in 
Journal of Horticulture of July 10th, and am moved to enclose you 
a chapter of my own from the Country Gentleman , which may 
perhaps have an interest as showing some American aspects of the 
case. I am particularly interested in what our friend Mr. Hibberd 
says of the Fragaria chilensis, which goes commonly as the 
“ Chili Strawberry.” He speaks of the “Chili species deficient often 
in pollen,” and I presume he means under cultivation. Now, I have 
never been able to find a plant of the “ Chili species ” under culti¬ 
vation. Years ago we all thought the lighter fruited forms of the 
garden Strawberry were to be referred to the “ Chili species,” but 
since I have been able to see this species growing naturally in its 
sub-arctic home, and not merely know it from dried specimens, 
I have my doubt whether it is in cultivation — some little 
doubt whether the true species has ever been in cultivation at 
all. 
I may say here, as a student in botany as well as one devoted to 
horticulture, that I am shy in accepting the numerous “ species ” as 
often given us ; although we may grant in these “ evolutionary ” 
times that what is or what is not a species is neither more nor less 
than the opinion of an expert, but we who have travelled thousands 
of miles over a country of the huge extent of ours, seeing “species” 
under so many different conditions, may be permitted to have a 
practical opinion, and we learn by a sort of coup d’ceil to tell a 
species through all its varying forms. It is easy to tell a form of 
F. vesca, of F. virginiana, and of F. chilensis. In such forms as 
F. canadensis, F. illincensis, F. grandiflora, &c., I should take no 
stock. In the Strawberry we usually have several common 
peduncles from the same plant. The first is rather long, the later 
one or more scarcely any. Anyone who has seen F. chilensis 
in its native places would scarcely mistake it, for the primary 
peduncle is seldom less than a foot, and the pedicels of proportionate 
length. The flowers are also enormously large, and the runners 
extend to a length unusual even in a Strawberry. The fruit, how¬ 
ever, of a prevailing light tint, very little of the rosy character of 
our Virginian Strawberry, is no larger than the average of our wild 
Virginian fruit. The leaves are just on the other side of the 
Virginian. While the F. vesca has very highly plaited leaves on 
the one side of that species, the “ Chili ” has scarcely any plaits at 
all. The leaves are thick, smooth, and glossy. 
Another reason why I doubt that the true Chili Strawberry in 
any form is in cultivation, is because reference is made to its occa¬ 
sional tendency to unisexuality. We find the tendency comes with 
decreasing vital power. The Strawberry loves the cool. When 
its vital powers ore weakened by exposure to heat and drought the 
pistils are partially suppressed, and stamens are strengthened. The 
plantation becomes barren, not because the male plants outrun 
the females by reason of superior vigour, as stated by Mr. Hibberd, 
for the male plants are not more, but less vigorous, but by reason 
of the actual loss of power to produce pistils. There is no- 
tendency in the wild “ Chili ” Strawberry to dioecism, and unless 
cultivated for a long time under unfavourable conditions in 
the comparatively favourable Strawberry climate of Britain, I 
should doubt the genuineness of the “ Chili ” plants.— Thomas 
Meehan. 
[We are pleased to hear from Mr. Meehan, and readily publish 
his observations on this subject. The following is the enclosure 
referred to :—] 
Degeneracy of Strawberries. 
Cultivators usually aim at something different from what 
Nature, unaided by man, desires, and hence we cannot always profit 
by what Nature teaches in the growth of plants. Still, we can 
profit by knowledge, though we may not always need to apply it 
at once. I never knew knowledge to hurt anyone. Even those 
who deride abstract knowledge are continually seeking it, and go 
to those—for some such information—whom they profess to hold 
in contempt. 
One of these good, inconsistent souls said to me recently, “ Can 
you tell me why it is that the further we go south the less success- 
we have with the Strawberry? We never see there the fine 
luscious fruit we get in the Northern States ; yet the soil is surely 
as good there as anywhere, and the cultivator gives them as much 
intelligent attention.” “ Because,” I replied, “ the 1 Strawberry 
spot ’ prevails on the leaves to such a great extent.” But I might 
as well talk to the winds. What did he know about “ Strawberry 
spot,” or in what way it had an injurious influence on Strawberry 
culture ? Perhaps many of us who do not look on science as some¬ 
thing pedantic, do not know quite as much about this as desirable. 
I have thought that a few lines on the subject might interest many 
readers. 
Nature has placed the Strawberry where the earth is cool. Cul¬ 
tivated Strawberries are of three species — Fragaria viginiana, 
F. vesca, and F. chilensis. I doubt much whether there has been 
hybridism between these, though so stated in horticultural works. 
My own opinion is that our common garden Strawberry is F. vir¬ 
giniana—the commonest wild species pure and simple. This is con¬ 
fined to the lower lands, and is found in the shade of bushy thickets 
or among the cool grass in damp ground. F. vesca is the parent of 
the Alpine Strawberries. It is readily distinguished by an acute- 
eye, through its much finer-plaited leaves. This is only found at 
low elevations in northern latitudes. As we go south, it is only 
found high in the mountains. Even in Mexico it finds a home in 
such situations. But wherever it is, its home is in the cool and 
shade. F. chilensis is a pale-fruited species, and it may have the- 
parentage with which it has been credited of some of the pale 
varieties that used to be found in gardens. I have seen this in its 
greatest perfection in the far north-west, following in the wake of 
the receding glaciers. In these cool parts of the northern and 
southern hemispheres it has found its favourite home. 
Now, the cultivator wants the Strawberry where it is not shady,, 
and where instead of the soil being cool it rises to 80° or 90° before 
the summer is over. The power to resist disease we know as vital 
power, without understanding precisely what this power is. At 
