Jalj SS, 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
75 
and judges to the same subject, one that will stand considerable thrashing 
just now if you can find space in our valuable Journal. In a flourishing 
town in the midlands, and at their successful flower, fruit, and vegetable 
Show last September, two greengrocers told me they had been applied 
to for International Kidney Potatoes to make up dishes and numbers of 
sets by exhibitors who could not quite make up the number for the dish, 
be it six or twelve. In the same town and county a gardener of a friend of 
mine was asked to lend a Melon for the day. The variety, I think, was 
Eastnor Castle, seed of which I gave to the said friend, and he had much 
■finer specimens than I saw at the Show. This practice is an old one, but 
means ought to be found to stop it. It is not confined to professional 
gardeners, it has been done by both amateurs and cottagers. Some 
cottagers’ exhibits of International Kidney Potatoes were so remarkably 
fine they attracted my attention. I thought these exhibitors were 
decidedly going ahead, better samples were not produced from some of 
the first Potato growers. I found out that at least two exhibits were 
made up to the required number by purchases from shop-keepers who buy 
from some of the first gardeners in the midland county referred to. Now 
is the time to give a caution. 
Another subject might also be mentioned, in all fairness to the real 
amateurs, of those who are now obliged to show in classes where other 
persons claim to be amateurs, but who show their Roses from Rose 
farms of acres of extent —a la Cranston, Cant, Paul, Rivers, Jefferies 
and Co., who keep professional Rose gardeners, who do all the budding 
and grafting. Amateur gardeners used to be understood to consist of 
ladies and gentlemen, the clergy to a large extent, who do all the culture 
themselves with members of their families, but who cannot indulge 
■their floricultural tastes in acres, professional gardeners, &c., and who do 
all the work con amore without acres of Roses, and without help, quite 
different from those who are now showing one day at Liverpool, next at 
■Crystal Palace, next at Hereford, next, perhaps, far north or far south. 
Do not you agree with me that things are not at present quite fair to the 
Teal amateurs, and want a little supervision by those whom it concerns 
to keep each class as it ought to be—purely professional, and purely 
amateur ? I apologise for the length of this letter, but I have not 
troubled you with one for the past two years, though I read my Journal 
Tegularly, and bind it, too, for reference.— Saxoring. 
[No apology is needed for a letter of this kind, and everything that 
can be done should be done to check the reprehensible practices above 
indicated where they are found to exist.] 
PENLLERGARE. 
The residence of J. T. D. Llewelyn, E q., stands on one of the finest 
sites for natural beauty that could be found in the county of Glamorgan. 
The elevation is some 300 feet above the level of the sea. The house, a 
commodious building of two storeys, commands extensive views from all 
sides, embracing rock, wood, water, hill and dale, acd rich pasture land. 
The principal entrance to the demesne is a mile and a half from the 
Cockett station on the Great Western Railway, and about four miles from 
the town of Swansea. The private approach is a mile and a half in 
length. It is conducted through the park and along the breast of a 
wooded hill, and cut out of the solid rock in many places. As it ascends 
the hill the scenery increases in grandeur till the house is reached. On 
the left the ground rises to a considerable height above the drive, and on 
the right it descends far down to the valley, where flows the river Llan, 
a rapid trout stream, which passes through two lakes at different 
levels as it winds its way through the picturesque grounds of Penllergare 
on its course to the sea. The banks on both sides of the valley are covered 
with heavy timber, principally Oaks, in the best of health, while here and 
there large trees of Hemlock Spruce (Abies canadensis), Taxodium 
■sempervirens, Wellingtonia gigantea, and Cryptomeria japonica stand out 
in bold relief, lit up in many places by a glorious undergrowth of the best 
species and varieties of Rhododendrons and hardy Azaleas, some of 
which are of large dimensions and in the most luxuriant health, the soil 
and situation being favourable to their growth. 
As the house is neared the scenery becomes still grander. The valley 
narrows and deepens, and the drive for some distance runs close to the 
■edge of a precipice, with only a frail rustic wooden rail between the road 
and it for protection ; or, what is more reasonable, to mark the edge of 
the cliff, which descends perpendicularly 100 feet or more below the road. 
The view from this point, looking to the right over the tops of the trees 
and down to the bottom of the glen, is charming. The ground from the 
foot of the precipice sweeps boldly down to the river, and then rises 
rapidly to a great height on the opposite side, completely shutting in the 
view. The view from the left side of the road is hemmed in by the rock 
out of which it is cut, and the rising ground above it. Advantage has 
been taken of the narrowness of the valley here to make a lake by throw¬ 
ing a bank across it and damming the stream. The lake is beautifully 
situated, and its surface along the margin is covered with different kinds 
of Water Lilies, while the steep banks on all sides are wooded down to 
the water’s edge. In the middle of the bank, at the lower end of the 
lake, there is a strong bulwark composed of large blocks of stone, which 
forms the resisting power to the heavy weight of water at a point where 
the lake forms a cascade, which leaps boldly over a fall of 18 feet, and 
then the river assumes its natural course down the valley till it is again 
interrupted, where it forms another lake of greater dimensions. Both 
lakes are well stocked with trout, which afford good sport to Mr. Llewelyn 
and his friends from boats during the fishing season. From this point the 
drive continues to rise gradually till it emerges in front of the mansion on 
a small open plateau, which is neatly laid out in shrubberies, flower beds 
and plots of well-kept short grass. Here the ground immediately to the 
right descends to the lake, and for some distance past the east side of the 
house. Shady winding walks lead from the mansion down to the lake, 
and along its side nearest tbe house, past the cascade, and down the right 
side of the stream for a great distance till it is crossed by a bridge, where 
the walks diverge into the woods and ascend the opposite bank. 
Osmunda regalis and other British Ferns in great variety grow luxuriantly 
in every available spot, and fringe the banks and sides of the stream 
abundantly. 
The immense quantities of Rhododendrons, species and hybrids, that 
are grown here form one of the principal features of the place. Rhodo¬ 
dendrons are growing everywhere about the grounds—in shrubberies, 
woods, and in clumps on the open lawn, with a luxuriance to be met with 
only in a few places favoured by soil and climate. Mr. Llewelyn 
and his father before him have taken great interest in the cultivation and 
introduction of new species and varieties of Rhododendrons that will stand 
the climate of Penllergare, and their efforts in this, as evidenced by the fine 
collections, have been crowned with no small degree of success. 
Thousands of seedlings from the best species and varieties are raised 
annually in boxes and planted out in nursery lines in succession, where 
they remain until they are large enough to be planted permanently in 
favourable situations in the woods or elsewhere. The seeds are sown 
early in spring and the boxes placed in a vinery for the seeds to germinate, 
which they do freely to judge from the boxes I saw covered with young 
plants as thickly as if it had been Mustard and Cress. The varieties con¬ 
sisted of the choicest kinds in cultivation, amongst which I observed the 
following: —R. Viviani, R. eximium, R. Hodgsoni, R. barbatum, R. 
fulgens, R. cinnabarinum, R. ciliatum, R. Fortunei, R. Thompsoni, R. 
arboreum, R. calopbyllum, and many others. In passing, I may say 
the Rbododendrons, at the time of my visit, were in full flower. I am 
sorry, however, that time did not permit of my noting the names and 
giving the dimensions of some of the adult plants which are growing 
here so plentifully. 
The forcing and plant houses, with the exception of the conservatory, 
which is attached to the west side of the mansion, and some small plant 
hou-es to the right of it, are all in the kitchen garden, which lies on a 
h ; gher level a little to tbe south of the residence, and is hidden from it 
and the finely kept grounds around it by a plantation of large trees. 
The conservatory, a substantially built half-spanroofed structure, is 
slightly curved in its length to suit the wing of the building to which it 
is attached. It is about 60 feet long, 20 feet high, and broad in propor¬ 
tion, with a fountain and beds in the centre, and a narrow stage at tihe 
side of the path round the back wall. The wall is covered with Camellias 
and Orange trees, and the bed in the centre of the house is planted w.th 
large Camellias, Tree Ferns, and other greenhouse plants. Fuchsias 
ana various climbers cover tbe rafters in front, and hang down in graceful 
festoons. Tbe house contained a general collection of greenhouse plants, 
which were clean and healthy, and everything looked neat and orderly. 
Besides the plants in the conservatory the entrance hall of the mansion 
was neatly furnished with a miscellaneous collection of flowering plants, 
amongst which were a batch of well-grown plants of an extra fine strain 
of Calceolaria. 
Mr. Llewelyn devotes a great deal of time to the pursuit of natural 
history. He is a good entomologist, a keen florist, hybridiser, and arbori¬ 
culturist and it is but right to say he is ably assisted in horticulture and 
arboriculture by his genial and intelligent gardener, Mr. Warmington. 
The observatory garden, which is entirely devoted to the culture of 
the rarest and choicest florist flowers, is laid out in small oblong beds for 
minutely observing the plants and flowers at all stages of their growth. 
Besides these and rockeries, it contains a great many pits and frames for 
growing rare and tender varieties. The large collections of Auricula, 
Carnation, Primula, Pansy, and other florist flowers grown here can 
scarcely be surpassed, if indeed equalled, in any private place in the 
kingdom. What is called the new garden adjoins this, and is partly 
enclosed by large shrubberies. It is a delightful piece of undulating 
pleasure ground tastefully laid out and planted with the choicest kinds of 
trees and shrubs. Amongst coniferous trees were good specimens of 
Cryptomeria japonica, Thuiopsis borealis, Cupressus Lawsoniana, 
Wellingtonia gigantea, Araucaria imbricata, Hemlock Spruce, and many 
others, ranging in heights from 30 to 60 feet, and furnished to the ground 
with the most luxuriant growth. The bank of Rhododendrons and 
Azaleas were magnificent, and arranged in colour so as to produce the 
best effect while in flower. The broad gravel walks which wind through 
it are bordered by rich shrubberies, rare flowering plants and well kept 
short grass. The garden contains a good lawn tennis grouna for recrea¬ 
tion, and a cosy summerhouse to rest in and shun the heat, or to shelter 
from pelting showers. In an adjacent shady Pine plantation Mr. Llewelyn 
showed us a collection of some of the new and more tender kinds of 
Rhododendrons that he is trying to inure to the climate of Penllergare. 
The plants were making strong healthy growths, and Mr. Llewelyn is 
sanguine that many of them will prove hardy when planted in sheltered 
situations in the woods. 
The kitchen garden, which lies high and exposed to the north-east, 
contains five acres, the forcing and plant houses, Melon ground, gardener’s 
house, and bothy. The inner portion of the garden is enclosed by walls, 
and the outer portion by tall hedges and shrubberies for shelter. The 
ground is laid out in convenient quarters for cropping, which are divided 
by gravel walks. The borders on either side of the principal walks are 
planted with espalier and pyramidal fruit trees at suitable distances from 
the walk. The trees, however, do not grow freely n r bear fruit satisfac- 
