September 23, 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
281 
TradescanL indeed so Parkinson fells, brought here, in 1628, from Virginia 
the first exotic Ferns seen in England—viz., Cystopteris bulbifera^and 
Adiantum pedatum. 
The teeming population of Lambeth has now, however, a few open 
spaces, small or large, which afford a breath cf fresh air, with the sight 
■of trees and shrubs. On the edge of it, in the Blaekfriars Road, is 
■Christchurch and its churchyard, an enclosure not yet formally open to 
the public, but occasionally accessible. This is a space of historic iuterest, 
for the ground was once pait of the old Paris Garden, and the manor was 
bo named from an owner thereof in the twelfth century. Richard IT. very 
sensibly issued an order during his reign, that the butchers of the City, 
instead of leaving their garbage to produce unpleasant odours about 
London bye-ways, should have it carried across to Paris Garden, where it 
might be profitably employed in manuring the land. Afterwards this 
garden became a place of recreation, then the church was built, over¬ 
looking the main road, about 200 years ago. The oldest trees along its 
sides are Planes and Poplars ; two of the latter, on the south side, are 
remarkably large and densely leafy for London trees. Younger trees are 
scattered about of both kinds, the flourishing condition of these indicates 
that the subsoil is still moist. For this reason, too, in spite of the dry 
season, the Lilacs and sundry evergreens promiscuously set along the 
walks, with a flowering Ribes here and there, have not yet the diDginess 
of a London summer. The few beds in a grassy space are formed on the 
favourite plan of a shrub centre, the outer circle being of Pelargoniums, 
Pyrethrums, and Lobelias. Such a winter and spring as that of 1886 
tries metropolitan evergreens, but the only kind that seems to have suffered 
here is a variety of the Cypress. Aucubas, however, are not benefited by 
the Lambeth air, nor are the Bays, but about London these and most 
vergreens would fare better if the leaves were now and then well syringed. 
The churchyard of St. John’s, Waterloo Road, is a space of about 
an acre, and since 1877 a great bocn to a crowded locality, though 
mixed in aspect, because some folks who held an interest in old tomb¬ 
stones objected to tbeir removal. Hence a number of these are stacked 
along part of the boundary wall, ethers are arranged on the sides of 
the church, where they form the background to rockeries. However, 
there is not here followed the practice of another London churchyard, 
where I saw rockeries contrived out of bits of smashed-up monuments, 
but these surroundings interfere with the garden-like appearance of the 
ground, and its rockeries, which might be improved by a judicious assort¬ 
ment of plants, have at present only feeble-growing Sedges, some Fern9 
and Flags, with a few Sedums. Attempts are made to hide some of the 
tombs by training over them Ivy and Virginian Creeper, but the latter is 
only a covering in the summer. Grassy slopes are in the centre, enclosing 
flower beds of small size chiefly filled with Pelargoniums, the borders 
along the sides have a variety of shrubs. One large space was totally 
occupied by Marigolds exhibiting a mass of bloom, if of a gaudy character. 
Amongit the shrubs some fine Lilacs were noticeable, also several Rho¬ 
dodendrons, though they seldom bloom here ; there have been planted 
recently a number of Hazels, and a few Abeles are scattered about. This 
is a Bpecies < f Poplar me does not often come across in London, yet it 
will flourish a9 well as the commoner black and white species. Of annuals, 
only part of those sown generally live. This year Stocks and Nemo- 
philas stood as the survivors, and a few Nasturtiums. Of trees this 
ground possesses a double line of Planes in proximity to the church, 
probably in middle life from their size, and north of it several more of 
superior size and age, which doubtless owe their vigour to the freedom 
this tree has from the attacks of trunk-piercers of the insect race, so 
destructive to town Limes and Elms. 
The open space of two acres abutting on Lambeth High Street, though 
only a public ground since 1884, already has more of the appearance of a 
garden than the one above described, perhaps because it is scant of shrubs 
and has no trees. It had some, which have died long since. Indeed, as 
the gardener remarked, evergreens and many other species have little 
chance, for it is not merely smoke that has to be contended with just 
there, but a combination of sulphurous and acid vapours from surround¬ 
ing factories. He had planted some Poplars and Planes, but had doubts 
about the result ; yet, somewhat to his surprise, the half-hardy and 
tender plants which had been arranged in the central beds during May 
by free watering came into flower and braved the f jul atmosphere well. 
Mignonette had been freely sown, and had succeeded. If allowed to 
re-sow itself, the plant will peifume town gardens year after year. The 
cockney’s “London Pride’’ and “Sweet William’’ were represented. 
Sunflowers were also showing their tall flower-heads, beside straggling 
whitish-grey Lilies. My attention was called t> several clumps of 
Hypericum oalycioum. These were full ofleaf.butdid not promise for bloom. 
To the Metropolitan Public Gardens’ Association the public is indebted 
for the conversion cf St. Mary’s Cemetery, Newington (on the edge of 
Lambeth) into a pleasant, well-arranged garden, fortunately with purer 
air than the last-named ; it has about the same extent. Trees it does 
possoss; the oldest are Limes, of which there is a line, planted perhaps 
■early in this century, and many young Poplars, with some juvenile 
Robinias, which I hope may mike wood, as the species is a favourite. 
Elders of various sizes were going out of flower, but had been full of 
blcom here as everywhere in 1886, when from some cause this shrub 
flowered in unlikely spots amongst London stm ke ; so, too, the Privet, 
which exhibited many blossoms in this Newington ground, though they 
withered off without forming berries. It is a species that has seldom the 
chance of doing its best to attain to size, being principally set f >t hedges, 
though I have visited a lane at Old Wandsworth, in Surrey, where there 
■are examples tf the Privet that have really almost attained to the dignity 
cf trees. Folk used formerly to plant about London churchyards the 
“ veeping Villow,” as the cockneys would style it, though it rarely lived 
any time. Within this enclosure are some Willows, that testify to its 
moisture below ; they belong to the narrow-leaved Salix helix. Amongst 
the evergreen shrubs dotted about, varieties of the Holly were conspicuous, 
also Thujas and Aucubas making fair progress, but few specimens of the 
Bay had their leaves somewhat scant. Of the red-flowered Ribes there 
were goodly bushes which must have been planted many years since. It 
was curious to see how thickly some patches that had been sown with 
grass were now covered with the common Yarrow, which would have 
rejoiced a herbalist of the olden time. He might have shared my views 
about the Monkshood, which was scattered along one border, and which 
folks will introduce in public gardens, objectionable as it is. The Yuccas 
had not long been planted, but they were a suitable contrast to some light- 
foliaged species around them, and Chrysanthemums were sufficiently 
numerous to give a display of flowers when most are going off. Amongst 
the gra«s there have been made small beds of quaint devices, chiefly filled 
with varieties of the Pelargonium, edged with Lobelia.—J. R. S. C. 
REVIEW OF BOOK. 
How I Mar.aged and Imp oved my Estate. London : George Bell and 
Sons, York Street, Covent Garden, 1886, 
In a well printed neatly hound volume of 108 pages a series of papers 
is republished that originally appeared in the St. Janies' Gazette , and 
which conveys some interesting and useful information upon a highly 
important subject. The author, who gives neither name nor nom dc 
plume, deals with the subject in eight chapters—1, Choice of an Estate ; 
2, Underwood; 3, Timber; 4, Building and Quarrying; 5, Making 
Grounds ; 6, Farming'and Shooting; 7, F.shponds and Aviaries ; and 8, 
A General Concluding Summary. He states in the opening chapter that 
“ Some twenty years ago, having obtained the means of satisfying my 
longing to return to country life, in which I had been mostly bred, I gave 
up my London occupations and looked about for a piece of land which 
would suit me ; and, after several journeys into different parts of Sussex, 
my favourite county, I found an estate, or rather two contiguous estates, 
just after my mind. I gave £14,000 for them ; farmed them and managed 
the woodlands almost entirely myself, obtaining during the whole time. I 
held the land considerably higher returns than I couid have obtained in 
rent ; sold a thousand pounds’ worth of timber ; spent about £5500 on 
improving house and land ; and within fifteen years afterwards had parted 
with the place, which I had made too grand for my use, for £27,000 : the 
whole transaction leaving me £9500 richer than I was before in money, and 
richer also in a great deal of pleasant experience and country knowledge, 
some of which it may be worth while to note down.” 
After describing the estate he proceeds to give some account of the way 
in which the improvement was effected that enabled him to dispose of it 
so advantageou-ly. A considtrable portion of the outlay was devoted to 
the ornamentation of the estate, but attention was devoted to the improve¬ 
ment of the estate in other directions. For instance, the home farm of 
ICO acres was managed under the direction of the bailiff, producing £200 
per annum, at the rate of £150 as rent and £50 as interest on the £800 or 
£1000 capital required to work it. This arrangement was made with the 
bailiff, who it would appear found the terms very satisfactory to himself, 
as, says the author, “ After returning me my stipulated minimum of rent 
and interest bought the goodwill of a 1 public.’ ” Rearing pheasants was 
found to be the lea-t profitable undertaking, as the birds cost £2 each by 
the time they were bagged. 
In the chapters on Underwoods and Timber some useful instruction 
is furnished, as the following extracts from the first named indicate. 
“ In Sussex, which is perhaps the most thickly wooded county in 
England, it is the custom, as elsewhere, for landed proprietors to keep the 
bulk of the woods in their own hands. But tenants of Sussex farms, which 
in most cases contain a certain extent of Hop land (usually in the propor¬ 
tion of about one acre in twelve or fifteen), are commonly allowed to hold a 
piece of woodland sufficient to supply th m with Hop-poles. Each acre of 
Hops (of 1250 “ hills ” to the acre) requires 3750 poles ; and these in 
ordinary farms where boiling in creosote is not practised, have to be 
entirely renewed once in four or five years ; the time varying with the more 
or less durable nature of the poles, according as they consist of Larch, Oak, 
Chestnut, Ash, or Birch : the Sussex woodB commonly consisting mainly of 
the four last, Lirch scarcely ever appearing as Hop-poles, except on 
especially highly cultivated farms, on account of their greater cost. For 
Larch-poles do not grow c op after crop from “ stubs ” as the other kinds 
do, but have to be planted on new ground every ten or twelve years. Grow¬ 
ing Larch poles is sometimes a very profitable thing, a single acre having 
been known to bear a crop of twelve years’ growth, worth £120 ; but capital 
and long waiting are required for their culture, and for these Sussex faimers 
are not famous. 
“There can be no fixed proportion on Sussex farms between woocland 
and Hops ; for one acre of woodland may grow ten times as many poles as 
another, according to its freedom from or embarassment by larger timber, 
the number and health of the “ stubs,” and the nature of the wood. Ash 
and Chestnut give by far the most abundant cuttings. In one wood I know 
there is about half an acre of unmixed ABh which gives more poles than any 
five acres of the remainder. . 
“The woods had been long neglected. They carried only £4000 worth 
of timber upon ground which might have borne ten times as much ; the 
underwoods had been cut, crop after crop, at the usual intervals of ten or 
twelve years, without any proper supervision to secure that a sufficient 
number of fillers’ should bs left for future timber. It is a rule, when 
patches of underwood are sold, that the purchaser cuts it down, but leaves 
all trees which may have sown themselves since the last cutting standing ; 
and, should there not be enough of these seedlings to supply the ga; s in 
the large timber, then a healthy shoot from a 1 stub ’ should be left here 
