June 23, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
473 
month. The blooms now showing on the poiots of fresh young growths 
will be greatly increased in size by giving liberal supplies of liquid 
manure to the roots and alternate surface-dressings of Thomson’s Vine 
and plant manure immediately before giving clear water. The blooms 
of this delicate flesh-coloured Rose, when grown under favourable con¬ 
ditions as regards atmosphere and a good sound loamy soil and treated 
in the manner indicated, attain to large dimensions. The growths are 
annually pruned back to within one eye of their base when they have 
shed their leaves.—H, W. Ward, Longford Castle. 
Rose Judging. 
As it was owing to his accustomed kindness that Mr. G. Paul allowed 
me to publish his opinion, and as he told me that he could not enter 
into any lengthened controversy, I venture to say on his behalf that he, 
neither in his paper, “ Rosarian’s Year Book ” (1889), nor in his letter 
frsm which I sent extracts to the Journal, denies that there are degrees 
of excellence, or the contrary, in a Rose. To anyone who reads his 
article on judging it must, I think, be perfectly clear that he not only 
recognises but specifies degrees of excellence. The point of difference, 
as I understand it, between him and Mr. Raillem is this : Mr. G. Paul 
says that for, not from, a Rose of decided badness one and sometimes 
two points should be struck off. He mentions four instances of such 
badness. First, undersizedness; second, past colour or fadedness ; 
third, bad shape ; fourth, an over-open flower. Mr. Raillem, as I under¬ 
stand him, while allowing that other deficiencies should be punished, 
would still reward a Rose of good form, no matter how faded it may be. 
Here I state we have a distinct difference of opinion between Mr. G. 
Paul and Mr. Raillem. Mr. Raillem, in his first letter, said that these 
opinions were quite in agreement. I cannot think that this is the case. 
As to Mr. Raillem’s remarks about size, may I call his attention to 
Definition v., page 13, N.R.S. annual report ? “ Size shall imply that the 
bloom is a full sized representative specimen of the variety.” I am 
sorry to be obliged to write this last letter, which I have endeavoured 
to make as brief as possible.— Henry B. Biron. 
HAZELGROVE HOUSE, SOMERSET. 
This fine old Somersetshire mansion, with its richly timbered and 
extensive park, is the ancestral home of the Mildmays, a very old 
English family, one of whom—Sir Walter Mildmay—was Chancellor of 
the Exchequer during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and at one time 
entertained Her Majesty, together with a large circle of her courtiers, in 
right regal manner at Hazelgrove. Since that time the greater portion 
of the old mansion has been taken down and replaced by a larger and 
more modern edifice; but the ancient dining room in which Sir W. 
Mildmay entertained his Sovereign and her courtiers is still retained in 
excellent preservation, with fittings and furniture much as it appeared 
in those past days of chivalry and merry-makings, and is now used as a 
smoking room. 
The timber in the park is remarkable for fine examples of Oak and 
Elm, especially the former. One especially, called Elizabeth’s Oak 
.(under tne spreading branches of which it is said Her Majesty danced 
with her courtiers at an outdoor ball), girths 32 feet at 3 feet from the 
ground and 39 feet just above the ground line, a fit companion this for 
those celebrated “ Monarchs of the Woods” to be found in Sherwood 
Forest, Notts. During recent years it has lost numerous large limbs, 
the result of storms and gales, but the wounds thus caused have been 
covered with lead or zinc to keep out moisture and with the object of 
preserving as long as may be this living link of the present with the 
long dead past. 
The present owner of the mansion and estate is Arundell St. John 
Mildmay, Esq., a gentleman who has the respect and esteem of the whole 
of his tenantry and the inhabitants of the adjoining villages. The modern 
portion of the mansion is a very large and imposing structure in the 
Grecian style of architecture, and has a very noble-looking south front. 
It is approached by a carriage drive nearly half a mile in length through 
the finely timbered park, especially noticeable in which is a grand 
avenue of English Elms, vying in size and majestic appearance with 
those at Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire. 
In the extensive lawns and pleasure grounds is a valuable collection 
of Italian statuary, and numbers of very fine Conifers 30 to 40 feet high, 
grandly furnished to the ground line. Most of them were raised from 
cuttings, and planted by the present skilful gardener (Mr. John Alliston) 
fifteen years ago. Amongst these the most noticeable are Cupressus 
macrocarpa, Thujopsis borealis. Thujas Lobbiana and gigantea (the 
latter a splendid example), Cryptomeria elegans, Cupressus Lawsoniana, 
and L. erecta viridis. Also there are some grand Cedars (the climate of 
Somerset seems to especially favour the growth of Cedars, as in all parts 
of the county we meet with numerous fine healthy specimens), some 
very fine specimens of Piceas—nooilis, pinsapo, and Webbiana; also a 
grand Taxodium sempervirens, 60 feet high, and well furnished to the 
ground. In the park are many very large trees of flowering Thorns, 
including a notable specimen of the celebrated Glastonbury Thorn, 
which breaks forth in leaf and flower before the wintry weather has left 
us, and whilst vegetation in all other trees is still dormant. 
The kitchen gardens are large and good. A gravel walk 7^ feet 
wide and 140 yards long runs through the centre, flanked on each side 
by herbaceous borders 7 feet wide filled with Roses and a good collection 
of hardy plants, backed by fine Yew hedges. Across the centre of the 
gardens at right angles with the above runs another walk 7 feet wide, 
with ribbon borders on each side, and these backed by hedges of Lawson’s 
Cypress, which bears close clipping remarkably well. These hedges are 
treated the same as are the Yew hedges, and are equally effective, well 
furnished, and in good condition. The long walk first mentioned leads 
to an elevated plateau or look-out, from which a fine view is obtained 
of many miles of country, and, on a clear sunny day, a shimmer of the 
waters of the Bristol Channel may be seen in the far distance. 
The glass erections are mostly old, but turned to good account. 
There are three vineries, all fully stocked with plants in winter. At 
the time of my visit, several weeks ago, especially noticeable were very 
fine Callas, Cinerarias, and Solanums. The back wall of the late vinery 
is well covered with large and healthy Roses, which yield a good return 
annually before the Vines have made sufficient growth to shade them 
too much. 
One of the most interesting features of the place to a gardener like 
myself was, however, the superb culture displayed by Violets. In various 
places outside were long frames filled with the most vigorous and healthy 
plants, throwing up large flowers in such abundance as is rarely seen. 
They are grown both for sale and home supply, large numbers being 
every week sent to London. During the months of February, March, 
and April as many as 1500 per week are gathered. Tfio sorts grown 
are Marie Louise and the large double white var. Comte de Brazza, 
about two-thirds of the whole stock being of the latter variety. They 
are grown in unheated frames, and the vigorous foliage and numerous 
large flowers testify most fully that Mr. Alliston is a master in the art 
of Violet culture. Some hints from him as to the methods he adopts, 
which give such excellent results would, I am sure, be valuable to 
Journal reader?. 
I cannot close my notes without expressing to him my thanks for 
the open-handed cordiality of his greeting to me on the occasion of my 
visit, and the pains taken by him to show me everything of interest to 
a gardener.—W. K. W. 
OCCASIONAL NOTES. 
Allotments. 
When passing through Esher very early in the spring my attention 
was drawn, for it was then evening, to a number of men hard at work 
trenching up a large piece of old rough pasture land which had been 
let by the Sandown Park Racecourse Company, locally, for allotments. 
The labour which had to be put into the preparation of the soil was 
arduous enough and merited at least the remission of half a year’s 
rental. I passed by the same ground a few days since, and saw with 
great satisfaction that this labour was now bearing good fruit, for all over 
the area were apparently good crops of Potatoes, Peas, Runner Beans, 
Cabbages, &c,, and here and there some flowers, showing that the 
privilege thus granted had been highly appreciated. It is satisfactory 
to learn that this admirable display of local gardening taste is to be 
followed in the winter by some County Council lectures on gardening, 
and very probably in another year there will grow up a far larger 
demand for allotments. Just recently, too, I met Mr. .Jay, the chairman 
of the Epsom Local Board, a local farmer and landowner, who, moved 
by the interest shown at Epsom in the County Council lectures on 
horticulture, set apart 6 acres of excellent ground near to the town, all 
of which was taken up at once as allotments, and Mr. Jay told me 
that they were all well cropped and doing admirably. How interesting 
these facts are, and they are but a couple out of many as tending to 
prove beyond the possibility of dispute that not only is there great 
land hunger amongst the workers in the kingdom for small plots or allot¬ 
ments, but that there is also plenty of ability as well as will to 
thoroughly cultivate it. The proposals put forth with so much sound 
judgment to hold in connection with allotments competitions for 
prizes and demonstrations as to correct methods of cropping and cul¬ 
tivation by competent instructors during the summer merit the highest 
approval and encouragement. We are only yet on the verge of a great 
horticultural upheaval throughout our rural districts. 
Variegated Zonal Pelargoniums. 
Looking over my old gardening books I came across Mr. Peter Grieve’s 
interesting pamphlet on the above named class of plants, written in 
1868—that is, twenty-four years ago, quite old history in gardening. In 
all that relates to the method of raising new varieties, recording of crosses, 
and much other purely historical or technical matter it would not be 
very difficult to create interest. Somehow information of this descrip¬ 
tion soon gets to be regarded as outside the range of practical gardening, 
although some specialists, curious to learn how this or that was 
produced, may study it with advantage. But Mr. Grieve’s book is not 
needful to enable us to realise a fact; nor that there is a gradual 
tendency on the part of those who still indulge in summer bedding out, 
and they are legion, to return to many of their old loves in bedding 
plants, and golden and silver bicolors and tricolors are once more 
becoming popular. I notice in gardens that all the various sections 
silver, golden, and bronze Zonals and golden tricolors are now much 
more largely planted than they were a few years since ; and I attribute 
this to the recent past two summers having been detrimental to flower 
production, whilst foliage plants came out so favourably. Some 
varieties have never fallen into disrepute, and such forms as Flower of 
Spring and Crystal Palace Gem have not at any time been disregarded. 
So far as these and many others of this bicolor character are concerned 
there is no question as to their adaptability for outdoor or bedding 
decoration. They have been too well tried. It is not so with the golden 
