238 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ ararcB 28 , 18in, 
him in the production oE the plan, which we have had reduced by 
phofo^raphy. As the work of a young man not long out of his 
‘ teens ” (if he is out) it merits the highest commendation, and 
Mr. Hugh Pettigrew’s success in good competition shows how 
useful accurate drawing may be to young gardeners ] 
SIXTY YEARS OF HORTICULTURAL PROGRESS. 
. 1760-1820. 
The long reign of George III., embracing as it does forty years 
of the eighteenth century and twenty of the nineteenth, marks a 
very memorable period in the annals of our horticulture, a period 
of steady if not of rapid advance. Gardeners there were who 
could survey it all, men who, as sturdy young fellows, turned over 
the soil in 1760 with the spade of the period, attired in a costume 
which was far from conducive to freedom of action, and who lived 
on to 1820, when it was their delight to sit in leafy harbour, pipe 
in hand, and recount their memories of the past. When speaking 
of the early history of English horticulture we bad to notice the 
fact that in the reigns of William III. and Anne his successor the 
progress of gardening was sadly checked by the wars in which 
Britain was almost constantly engaged ; for the effect of these 
was the interruption of our national intercourse with the continent, 
also the country was drained of its resources and the people’s 
attention diverted from peaceable pursuits. To some extent, 
indeed, the American and European wars into which Britain was 
led during the reign of George III. had a similar influence, 
especially at the time when immense additions were made to our 
national debt, and when most of the continental countries were 
hostile to our little island. But happily the love of gardening 
was beginning to spread amongst the people, and what had been 
for centuries the pursuit of only a few found many followers 
amongst all ranks except the poorest, the press helping this on by 
the cheapening of old books and the publication of new ones, 
while a more refined taste was developed, causing an admiration of 
choice flowers for which our rougher forefathers would have cared 
nothing. To show the contrast, however, between horticulture as 
practised when George III. mounted the throne and in 1891 we 
cannot take a more impressive fact than this, that conservatories 
were almost unknown in 1760. To gardens large and small there 
were often attached plant houses or greenhouses, but in most cases 
they were structures of a substantial sort, and some of them 
without glass roofs, and not very large windows. They were 
principally used for protecting tender plants and evergreen shrubs 
during the winter months. In the summer season their contents 
were removed to the open air, and the houses turned to other 
purposes. Sometimes they w'ere converted into parlours or sitting 
rootns. Often the only w'armth they had in winter was from an 
adjoining room, or they might be heated by an open fireplace, 
occasionally by a small stove, in which hot embers were placed. 
Cowper the poet describes in a letter his journeys late at night to 
the stove of his little greenhouse, making up the fire, so that it 
might keep in as long as possible. A few houses, and those mostly 
about London, were kept constantly warm by pipes and flues, 
contrived to circulate smoke or heated air. Of course there were 
forcing houses for the early production of vegetables, occasionally 
fruit, seldom flowers, but the heat in these was obtained, as a rule, 
by sinking the houses to the depth of some feet, and then 
surrounding the outside with dung or other manure. The idea of 
greenhouses and conservatories in which exotics might be nurtured 
all the year round, and which might be agreeable resorts, had 
hardly as yet developed itself in the mind of lovers of horticul¬ 
ture, but it was budding soon after George III. became king. 
The modes of forming quickset hedges have lately been discussed 
in this Journal. It is well to remember that until the eighteenth 
century there were very few hedgerows in England for the protec¬ 
tion of either gardens or fields. Had there been such generally 
during the times of the wars of the preceding century they would 
have considerably interfered wdth the rapid marches across country 
frequently made by troops. Arable and pasture lands resembled 
stretches of common, intersected only by ditches, and gardens 
where they were enclosed w'ere shut in by walls of brick or flint, 
or by hedges formed of branches of trees stuck into the earth, 
which had to be frequently renewed. When quickset hedges 
were found to be more advantageous these were at first made 
promiscuously of slips taken from the woods, such as Sloe, Hazel, 
Crab, Elm, Dogwood, Willow,'and of course Hawthorn ; preference, 
however, began to be given to the last, and hence it got the name 
of “quick bush,” because it was so often taken to form the basis 
of a quick or living hedge. Doubtless it was partly through the 
influence of the Society of Arts, which was founded in 1763, and 
which put prominently forward as one of its objects the encourage¬ 
ment of tree and shrub planting, that hedges increased rapidly in 
numbers shortly after. In some parts of Kent we may even yet- 
see a relic of a fashion of making hedges which had its admirers in- 
Georgian times. They would now and then plant round a garden 
or shrubbery a double hedge ; the outer one was Yew, Holly„or 
some other evergreen ; the inner one usually Hawthorn. A narrow 
space was left between the two hedges, just eutficient to allow one 
person to pass along. Occasionally low hedges, kept well clipped, 
were introduced into the garden, round a grass plot for example, a- 
gap being left here and there. 
Our worthy great grandfathers, it may be noticed, rather- 
ridiculed the style of gardening so characteristic of the Stuarts 
and the reign of Anne ; unconscious that their own methods would 
furnish amusement to a later generation. A favourite plan of the 
Georgian gardeners was to place along the walks at irregular 
or regular intervals flower pots containing plants which had been- 
housed during the winter. This might be well enough in broad 
daylight, but at the dusk of evening, when people, lovers especially,, 
were taking quiet strolls, such articles were traps for a sudden and 
unpleasant downfall upon the path. The early English and the- 
later Dutch or Flemish style might be forma’, but there was a& 
least a variety. They had then alleys, platoons (/.e., square 
clumps), stars, circles, and single or double lines. The “ magician 
Brown, wirh his ponds, belts, and isolated trees or shrubs dis 
regarded jSTature entirely, and yet failed to p'oduce anything 
pleadingly artificial. It is singular, too, that we find about the 
middle of last century just the controversy that we have been 
hearing lately as to the merits of the literal and the ideal in 
painting, and also in gardening. Price was a man who came- 
prominently to the front in this discussion, and he, with his friends,, 
who joined in the ridicule of Brown’s formality and absurdities, 
went a trifle too far upon the opposite course while advocating the- 
arrangement of gardens, beds, and shrubberies, so as to approach 
Nature as nearly as possible. It was argued by Price that pictures, 
should be studied by gardeners. Artists, said he, observe form and 
colour, they select and combine, then fix upon the canvas what is 
most beautiful; we, when laying out gardens, must imitate them so-^ 
fas as we can. Subsequently his views met with hearty support 
from Richard Payne Knight, brother to the great horticulturist,, 
who wrote a poem showing how gardens and pleasure grounds- 
might be “ unstiffened,” though he did not, as his opponents 
declared, praise “ Docks and Thistles, litter and disorder,” because 
they might be pretty or romantic in a picture. 
The first year of George III. must be always memorable for the- 
fact that it is the date assigned for the origin of Kew Gardens, 
when that botanic establishment, now so important in the world,, 
began to be spoken of as a garden acquired by the Dowager- 
Princess of Waleq mother to the King. Previously the estate had 
belonged to Dr. Molyneux, a sivant of the reign of George IF.,, 
but who did not live to carry out his schemes at Kew. tinder 
royalty a commencement was made by the erection of two conser¬ 
vatories of novel construction, and arrangements were made for 
the reception of plants from all countries.—J. R. S. C. 
(To be continued.) 
SYRINGING MUSCAT GRAPES. 
As this important subject is brought to the front by an amateur 
correspondent who receives sound advice in your Editorial answer, 
accompanied by the intimation that readers are at liberty to state 
their views, I beg to offer a few remarks. Whenever Muscat 
Grapes fail to set satisfactorily, I am convinced that in the majority 
of cases the reason is either that the roots are in an unsatisfactory 
condition or that a sufficiently high temperature is not maintained 
at flowering time, or from both causes combined. If the roots and 
borders are in good condition and a temperature ranging from 7iC 
to 75° at night and 5° higher in the daytime is kept up, the bunches 
will set well, either with syringing or without, provided the shoots 
carrying the bunches receive a sharp tap at midday when the^ 
temperature of the house is warm and dry, with a slight circulation 
of air. It is important also that on bright days the air should be- 
increased early and the fire checked, so that strong sunshine and 
overheated pipes do not occur at the same time, but even on bright- 
days a little heat should be kept in the pipes canstantly. AVith 
this treatment the pollen will be dry and easily dispersed, either 
by syringing, shaking, or by passing the rabbit’s tail over the 
bunches. I have on several occasions tried all three methods on 
different bunches in the same house, the set in each case being 
enough to form fine full bunches, but those on which shaking only 
was practised required far more thinning than the others. The 
greatest difficulty is generally experienced with the points of very 
large bunches. This can be obviated by tying the points up to the- 
light, but then we find that the back of the bunches do not set so 
well; so now, in the case of large bunches, we tie the leaves back to 
