July 27, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
81 
and its breadth and boldness of treatment fit the place. Older and 
more travelled horticnlturists than myself have perhaps met its counter¬ 
part, but to me it had all the charm and delight of something that is at 
once strikingly beautiful and entirely fresh. The greater part of it is 
occupied by the central basin, and in the middle of that was a plant of 
the famed Victoria regia with half a dozen leaves 6 feet across. It had 
started from a small plant put out in April, about two months before I 
saw it. This will give an idea of the rapidity of its growth. It was not 
in bloom, but other beautiful aquatics were. The lovely Nymphsa 
Devoniana, with its bronzy leaves and brilliant carmine flowers, and 
the pale blue N. Daubenyana, were two of the most beautiful, but the 
ivory-hued N. dentata, and the pale lemon odorata sulphurea, with its 
rich orange centre, were also greatly admired. Wheels turned by the 
water flowing from taps above them keep the whole volume in 
motion. Coleuses, large and small, splendidly coloured, line the top 
of the wall, but immeasurably the most striking objects in the 
house, apart from the Victoria, are the superb baskets of Achimenes 
suspended in the air, as may be seen on reference to the engraving 
fig. Id. The largest are 4 feet high and the same through, living 
masses of the richest colours. Nelumbium speciosum is largely 
represented in one of the side basins. The plants trained up the 
sides are not passed by without admiration. Gloriosa superba is in 
such condition as to richly merit its name. Thunbergias are producing 
showers of blossom, and a less familiar plant in Stigmaphyllon ciliatum 
exhibits rare beauty. 
The Fehit Houses. 
These, like the Victoria house and several plant structures, are in 
the kitchen garden, which is some distance from the mansion and its 
grounds. A grand house of Pines, in which Queen and Smooth Cayenne 
are largely represented, is sufficient evidence that these noble but 
tortoise-like fruits have not been abandoned, as is the case in so many 
places. Cucumbers are grown on an enormous scale, and the last of 
the batches of forced Strawberries, which collectively would number 
from 2000 to 3000, was seen. Amongst the vineries is an old structure 
on the ridge and furrow system built in Sir Joseph Paxton’s time. The 
Vines, which are planted outside, still yield good bunches. There are 
four houses of Frankenthal alone, which was the late Duke’s favourite 
Grape, and in his preference for it he displayed, as in so many other 
things, good sense and taste. That the Vines have sound material on 
which to feed, and good management to enable them to make the most 
of it, is proved by a house of Hamburghs four years old and another of 
Foster’s Seedling three years old. Both have splendid foliage, and the 
latter in particular have made wonderful growth. There is a grand crop 
of Muscats in another large house. The Peach houses are, for the most 
part, very wide structures. One old flue-heated house 40 yards long 
was once filled with a single tree. They are full of fruit, the trees 
being models of good training, health, cleanliness, and cropping. It 
would be almost invidious to single out any varieties for special men¬ 
tion, but Goshawk and Koyal George deserve it. Figs are splendidly 
grown, and so are Melons. There is a house of young plants of the 
latter, such as is very rarely to be met with. Hero of Lockinge, Wm. 
Tillery, Blenheim Orange, Bead’s Scarlet Flesh, and The Countess are 
all largely represented. 
The Plant Houses. 
What may be termed the show houses for plants are in the grounds 
near the mansion, but the nursery is in the kitchen garden. A thousand 
Chrysanthemums are here grown for cut flowers, and double Primulas 
are also in strong force. Streptocarpuses of the excellent Veitchian 
strain are turned to a good use, being grown in 3-inch pots and employed 
as edgings. With a pinch of Clay’s fertiliser now and then by way of a 
stimulant they flower beautifully. I was much struck with a Justiceous 
plant, Crossandra infundibuliformis, which I had not previously seen. 
It has large double flowers bearing a strong likeness to those of a Zinnia, 
salmon in colour, and lanceolate leaves. It had been in bloom for two 
months at the time of my call, and is unquestionably a very useful plant 
worth growing in many other places. The Chatsworth foreman spoke 
highly of it. I must pass over the other plants in the nursery depart¬ 
ment to say a word or two about those near the house. There is an 
excellent collection of Orchids, the Vandas in particular being extremely 
fine, quite reminding one of the magnificent plants of Messrs. B. S. 
Williams & Son, and Mr. Measures of Camberwell, which is as high praise 
as could be given. There are also some splendid pieces of the beautiful 
Thunia Marshalli, and a very fine collection of Calanthes, Cypripediums, 
and Cattleyas. Angrsecum eburneum, too, is well represented. A good 
assortment of Heaths provides a source of interest to lovers of hard- 
wooded plants. It would be impossible to refer individually to all the 
plants that are well grown, but Eucharises call for a special reference, 
as do Tuberoses, which are splendidly flowered in 4-inch pots. Of table 
plants there is a grand collection. The Camellia house, with its huge 
plants, 20 feet high, must be a wonderful sight when its giants are 
smothered with flowers. What is termed the Portland Walk is a beau¬ 
tiful promenade by the side of a lofty wall covered with a glass case. 
It must be quite 150 yards long, and the whole of the wall is covered 
with climbers and creepers, such as Fuchsias, Tea Roses, Abutilons, 
Veronica Andersoni, and Zonal Pelargoniums. 
The Geeat Conseevatoet. 
The critical Guide writer’s description of the conservatory can hardly 
be called comprehensive, but it is decidedly quaint. “ It is,” he says, 
“ nearly 300 feet long, 120 feet wide, and 60 feet high. In it the rarest 
exotics, from the Fan Palm, gaunt and heavy topped, to the Maidenhair 
Fern, the most beautiful thing in the building, find a congenial home. 
There is one Cactus-like plant—the American Aloe—which is fabled to 
take 100 years to flower, and then to die.” That is all. This lucid 
description is interesting from the information given as to the dimen¬ 
sions of the great structure. It is truly a wonderful building, but as it 
is now undergoing complete repair I did not see it at its best. It con¬ 
tains a remarkable collection of plants, amongst them being the blue 
Adamia cyanea, huge Cinnamons, Theophrasta imperialis, with its fine 
broad leaf ; Inga pulcherrima, a Sensitive Plant ; Cibotium princeps 
25 feet high, Heritiera macrophylla. Begonia fuchsiodes 20 feet high, 
Dasylirion acrotrichum 9 feet high, growing luxuriantly close to a pool; 
grand pieces of Platycerium alcicorne. Bamboos, Yuccas, a splendid 
collection of Cacti, including some beautiful seedlings ; Corypha 
australis 65 feet high, the top of which has been through the roof ; 
C. umbellifera, 60 feet; Encephalartos Kaffira (the Kaffir Palm), of 
FIG. 14.— A BASKET OP ACHIMENES. 
which there are two noble plants ; Monstera deliciosa fruiting well ; 
Renanthera coccinea 18 feet high, and with four spikes of its rich red 
flowers ; and a gigantic Seaforthia elegans 60 feet high in seed. Other 
objects of admiration are the basket Ferns, the many beautiful pools, 
the almost precipitous walls of stones and Ferns, the cases of Filmies, 
the Bananas (from one of which a 72 lb. cluster has been cut), and the 
Tree Fern stems spangled over with the beautiful berries of Nertera 
depressa, which spread over the moss that covers the stem when planted 
and now produce a beautiful effect. 
The Flowee and Wild Gaedens. 
I need only make a passing reference to the Italian or west front 
garden near the mansion, with its conspicuous masses of pink China 
Roses and golden Yews, or to the French garden near the Portland Walk, 
with its Moss Roses, Pinks, Violas, and other flowers, but the grounds 
and wild garden call for fuller notice. From the lake, with its famous 
fountain, which when in full swing uses 1000 gallons of water a minute, 
grand views can be obtained. The surrounding country presents a 
beautiful picture, the white waters of the Weir flash in the sunlight, and 
Edensor Church may be seen nestling among the trees. Splendid Beeches 
dot the rising ground near the conservatory, and wild Roses clothe the 
banks. At one point there is a precipitous wall 40 feet high, from the 
face of which near the summit water gushes. Moss and Ivy mantling 
the stones. Paths wind up to higher ground, where huge breadths of 
Rhododendrons flourish. Sheffielders tell me that in spring they make 
