August ir, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
155 
has beea seen, and their health and vigour now is all that could be 
desired. In the fernery are some interesting plants, but so many of 
the deciduous varieties being just now at their worst, a good estimate 
of the summer beauties of the house could scarcely be formed. Some 
plants of Lastrea lepida, Adiantum reniforme, Asplenium viviparum, 
and Nephrolepis pectinatus struck me as being very distinct and useful 
for decorative work, the latter particularly so when occupying small 
pots. Bouvardias are splendidly grown at Henbury Hill, large bushes 
in 8-inch pots still flowering freely, and have done so since the autumn. 
Carnations are grown in goodly numbers, and a local seedling 
named Cleeve Hill Beauty is much prized for its free blooming habit, 
bright rosy coloured and shapely blooms, and good constitution. These 
are planted out in summer, lifted and potted again in autumn, a system 
that secures fine plants and abundance of blooms for cutting. The 
popular Miss Jolliffe has a fitting companion in La Niege, a dwarf 
growing white variety of much the same habit and size of flower. 
Good Grapes have been grown for some years in these gardens, and 
the promise of future crops is most assuring. One house is filled with a 
single Vine of Black Hamburgh, which is many years old, but few young 
ones could excel it in its large and finely coloured bunches annually 
produced, or its healthy and vigorous growth. Peaches are thinly 
trained, Mr. Smith believing in having just sufficient wood to secure a 
good crop and no more, this rule being notable both indoors and out. 
It would be better if such a practice was more common in gardens, for 
then the trees would get the benefit of sunshine and air to mature the 
current growth with greater certainty. 
In the vegetable garden is a good breadth of winter Spinach in two 
varieties Sutton’s New Long Standing and the ordinary prickly. The 
superiority of the new one was clearly demonstrated by the stouter and 
much larger leaves, and is less injured by frost. This, when better 
known, should become a standard sort both for summer and winter 
growth. Late Queen and Sutton’s Bouquet were among the hardiest of 
the Broccoli, neither of these apparently having suffered by the late 
severe weather. The early winter sorts were nearly all killed. 
Malmains, Fhenchay. 
This is the residence of Captain Belfield, and where plants, Ferns, 
and Orchids are so well grown by the able gardener in charge, Mr. W. 
Rye. The collection of some fifty plants of Todeas superba and 
pellucida are such that can be found probably nowhere in the kingdom. 
They are magnificent, and beyond all power of description. The heads 
measure 5 or 6 feet in diameter, and many of the root stems stand 
8 feet above the large pots in which they are grown. They were, 
I believe, collected and brought home by Captain Belfield himself some 
years since, and their present condition is such that must give him 
immense satisfaction. Every plant is in the best of health, yet during 
the late severe weather frost enveloped their fronds in ice on many 
occasions, and no attempt is made to prevent such an occurrence ; one 
half of the house, which was added some few years since, having no hot- 
water pipes, and a 3-inch flow and return is insufficient to keep out 
frost in the older division of the house. During the summer the roof 
is heavily shaded, and the plants receive a syringing once or twice a 
day, so that the fronds are kept uniformly moist. Very rarely is water 
needed at the roots, or rather applied to the soil, the dense moisture 
prevailing at all times sustain them perfectly. 
In the tall Palm and Fern house adjoining are many fine specimens, 
some of these, too, like the Todeas, having been brought home by 
Capt. Belfield. Cyathea dealbata stands some 14 feet in height. 
Cyathea medullaris and Alsophila excelsa, too, are stately specimens. 
Areca sapida is a truly grand plant, reaching, I should say, 18 feet in 
height. The Date Palm, Phoenix dactylifera, Chamserops excelsa, and 
Kentia Fosteriana adding to the tropical forest-like aspect of this noble 
structure. Some tall Tree Fern stems are clothed with the creeping 
rhizomes of the Davallia canariense, which in summer must have a pretty 
effect. In the stoves are many fine specimens of Anthuriume Andreanum, 
Ferierense, and crystallinum, Crotons, Stephanotis, Allamanda nobilis, 
a fine plant ; Clerodendron Balfourianum, Bougainvillea glabra, and 
Eucharis. These last named do uncommonly well, and are seldom out 
of bloom. They are growing in wide but somewhat shallow pots, which 
seem to suit them admirably, as do also the house and treatment they 
receive. 
Orchids are grown in large numbers and variety, and is another 
feature of these gardens. Cymbidium arvense had several spikes of its 
sweetly scented and curiously coloured spikes. Epidendrum fragrans, 
too, was furnished with some spikes of their highly interesting and 
pretty flowers. Nepenthes Mastersiana and Hookeriana were growing 
well in suspended baskets, and had several of their quaint pitchers of 
large size. Dendrobium speciosum was just opening its pretty yellow 
and spotted flowers on semi-drooping spikes. This is a noble plant, 
which, when in full bloom, must be very striking. D. Pierardi will be 
later on a sheet of blossom, several strong plants being suspended from 
the roof. Calanthe Veitchi has been, and still are, remarkably fine; 
and Cypripedium insigne and Maulei fill several large pans. A strong 
piece of Cypripedium laevigatum was noticeable, as also was another 
healthy one of C. porphyreum. Coelogynes are numerous and well 
furnished with plenty of strong flower spikes. Cattleya citrina on 
blocks does particularly well. C. Mendelli, C. Mossiae, Laelia anceps, 
and L. purpurata, Odontoglossums grande, citrosmum, and C. roseum, 
Vandas, Angraecum sesquipedale, Aerides, Brassia verrucosa, and hosts of 
others furnish a constant supply of bloom in varying quantities at all 
times. 
Grapes and Peaches are well grown, the latter gaining the leading 
prizes at local shows, which is the best proof of the skilled attention 
given. Outdoor fruits are limited in extent, and the same may be said 
also of vegetables, but suflScient are grown to meet the demands of the 
house. The place generally reflects much credit on Capt. Belfield, who 
is a keen horticulturist, and on his gardener for its excellent keep¬ 
ing.—W. S. 
BARLERIAS. 
A Scottish correspondent wishes to know something about 
Barlerias, which he has not seen mentioned in the Journal. They have 
all the same been mentioned. Tney are tropical shrubs, B, Gibsoni 
being perhaps one of the most useful for decorative purposes. The 
figure shows a flower spray. It is a neat branching shrub, attaining a 
height of several feet; but handsome well furnished plants some 2 or 
more feet high may be grown from cuttings in a single season; and as 
these not only bloom freer than old plants, but produce the finest 
flowers, there is no advantage in keeping the old ones. The leaves are 
upwards of 3 inches long, ovate-lanceolate and acuminate, deep green 
above, glaucous below, and somewhat coriaceous in texture. Flowers 
funnel-shaped, produced in terminal and axillary spikes near the ends 
of the branches ; lobes spreading, colour pale purple, the two upper lobes 
having a dark purple blotch in the centre. It flowers in midwinter. 
Native of Central India. 
PROPORTIONAL PRIZEGIVINO. 
Having for a long time been contending, and, I think, almost alone, 
in favour of the principle of awarding prizes at flower shows in pro¬ 
portion to the respective merits of the selected exhibits, I took very 
much interest in the class, the first, I think, of its kind, set apart at the 
recent Carshalton Show, in which the principle of proportional prize¬ 
giving was adopted. Now I find from your report of the particular 
class—nine kinds of vegetables—that the difference between the first 
and fourth of the selected entries was covered by only four points, 
whilst the first was so near to the second as to be only half a point 
better, and the third was but one point below the second. Practically 
the difference of the four lots were about 1, 2, 3, and 4 per cent., mere 
