208 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 8, 1892. 
plantation more particularly inspected, hundreds of trees of 
Green Gage were pictures of beauty in character and produc¬ 
tiveness, as were Damsons. These are profitable for orchard 
culture when the fruit is good and fairly and honestly marketed. 
No matter how plentiful Plums may be and the market overladen 
from the grower’s point of view the consignments from Mentmore, 
however large, are bought up at once, because the large buyers know 
they are all the same right through the bulk, and that there is full 
measure, and no thick pads of straw ostensibly to prevent the fruit 
bruising, but really for something else. A great deal is said about 
market dues and salesmen’s customs eating away profits from 
growers, but Mr. Smith has not a word to say against his treatment 
in Covent Garden, and he is one of the last men in the world that 
would submit to be treated unfairly. Damsons have been mentioned ; 
four varieties are grown—the Kentish or Crittenden, small round’ 
borne in clusters ; the Shropshire, a little larger and somewhat 
oval; the Prune, very large, ova’, tree somewhat spreading ; and 
Worcestershire, also large and similarly shaped, tree more upright 
ingrowth. Bradley’s King is not yet included in the collection, 
and those named give satisfaction. The trees are planted 22 feet 
apart. 
Apples are also extensively grown, but those inspected were as 
bushes in the fine kitchen garden. Rows of AVorcester Pearmain 
were aglow with scarlet fruit. Cox’s Orange Pippin was bearing 
highly coloured fruit abundantly, as were other well-known useful 
varieties ; but less known and deserving of special mention were 
Bismarck, clustered with magnificent lit, •’ud Seaton House 
(named Niton House), the bush trees being i " t -oductive- 
ness, and the fruit, which somewhat resembles uumelow’s Seed¬ 
ing, keeps till late in the spring. Lane’s Prince Albert is a 
favourite here, and all over the district, because of its certainty in 
bearing full crops of fine and long-keeping fruit. Pears were 
less plentiful, but several trees were bearing well. Those of the 
favourite Marie Louise were failing, probably because worked on 
the Quince stock, and to insure healthy growth over a long period 
they must be on free stocks or double grafted. 
A great deal could be written about other departments if the 
punters would wait, but they will not ; the noble sweep of lawn, 
with fine trees and terrace ; the magnificent view—a park-like 
panorama of thousands of acres, bounded by the distant Chilterns ; 
the beautiful tropical garden and picturesque shrubbery recesses ; 
the thrifty Conifers—Corsican Pines GO feet high, one having to 
come down ; the rapid growth of AVellingtonias raised from seed 
sown only fourteen years ago, and now 30 feet high, with stems 
.5 feet in circumference ; the splendid vegetable crops, and so on ; 
but whatever is omitted, the range of glass in the kitchen garden 
now in course of erection by Mr. Boyd must have mention. When 
completed it will extend some 600 feet, with a central dome. This 
is already up, as are spacious vineries, with Vines making a start for 
future fame. With all these features Mentmore is now a truly 
coble place, and when other improvements are carried out and the 
hundred acres of fruit trees in full bearing, as scores of acres now 
are, it will be necessary to travel far to find its equal, taking it all 
in all, in our fair and fertile country. 
\\ hoever may visit Mentmore now and not be satisfied will be 
hard to please. Possibly there may be a floral enthusiast here and 
there who might like to see the fine lawn dotted with flower beds 
and thereby spoiled. That is not the place for them ; but in 
another garden within view—Mr. Leopold de Rothschild’s at 
Ascott such a wealth of flowers may be witnessed as will not soon 
be forgotten. Truly gorgeous are the Begonias, and with golden 
Conifers in thousands, and almost all other flowers that can be 
thought of, also with shrubs of such shapes as could only be con¬ 
ceived by a Dutchman, we have in front of the quaint and 
picturesque mansion a scene which for brightness and diversity it 
would surely be difficult to match. Besides all this there is the 
glass, and perhaps ten thousand Carnations, which Mr. Jennings 
grows so well, as he undoubtedly manages well everything in this 
remarkable garden, which Mr. Smith describes as a “ Paradise of 
flowers.” It is mentioned because it was through his kindness that 
it was seen during a spare hour which was found after a quick 
inspection of his excellent work at Mentmore.—J. AV. 
NARCISSI—PLANTING OUT AMD IN POTS. 
The season for planting has again returned, and should not be 
delayed much longer, as Narcissi are early, and many of them 
abundant, root-producers. In has been the experience of most 
growers of these useful and charming flowers that animal manures 
are prejudicial. That, I think, is a generally accepted fact. It is 
also a proved fact that a strong holding soil produces the finest 
foliage and bloom and some go so far as to say that a light dry soil 
is not at all suitable for many of the finest sorts. I cannot 
confirm that statement, as I find with proper attention they succeed 
very well on just such a soil ; and however poor the soil may be 
naturally, I should not hesitate to plant with every hope of the 
plants succeeding and improving year by year. 
Groups of Narcissi are very charming in mixed borders and on 
grass. The Daffodil is facile princeps among bulbous plants. But 
in order to obtain the best results in the form of strong foliage and 
the largest flowers on long stalks it is by far the best plan°to set 
apart a plot of ground in order to grow the collection. The ground 
must be deeply dug, or, preferably, double dug, and all lumps 
broken down in the process. If any dressing is given to the soil 
let it be leaf soil or the best portion of the compost heap, including 
the old soil in which Chrysanthemums have been grown. I have 
planted the bulbs as the digging progressed, and have also sown 
them like Beans in deep drills drawn with hoes, and so far as 
results go the one way proved as good as the other, while the last 
named has the advantage in being more expeditious. 
The question as to how deep the bulbs ought to be planted 
depends somewhat on their size. From 3 to 6 inches deep is quite 
sufficient. I invariably find that the young bulbs push the older 
upwards, so that after three years’ growth many of them are close 
to the surface of the soil. The deep planting of such sorts as 
Poeticus ornatus is, I think, distinctly inimical to the well-being of 
the plants. They do not flower so well, nor do they increase in the 
same ratio as shallow-planted bulbs. 
The distance apart at which to plant must be guided by circum¬ 
stances. Sir AVatkin ought to be planted further apart than 
Emperor, because the former increases more rapidly and the growth 
is more robust, 6 inches for the former and 4 for the latter being 
a fair distance, with a foot between the rows. Then take the 
Poeticus family : recurvus increases so rapidly, and grows with 
such vigour, that from 6 to 8 inches is not too wide. The 
double form may go in at 5, while ornatus at 3 inches is not 
too wide. 
The beds will require hoeing before September is out, and 
again in early spring. At a suitable period in April I give a slight 
dressing of superphosphate of lime, and I have found this to exert 
a wonderful influence on the plants. For the later sorts, if the 
weather is very dry at the end of April or early May, a soaking of 
water will be of the greatest benefit. During the summer and 
autumn months, hoeing and keeping the rows clean is all that is 
required; and in April, when growth has again progressed some¬ 
what, another dressing of superphosphate or of fresh soot, or of 
sifted soil from the decayed compost heap, will be needed to keep 
the plants improving. 
The present time is also the period for beginning the necessary 
work on the portion of the stock which it is intended to grow 
under glass. Narcissi are the easiest of all bulbs to grow in this 
way, and no flowering bulbs can surpass them for general useful¬ 
ness. To insure success none but the best quality bulbs ought to 
be grown. I do not know that it matters so much as to size, but 
certainly the bulbs ought to be thoroughly well ripened by first of 
all lifting early and then allowing them to get well dried on the 
surface of the ground. These are points of supreme importance, 
the neglect of which no after good management can make up for. 
Any good open soil does to grow them in. The pots require to be 
well drained, as the plants like a good deal of water when in full 
growth. It is a decided mistake to allow them much root room. 
Three large Horsefielai or Empress bulbs do well in a 4-inch pot, 
or five in a larger size. The bulbs will be at once touching the 
inside of the pot and each other. I have in one season grown 
many hundreds of common sorts in ordinary 4-inch deep cutting 
boxes, with each bulb touching its near neighbours, and nothing 
could be better than the result. I feed the plants well when 
they are in full growth, and keep them always moist at the root. 
Even such a stubborn sort as poeticus recurvus does excellently 
in this manner. Expensive varieties ought not to be forced 
hard. For instance, I would not force either Emperor, Empress, 
Horsefieldi, or Sir AVatkin ; but by bringing them on slowly 
there is no difficulty even in the north in having them in flower 
in March. 
AVhat to do with the plants after flowering may be a question of 
interest to many. I invariably plant them out. As a matter of 
fact, most of the plants are flowered in a greenhouse temperature, 
so that the change is not so very great; but some are occasionally 
forced in heat to the finishing of the flowering, and even these 
may be planted out with impunity. With valuable sorts I plant 
the whole potful out without breaking roots or ball. To do either 
causes a greater check than is neces-ary. The year succeeding the 
bloom is poor from these, but they rapidly improve thereafter 
under kindly treatment, and the third season the flowers are again 
at their best.—R. P. Brotherstox. 
