144 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 18,1887. 
whether it be how to do a thing or how not to do it, and not for the 
purpose of making offensive comparisons at the expense of those who 
are so kind and courteous as to show us, or permit us to see, their 
produce. 
Being a few days ago within a few miles of Iluxley Lodge, Esher, 
the residence of Lord Foley, I availed myself of an opportunity of 
visiting an old master and friend, Mr. John Miller, for many years head 
gardener at Worksop Manor and at Clumber House, Worksop, Notts, 
knowing from past experience that I should not only meet with a 
cordial and true gardener’s welcome, but also see something in the gar¬ 
dens worth noting and remembering. In the Peach house Grosse Mignonne 
Peach and Victoria Nectarine are very good and highly coloured. The 
sub-laterals in the early vinery are allowed to extend themselves for the 
purpose of affording natural shade to the numerous and well-coloured 
bunches of Black Hamburghs, for it is well known that a strong sun¬ 
light quickly transforms “ Black ” Hamburghs into what are called 
“ Red ” Hamburghs, if some shade is not interposed between the fruit 
and the rays of the sun. The second vinery contains a good crop of use¬ 
ful sized bunches of Hamburghs, and the third vinery is planted chiefly 
with Alicante, Lady Downe’s, and Hamburghs. 
Roses are grown in large quantities and in the highest luxuriance. 
Those planted out in the greenhouses and trained on the roofs are La 
France, Gloire de Dijon, Niphetos, Adam, Cloth of Gold, Solfaterre, &c. 
The Roses in pots are young home-grown plants, and testify to the ri.ht 
kind of treatment received from Mr. Robert Miller, who acts as foreman 
for his father. Strelitzia regina was flowering freely in the greenhouse, 
and the plant at all times has a tropical and effective appearance. The 
Azaleas are well grown examples of the best varieties, and are numerous. 
In the stove we saw a perfect jungle of form and colour. Passion 
Flowers, Allamandas, and Bougainvilleas vie with each other on the roof 
and hang down among the arching leaves of the Palms overhead ; and 
around the sides are dense masses of Caladiums, Begonia Rex, Pilea 
muscosa, and Asparagus plumosus ; and continuing to the floor are the 
trailing sprays of Tradescantia zebrina and Panicum variegatum. All 
formality is wisely dispensed with, but here and there a Cycas revoluta 
gives a bold effect, or a Cocos Weddelliana a graceful appearance. 
The Muscat house contains a capital crop of fruit, and it is almost 
unnecessary to say that it is chiefly Muscat of Alexandria. Mr. Miller 
has frequently come out of pitched battles in the exhibition tent 
victorious, and he can do it still if he will but enter the arena again. 
As a cultivator of the Fig, few, if any, can surpass him ; and the Fig 
house at Ruxley Lodge will shortly become as famous as did the Fig 
house at Worksop Manor. Nearly all the trees are at present in pots, 
and are bearing good crops of fruit, the principal varieties being White 
Ischia, Negro Largo, and Brown Turkey. 
As empty houses at any time of the 5 ear are not desirable, the centre 
stages of two greenhouses at Ruxley Lodge—their customary occupants 
being outdoors—are filled with Tomatoes ; but these, instead of being 
trained from the pots up sticks perpendicularly, are trained to a frame¬ 
work of hazel or any slightly pliable sticks, and carried from one side of 
the stage to the other, thus forming a curvilinear trelliswork, upon 
which the Tomato plants are trained. The varieties most in favour are 
Hathaway’s Excelsior and Trentham Fillbasket. 
The somewhat rare CaUicarpa purpurea finds a home at Ruxley 
Lodge, where its racemes of greyish purple berries are much appreciated. 
This is a fitting companion to the Rivinas, R. humilis and R. tinctoria, 
and it is a pity they are not more frequently placed before the public. 
Both are easily grown, the Rivina especially so. A small house is de¬ 
voted to Gardenias, and they luxuriate in it. The old but ever fragrant 
an! beautiful Pancratium javanicum is grown here in quantity ; and 
amongst Orchids may be noted Oncidium macranthum, Epidendrum 
vitellinum, Lycaste lanipes, and Zygopetalum Mackayi. 
Mr. Miller being the raiser of the excellent variety of Melon called 
William Tillery, one naturally expects to find that variety excep¬ 
tionally good at Ruxley Lodge, nor are our expectations doomed to dis¬ 
appointment, for here we find such fruit of it as is rarely seen, good as it 
generally is. In the same large house devoted to Melons are some fine 
Calanthes that would do credit to the most accomplished Orchid 
grower ; and Eucharis grandiflora var. Bulli (to me a new variety, and 
much smaller than grandiflora) is very numerous and appears to enjoy 
the treatment. In a pool of water are to be seen some plants of Calla 
asthiopica which appear to be quite at home and are flowering very 
freely. The effect produced is very ornamental and natural. 
A portion of the flower garden is laid out in Box and in form of the 
Prince of Wales’s feathers ; and on the left of the mansion is a quantity 
of ornamental ironwork, forming pillars and festoons, and these in due 
time will be covered with ornamental climbing plants ; and in the 
narrow borders at the base are artistically grouped such plants as 
Pelargonium Rollisson’s Unique, large plants of double Ivy-leaved 
Pelargoniums, Cannas, Liliums, &c., all blending and harmonising in 
form, colour, and appropriateness. Several beds"in the flower garden 
directly in front of the house are planted “ carpet” fashion, and, con¬ 
sidering the peculiar outline of the beds to be dealt with, Mr. Miller 
has evolved a singularly appropriate design ; but it must be seen to be 
understood. In beds at some distance are herbaceous plants, which tend 
to lead the ideas from the more formal flower garden to its more natural 
surroundings ; and close by are large pyramids—or rather, cones—of 
Pelargoniums, which give masses of colour without being flat or too 
formal in appearance, as “ beds ” usually are. 
The kitchen gardens are large and well cropped with the fruit and 
vegetables required in a large establishment; and a good-sized orchard 
supplies the usual orchard fruit. Here Mr. Miller, with his usual plan 
of keeping pace with the times, has been beheading some of the effete 
and worthless varieties, and had them grafted—Herefordshire fashion 
with varieties of sterling merit. This is a step in the right direction, 
and were this done throughout the country we should soon cease to near 
so much talk of the superiority of the American Apples over the English 
Apples.—J. U. S. 
MR. CYPHER’S PLANTS, AND HOW HE GROWS THEM. 
All interested in plant culture as well as numerous visitors to the 
principal flower shows in the country are familiar with the name of 
Cypher, and, doubtless, a few remarks upon Mr. Cypher’s famous 
Queen’s Road Nurseries, Cheltenham, will be of interest to many of the 
readers of the Journal of Horticulture. On about one acre of ground 
there are arranged fifty plant houses, some of them being very commo¬ 
dious, and all well adapted for the purpose for which each is built. 
Naturally, the immense Palms and Cycads that form such admirable 
backgrounds to the noble groups of plants at various shows require 
much space, and those who may imagine that exhibiting must be 
profitable, would alter their opinion somewhat if they fully realised the 
amount of labour and other expenses constantly being expended upon 
the fine specimens at Cheltenham. Not only have the giants to be fed 
all the year round, but as these are liable to become shabby and com¬ 
paratively worthless, a great number of young plants have to be 
gradually brought on to take their place. No exhibitor ought in any 
case to put all his “ eggs in one basket,” but duplicates of nearly every¬ 
thing is required in order to be certain to have one of them in a fresh 
condition at the right time. Mr. Cypher can compete successfully at 
one or more shows, and yet have numbers of attractive plants at home. 
They have no secrets, and if I failed to glean useful information it is 
my own fault. 
Ericas always tell better than anything in a collection of well- 
grown stove and greenhouse plants, and of these they have a capital 
collection in various sizes. Some, notably a huge Cavendishi, not 
less than 7 feet through, have become too large to carry about, and 
will not be taken out many more times. Two sets of plants of both 
E. Cavendishi and E. depressa have to be grown, as they are only avail¬ 
able every other year. Those to flower next season are now standing in 
the full sunshine, the pots only being covered with mats, and under this 
treatment they become thickly set with buds. The principal portion of 
the Ericas are grown in a light span-roofed house, and given abundance 
of dry air. In clear weather the lights can be drawn clean off the. 
house, and in showery or dull weather returned and blocked open. 
Overpotting or careless watering are the principal causes of so many 
plants dying, and it is useless to attempt their culture in mixed plant 
houses. _ 
The Ixoras are now very beautiful, and I fancy in better condition 
than I have formerly seen them. They are decidedly heat-loving plants, 
and require plenty of room and daylight. A good peaty soil suits them, 
and after the pots are well filled with roots liquid manure may be used 
safely and freely. Healthy plants break readily after being cut back,, 
and, treated as just advised, no difficulty is experienced in setting 
abundance of buds. Ixoras are certainly very liable to be infested with 
mealy bug, but this is their principal failing, and why this beautiful 
class of plants are not more generally grown for affording cut flowers or 
for decorating plant stoves it is difficult to account for. Mr. Cypher will 
have a splendid plant of the finest of all Ixoras—viz., Duffi, for the 
August shows, and such good sorts as Pilgrimi, coccinea, Williamsi, 
Westi, and Fraseri in fine condition ; Westi also being a promising 
novelty. 
Allamandas are extensively grown, and principally in a low three- 
quarter span-roofed house. All are near the k lass, for it is useless- 
attempting to flower them in other but a very light position. They also- 
require a strong heat, and will succeed in a house to which little or no 
air is admitted better than most flowering plants. The bulk of the 
Allamandas are started late in December, being previously well shortened 
back. When breaking strongly they are turned out of their pots, much, 
of the exhausted soil picked away from the roots, and then repotted,, 
using a strong loamy soil and pots a little larger than they were shaken 
out of. When the young growths have made good progress and hardened 
somewhat, they are cut back to the third or fourth joint, this causing 
each to push out three or four shoots, all of which soon develope flower 
spikes. Little or no training is done till near the time the plants are- 
wanted for exhibition, quite a thicket of flowering shoots being then 
available. Both leaves and flowers soon face up to the light and appear 
to have long been trained to the globular or balloon-shape trellis used. 
Allamandas like plenty of water and liquid manure, and are benefited 
by a top-dressing of cow manure. The variety known as Hendersoni isi 
the most generally grown, but Mr. Cypher also has beautiful examples, 
of nobilis, this being the most difficult to grow. 
Dipladenias are still more beautiful than Allamandas, and have more 
weight in a collection of plants. At Cheltenham they have several 
grand specimens each of ainabilis, Brearleyana, Williamsi, and profusa, 
and a great number of medium-sized and small plants, all being in. 
excellent health, and commencing to develope numerous strong flower 
spikes. They succeed well in the Allamanda house, but are by no 
means so easily cultivated. They are very fickle as to soil, loam usually 
proving fatal to them. Mr. Cypher uses good fibrous peat, charcoal, 
crocks, and sand. The pots are not large, are very freely drained, ami 
the greatest care is taken not to overwater—too much water and a sour 
