August 9, 1888 ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
117 
gardener, Mr. W. Egglestone. In every department of these beautiful 
gardens a high order of culture prevails. In the vegetable and fruit 
gardens fine crops of excellent quality were the rule, Strawberries (La 
Oros.se Sucrde) were exceptionally fine; excellent crops of Peas 
William I. and Supreme were being gathered, the latter variety 
■especially being in fine condition. Along the south side of this garden 
runs the vineries, consisting of three large and lofty lean-to succession 
houses. In the earliest house was a heavy crop of moderate sized 
■hunches and berries, just finished ripening. And such finish 1 Indeed, 
we do not remember having seen a house of Black Hamburghs (of 
which variety these principally consisted) so densely and regularly 
covered throughout with a deep blue bloom as these were. I need 
hardly to state that the foliage was very fine ; such finish would have been 
impossible had it been otherwise. In the late house was also a heavy 
crop of larger bunches just thinned, the varieties being principally Lady 
Eowne’s, Alicante, and Alnwick Seedling. A large number of bunches 
■of the first-named were especially fine, being long, well shaped, and 
perfectly furnished with well set even-sized berries. Should these take 
on a finish equal to the Black Hamburghs in the early house they would 
prove formidable on the exhibition tables at our late autumn fruit 
shows. On an outer open wall also facing south we notice a very fine 
crop of Peaches and Nectarines. 
Upon the lawns are numerous Conifers in splendid health and well 
furnished, ranging in height from 30 to 50 feet, amongst them being 
Cedrus atlantica (many fine trees), C. Deodara, Cryptomeria Lobbi, 
Cupressus Lawsoni, Wellingtonia gigantea, Thujopsis borealis, &e. 
The mansion is a many-gabled Gothic structure, a portion of it being of 
ancient date, but all in excellent repair. The west front commands a 
beautiful view along the finely timbered park, bounded on each side 
by woods, with a fine piece of ornamental water spanned by a handsome 
bridge in the foreground. * 
Perhaps the most beautiful feature of Firbeck Gardens remains yet to 
be described, and this is the terraces and flower gardens on the south 
front, in which Nature and Art appear to be so exquisitely blended as to 
form a picture worthy the pencil of a Turner. Mr. Eggleston is 
evidently a true artist, as although high colours are largely used in 
the composition of his picture, they p,re so well balanced and toned 
down by the surroundings that the most captious critic could scarcely 
fail of being pleased and satisfied. Carpet bedding is extensively and 
well done, appearing especially suited to the position, the Alternan- 
t.heras and other tender plants being quite at home in this warm and 
perfectly sheltered glen. Amongst the varieties of Alternantheras 
used by far the best and most effective is an unnamed seedling raised 
at Firbeck by Mr. Eggleston, which is superior in brightness of colour 
to A. amcena, with the advantage of a vigorous habit of growth. The 
finest feature of the bedding was the numerous beds of Tuberous 
Begonias. We have never before seen these so thoroughly at home and 
so satisfactory in every way as bedding plants as we saw them at Fir¬ 
beck. The plants are all very dwarf and stout, with large ornamental 
foliage, flowering abundantly, the flowers being all of the largest size 
and of the brightest colours. 
Numerous large plants of Yucca gloriosa between the flower beds 
were throwing up strong flower spikes. A very striking feature on the 
upper terrace, which attracted the attention of the whole party, was 
what might very well be termed a trophy of succulents in the shape of 
an immense garden vase, the whole of which from ground line to apex 
was ingeniously covered, the lower half with the Californian House 
Leek, the upper half with Echeveria secunda glauca, the whole sur¬ 
mounted by a good specimen Aloe. The conservatory overlooking this 
terrace was well furnished with foliage and flowering plants and Ferns. 
A good addition to the general effect, as seen from the windows of this 
conservatory, is the lower terrace wall, which is covered and hidden by 
a coping of English Yew, 2 to 3 feet in breadth, kept closely trimmed, 
and quite flat about 1 foot above the ground line, and from which spring 
at regular intervals specimen oval-shaped bushes, almost perfect in 
symmetry, of the Golden English Yew. 
After a substantial repast, provided at the village inn at Firbeck, 
and a visit to the beautiful village church, recently enlarged and 
thoroughly restored by Mr. Jebb at his own cost, the party returned to 
“ black ” and “ smoky ” Sheffield thoroughly satisfied with what they 
had seen and so greatly enjoyed.—W. K. W. 
CABBAGES FOR SPRING. 
I HAVE read with interest the chapter by “ A Kitchen Gardener ” on 
"the above, and must say of the varieties I have grown I like E Ham’s 
Early the best. I have not tried Webb’s Emperor, but may do so 
another year. Last autumn we planted three varieties—viz., EHam’s 
Early, Early York, and Little Pixie. Ellam’s Early was ready first, 
long before the others ; in fact, very few of Early York have been cut, they 
have nearly all “ bolted.” No more of that variety for me. Little Pixie 
has not “ bolted,” but it has not hearted well, and i9 far behind Ellam’s 
Early. I remember in my apprentice days, fourteen or fifteen years 
ago, it was thought a great deal of, and certainly was a good little 
Cabbage in those days. 
I must take exception to “ A Kitchen Gardener ” about the time for 
■sowing. He says, on page 90, August 2nd, “ It will never answer to sow 
Cabbage seed early in July.” Now that is just the date that does answer 
in this district. Ours last year was sown the third week in July, and 
-was found to be too late ; and if we had not obtained some plants which 
had been reared from seed sown in the first week of July, we should have 
been badly off for Cabbages the last two or three months. 
We sowed the seed this year in the first week of July, and they are 
making so little progress that I am afraid they will be late for planting. 
I do not like to see them large in November, but I like them to have a 
good hold of the ground by the beginning of October, all growth being 
stopped by then in this district. We plant about the last week in 
August on ground from which early Potatoes have been lifted without 
any manure being dug in ; 18 inches between the rows, and 1 foot apart. 
—G. Hilton, Lancashire. 
BARLERIAS. 
This is a large genus containing many very fine species which un¬ 
fortunately have not been introduced in a living state. They are dis¬ 
tributed over the tropical portions of both hemispheres, nearly fifty 
species being known as African, whilst the peninsula of Hindostan is 
very rich in members of this genus. They thrive best in good light 
soil, and as their growth is rapid we certainly prefer young plants every 
year. 
B. Gibsoni (fig. 14).—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 funm 1 
shaped, produced in terminal and axillary spikes near the ends of tie 
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. 
B. Mackenii .—A species closely alliel to the preceding, but a native 
of Africa and not India, having been introduced from Natal, a portion 
of the world to which the public attention has been so earnestly directed 
during the past two months. It is a very ornamental plant, attaining 
the proportions of a small shrub. Stem slightly but very obtusely 
four-angled. Leaves somewhat ovate and subacute, recurved, about 
3 inches long and nearly an inch broad ; colour deep green, and clothed 
on the upper surface with small close hairs, as also is the stem. Flowers 
not so freely produced as ia the preceding species, but very handsome, 
