214 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAOE GARDENER. 
f September 6, 1888. 
tions of builders, by the laying gas and water pipes, &c., such trees 
as may be left standing often thrive more than others growing 
where the soil around is never disturbed to any depth. In some 
London gardens the fibres of the roots of trees seem to be entangled 
in a hard mass of clay, fatal to their vigour, and to this perhaps is 
to be attributed the death of the Oaks and Yews that once grew 
about London, which might otherwise have made their millenniums 
and been venerable memorials of the early history of the City. 
The tree which inclines to live the longest in the metropolis is the 
Elm, and this, if it escapes gales, is seldom spared by trunk-mining 
insects. 
Some London suburbs retain ju-t the characteristics as to soil 
which were noted by the older gardeners, in spite of the changes of 
time, but our sewage system tends to mr ke them drier than when 
the rain had to soak in or run otf by the streamlets to the Thames. 
In the vicinity of Vauxhall, for instance, or South Lambeth, our 
ancestors rejoiced that they had brooks, enabling them to refresh 
their plants with far better water than they could get from the 
Thames. One of these was the little river Effra, rising at Norwood 
and flowing past banks set with Alders and Willows, under which 
Queen Bess is said to have rowed to Brixton. The stream has 
vanished under ground, but moisture-loving species like these, and 
the varieties of Poplars are not uncommon. Thus the well-known 
Oval of Kennington is set round with Willows, even as it may 
have teen when it was the nursery garden of Michelson, an old 
worthy not more thought of now than the Tralescants, who made 
South Lambeth notable as the first English home of a variety of 
European, Asiatic, and African species, which at some peril to 
themselves father and son obtained during the seventeenth century. 
John Tradescant is said to have grown the Rose to a great extent; 
he was also the introducer of exotic Ferns. About a hundred 
years ago the Royal Society sent out a special Committee to in¬ 
vestigate whether many of the shrubs or trees he had set still 
existed, but the number proved to be small. Also it may happen 
that a tree survives while its history vanishes ; for instance, I was 
shown at South Lambeth a Poplar free from all signs of decay and 
of unusually large proportions to which some traditional story 
belonged. I am told it has, however, died out with the oldest in¬ 
habitant ; yet there are those left who can point out where 
Chandler’s nursery was close to Nine Elms Brewery, if not on the 
same ground, formerly celebrated for its Camellias, Magnolias, and 
Wistarias. Mr. Chandler was also one of those who experimented 
with the Chinese Chrysanthemum while that group of plants was 
comparatively unpopular or unknown, and obtained a number of 
varieties. 
But one of the specially interesting events of 1888 to the South 
London folk has been the formation of Yauxhall Park, as it is to 
be called, after a strong opposition had been got up which nearly 
succeeded in upsetting the scheme. This will be made up of three 
open spaces lying contiguous—a plot of ground called the Lawn, 
and the gardens of Fawcett and Caroone Houses. It is an historic 
spot, originally an estate of the Crown, part of the extensive 
demesnes at Kennington, where once was a deer park, arable fields, 
and extensive orchards. The name of one of its later possessors 
is retained by Caroone House, and the companion residence was in 
the occupation of a well-remembered Postmaster General for about 
twelve years, whose activity was so remarkable considering his sad 
infirmity. Of course the grounds must be remodelled, but I hope 
most of the trees will be preserved, and some also of the plants of 
humbler growth. Amongst the trees bordering the Lawn, or scat¬ 
tered over it, beside the large Poplar already mentioned (Populus 
nigra) were others of that species, also the Lombardy and the White 
Poplars ; the first of these seldom attains any height in London. 
A few young Willows only. It is noticeable that of this large 
group, the two which are commonest about the suburbs are the 
White (S. alba), and the Bedford (S. Russelliana) ; the true Sallows 
in this genus Salix are seldom represented. Of course the foreign 
S. babylenica is not unfrequent in cemeteries and elsewhere. Here 
I found several Mulberries of medium size, interesting because 
old South Lambeth was famed for this tree, much fruit on them 
too, but not likely to ripen. Walnut trees reminded me of the 
vanished Walnut Tree Walk ; these also had some show of fruit. 
In the garden of Fawcett House were Pears, Cherries, and, on a 
south wall, some good old Vines. There were only straggling 
bunches of Grapes, and few fruits on the Pears, but the Cherries, 
chiefly the old Blackheart, were full ; it seemed odd to be eating 
fruit produced within sound of Big Ben at Westminster. Elm 
trees were represented, amongst them a goodly specimen of the 
broad-leaved variety (Ulmus latifolia), some very aged Hawthorns 
and Hollies, and of the Ash several fine examples, well-branched 
and symmetrical. Robinias were distributed over the grounds, now 
and then contrasting with the heavy foliaged Evergreen Oak 
(Quercus Ilex), and the large-leaved Cherry Laurel. In the en¬ 
closed garden of Fawcett House were many old-fashioned flowers. 
Some prominent favourites of hisappeared to be Eschscholtzias, Globe- 
Thistles, Dahlias, Stocks, and Larkspurs. A pretty effect had 
been produced by a cluster of Digitalis in one corner, but its growth 
this season was checked by a surrounding of Hawkweed. In another 
part where Jerusalem Artichokes had been planted these had been 
left to themselves, and the moist summer had drawn up the stalks, 
to the height of G feet. It was curious to discover, upon one- 
neglected patch, a profusion of Melilotus officinalis, a wild plant 
which has made itself conspicuous this season in North Kent, on 
land where it had been seldom observed before. I should add that 
the enterprise owes much of its success to the exertions of Mis® 
Octavie Hill and Mark Beaufoy, Esq. 
So many of the old market gardens of London have become the 
sites of unsightly or badly built dwellings, that it is quite refreshing 
to discover one which is to be preserved as an open space. Through 
the kindness of Mr. Minett, the fields near the Ivnatchbull Road,, 
between Camberwell and Brixton, are being formed into a recreation 
ground, and the walling round is in progress, but at present the 
laying out has not been commenced. The extent is about ten acres- 
It had long been cultivated by a member of the Myatt family, with 
others. In the Camberwell New Road close by, was at one time 
the arboretum of Mr. Buchanan, which supplied what was then 
thought a surprising variety of young trees, especially evergreens.. 
People flocked from all parts of London in the July of 1835 to see 
a large Yucca gloriosa which unexpectedly burst into flower, and 
was reckoned to have had upon it about 2000 blossoms. Flowers 
in windows and gardens are still plentiful along the roads of 
Camberwell, which have ceased to be remarkable for the dis¬ 
plays of nurserymen, but encouragement to horticulture is given 
by the show in Camberwell Green. Its three acres are turned 
to excellent account, the borders being filled with herbaceous 
plants chiefly, and the choicer flowers placed in beds amid grass 
plats and railed off, a necessary precaution probably, though 
forbidding near inspection. The geometrical style of bedding is. 
followed, and the placing here and there a Birch, a Poplar, an 
Araucaria, or a Sumach on the central space has a good effect. A 
screen of shrubs and young trees afford a screen from the winds,, 
which sweep at times down from the hills near. It is likely that 
the churchyard of St. Giles’s, Camberwell, will soon be opened to 
the public. This contains a great variety of shrubs, but no flower 
beds, and has a pretty avenue of Limes. In front of the church 
is an old Elm, and behind it a Plane nearly as venerable. Speci¬ 
mens of the Fir tribe, however, were, I observed, as reluctant to 
grow here as they generally are about London, their preference¬ 
being a sandy or loamy soil.—J. R. S. C. 
HOVE AS. 
Tins genus consists of evergreen species, natives of New 
Holland. All of them are very beautiful, but somewhat difficult to 
get into a sturdy, busby, compact habit of growth. The flowers,are 
either purple or a deep purple blue, and are produced most pro¬ 
fusely on the young well-ripened wood of the previous season, a. 
fact which furnishes the key to their successful cultivation. 
Another recommendation is that they all flower freely in the early 
spring and summer months when flowers are comparatively scarce 
in other departments. I shall merely instance a few where all are 
beautiful. 
Hovf.a Celsii. —Habit rather straggling ; height from 2 to- 
5 feet; leaves somewhat lanceolate ; flowers deep purple blue, pro¬ 
duced at the base of the leaves, often in whorls or masses ; one of 
the most beautiful of the family, flowering generally from April to 
July. 
Hovea pungexs major is another beautiful species with blue 
flowers, introduced from the Swan River. 
Hovea latifolia.— A beautiful species with leaves broader 
and larger than Celsii ; part of the flower the standard blue and the 
keel purple ; the flower is also larger and the plant altogether more 
strong growing. 
Hovea elliptica, with roundish oval leaves ; H. ilicifolia, 
with curled Holty-like foliage ; H. lanceolata, spear-like leaves; 
H. longifolia, long leaved ; and many more are all species having 
purple flowers, blooming from March and April to June and July, 
and worthy of culture where room can be afforded them, more 
especially as from 2 to 4 feet in height, and rather less in diameter, 
may be taken as their general range of growth when full justice is 
done to them ; and all requiring similar culture, though Celsii 
perhaps, of all others, requires the greatest attention. I shall 
shortly allude to their general management. 
Propagation. —This is effected by seeds. Most of them will 
ripen their seeds, but very few should be allowed to remain, and 
only those from the first-formed flowers, for two reasons : the first 
is to prevent the plant being exhausted of its strength ; the second 
