90 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND C01IAGE GARDENER. 
[ July SO, 1885. 
for the last ten years with two houses of Muscat of Alexandria, 
has occurred to me in relation to the successful cultivation of 
this magnificent Grape. 
The two vineries mentioned are half span, each 50 feet long, 
with inside and outside borders. The Vines have been planted 
about twenty years. Both are heated with hot water, but a flue 
runs along the bottom of the back wall the full length of both 
houses. They are situated on the top of a limestone hill some 
distance away from our other houses, and as we are solely 
dependant upon rain for our water supply, the following prac¬ 
tice at first was followed more from necessity than choice ; but 
that the results are satisfactory, all who see them will readily 
admit. The fact I wish to call attention to is the small amount 
of atmospheric moisture maintained, as the syringe and evapo¬ 
rating troughs are not used after the Vines are well started, 
with the exception of one good washing the bunches receive to 
facilitate the process of thinning. The shoots are all stopped 
two or three leaves beyond the bunch when they are first tied 
down; afterwards they are allowed to grow at their own will 
until the Grapes begin to ripen, when we remove a portion of 
the lateral growths to admit sunlight to the bunches, as I find 
they will not colour well in too much shade. The borders receive 
a good covering of half-decayed stable manure before the Vines 
are started, and twice through the season they are sprinkled 
with guano or sulphate of ammonia. We give the inside borders 
a good watering about once every ten days. No damping or 
sprinkling of paths and borders takes place between the regular 
waterings, as we consider such a waste of water. 
I am of opinion that Muscats require more water at the roots 
and less moisture in the atmosphere than the majority of Grapes, 
and that at no season of the year should their roots be allowed 
to be dry. Some growers never water their Vine borders from 
the time the Grapes are ripe until they start again in the spring, 
which I think is one of the most likely causes of shanking. We 
should not ignore the teachings of Nature ; she is a good guide, 
and it is well known that soil is much heavier and carries more 
moisture in winter than at any other season of the year, and I 
can see no reason why Vines should be starved and the roots 
shrivelled by a deficiency of water at any time. The soil may 
contain all necessary ingredients, but water must be present to 
prepare and liberate them for appropriation by the Vines. 
Muscats do not require so much heat as is generally supposed, 
as this season, during the time the Vines were in flower, the 
temperature was often for hours as low as 55°, and yet with 
attention to the ventilation in the morning as soon as the sun 
touches the house, Muscats have set as freely as Black Hamburghs. 
In my opinion many of the ills Vines are subject to are caused 
by a close and moist atmosphere combined with high night 
temperatures, which cause the foliage to be soft and flabby, 
with watery badly ripened wood, which contains an excessive 
amount of pith. 
Enclosed is a photograph of this season’s crop in the earliest 
house. The Vines were started the first week in January. The 
photograph was taken by Mr. Gilbert Wilson of Grange-over- 
iSands on July 1st.— Samuel Hallmark, gardener to E. Huclclow, 
Esq., Castlehead, Grange-over-Sands, North Lancashire. 
[The photograph shows an excellent crop of large well-set 
bunches, and fully proves the success of Mr. Hallmark’s method 
of treatment.] 
BAPTISIA AUSTRALIS. 
Generally called False Indigo, a name derived, it is supposed, from 
the economical use of B. tinctoria, which yields a coarse indigo dye, not 
now extracted. 
Five species, all showy garden plants, are enumerated in Dr. Gray’s 
“Flora of North America,” to which a few have been added, and most of 
which are in cultivation, though, unfortunately, not to that extent which 
their superior merit entitles them to be. They may be classed amongst 
hardy ornamental herbaceous plants, as they are extremely useful for 
shrubberies, mixed borders, and rockeries. 
B. australis, represented in the accompanying illustration, is an 
extremely free-flowering species, perhaps the most generally known in 
gardens, having been cultivated as far back as 1758. For a back place on 
the rockery few plants are more desirable, and few give such a satisfactory 
return under all circumstances. In sun or in shade, in damp soil or dry, 
B. australis seldom fails to produce an abundance of indigo blue flower8 [ 
almost as large as well-grown Sweet Peas. The whole plant seldom 
exceeds 2 or 2J feet in height; the stems are branched, producing the 
flowers in racemes often halfway down ; leaflets blunt, wedge-shaped, and 
having stipules as long as the leafstalks. It flowers June and July. 
Others may be mentioned, such as B. tinctoria, B. leueophoei, B. alba 
B. exaltata, B. versicolor, anl B. perfoliata. The specimens figured were 
grown by Mr. Ware at Tottenham.—S. 
WOOLTON WOOD, 
The residence of H. Gaskell, Esq., is situated at Woolton, about sis 
miles from Liverpool, and is easily reached by train from the central 
station to Hunts Cross, being only about ten minutes’ walk from the latter. 
The mansion and gardens are approached by a drive that winds through a 
large wood of stately trees, composed principally of Beech, Elm, and 
Sycamores, with an abundant undergrowth of Rhododendron ponticum and 
hardy Ferns. The former in some instances skirt the margins of the drive 
and various walks that abound in the wood, while large patches of the 
latter give to the whole a cool, effective,'yet natural appearance. Wood 
Hyacinths exist in quantity, and at the time of my visit large patches with 
Ferns and Rhododendrons in the background were just past their best, but 
displayed at a glance the effective beauty of such simple sweet flowers when- 
massed together and planted in suitable positions. Earlier in the season a 
similar displayjis obtained by the old double yellow Daffodil, which has been 
freely established. 
The mansion is a commodious and substantial structure, and in appear¬ 
ance it is rendered very ornamental by the mass of foliage and flowering 
plants that clothe the walls from the base to the roof. The climbers used 
for this purpose consist principally of Ivy, Virginian Creeper (Ampelopsis- 
hederacea). Wistaria sinensis, and Roses. The well-kept lawn in front 
was beautifully green in spite of the dry weather ; it stretches for some 
distance, and from it is obtained a most beautiful view. The river Mersey 
can be seen along its winding course in the valley below, and visible beyond 
as far as the eye can reach is the beautiful landscape of Cheshire. In the 
background stands out prominently a range of Welsh mountains, which 
add wonderfully to the beauty of the picture. Shrubberies flank the lawn 
on each side, and are freely dotted with herbaceous plants, which impart- 
change and variety, as well as supply, if needed, useful material for 
cutting. 
We returned to the wood by what is known as the Heather Walk, from- 
the large clumps and patches of Heath that have years ago been freely 
planted, and which must be very effective during the time they are in 
bloom. During last year fresh objects of interest have been added to this 
portion of the grounds in the form of large mounds or portions of rockwork 
for the accommodation of alpine plants. Large provision has also been 
made in various parts of the garden, especially against the fernery and 
Orchid houses, for the cultivation of these lowly plants. Limestone has 
been brought from Derbyshire and mounds formed with it, while smaller 
portions have been freely intermixed in the soil, in which Gentians and many 
other species have been planted that inhabit naturally limestone hills. 
The provision made for these highly interesting and charming gems has 
been one of thought and study. The luxuriant growth of many of the 
plants testify that the position and home accorded them is a genial one. 
Gentiana verna, a plant very rarely seen thriving satisfactorily in gardens, 
is doing well there, and this is only one of many that will in a very short 
time fill the nooks in which they are planted. Time and space forbid me 
to particularise these plants further, and the same may be said of the 
herbaceous border that surrounds this compact and neat rock garden. The 
walk leads to an old quarry, which is entered by a number of rugged stone 
steps. Last winter beds were here formed and planted with a collection of 
Lilies, Irises, hardy Heaths, and a few Orchids. The sides are planted with 
Ivy, Heaths, Foxgloves, and many other hardy plants. Many of the Lilies 
and other plants have’started away strongly and well, and it will be interest¬ 
ing to watch them in the future, for vertical light only can reach the plants, 
and this through the large forest trees above alluded to, which surround 
the quarry. 
The vineries, Peach house, Cucumber and Melon houses, sundry small 
plant houses, and what we may term a show house or conservatory, are 
arranged in the kitchen garden. The fruit houses were looking very well 
and promised to supply good crops. The ordinary decorative flowering 
plants were grown in the small houses and arranged in the conservatory or 
show house while in bloom, which was gay with a miscellaneous collection 
of plants. The kitchen garden was neat and well filled with all vegetables 
that are required for the supply of the establishment. 
The above are referred to but briefly, because the Orchid houses and the 
large collection they contain of well-grown plants are the main attraction 
of these gardens and must next receive attention. For some years Mr. 
Gaskell has been enthusiastic in his endeavour to form a good collection of 
these plants, and during the past two or three years very large numbers- 
have been added. This is the finest collection of Orchids in the neighbour¬ 
hood of Liverpool. The greater number of the plants have been obtained 
as they have been imported, and in addition very high prices have been paid 
for rare and choice varieties that are established when offered for sale. There 
are in all six large houses solely devoted to Orchids, and the first entered 
was filled with Odontoglossums, nearly all of which have been established 
within three years. The plants are strong, and they have made wonderful 
progress. The whole of the centre of the house was filled with plants in 
flower, principally Odontoglossum crispum, and O. vexillarium. some of the 
latter having flowers of an enormous size, while nearly every one of the 
former were superior varieties, the majority of them having large 
broad sepals and petals, some of the purest white, others beautifully spotted 
and shaded with rosy pink. Dark forms were abundant, and two or three 
ware decidedly the most highly coloured varieties I have seen, one of 
these having nearly a round flower, while the sepals and petals were much 
cut and fringed exactly the same as the lip of many of fine forms of this 
lovely Orchid, the lip being well fringed also. This is the first time this 
plant has flowered; it was imported in 1882, and it will be of interest to watch 
whether it retains this distinct form. 0. polyxanthum and O. pretextum 
were also in flower in this house. Oncidium crispum was most conspicuous 
with two spikes of showy flowers fully 5 feet long and much branched, each 
branch being nearly as large as the spike generally seen on this variety. 
Before passing from this house some idea may be formed of the health and 
v gour of the plants when it is stated that the majority bearing large flower 
