July 30, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
95 
for exhibition, but if the plants at all respond to his energetic and per¬ 
severing treatment, be will not fail to eventually attain success. 
THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 
But what about the flower garden and pleasure grounds usually 
described first ? some will be inclined to ask. Well, these have no pre¬ 
tentions to special notice, being of the simplest description. A few shrubs, 
Kose beds, and a little bedding out, together with a fine specimen of 
Cedar of Lebanon, are the chief characteristics of the grounds surround¬ 
ing the house. The visitor might turn away disappointed at finding 
such a meagre illustration of ornamental gardening as surrounds the 
rectory house, and imagine the owner to be a strict utilitarian, growing 
only the useful and despising the ornamental in gardening; and then, as 
if to offer some solace for the temporary disappointment, we are asked to 
take a stroll across a few meadows to see what in the distance resembles a 
coppice of Oak and other forest trees. A walk of five minutes brings us 
to an ancieDt-looking door. Passing through this and over a foot bridge 
across the railway which runs into Hythe, we are on the confines of the 
apparent coppice. We pass through, and between the branches of trees 
and shrubs, and descend into a valley for a few yards, when a most 
charming sight is revealed, huge masses of every conceivable colour 
of Rhododendron and hardy Azaleas blending and harmonising with 
the vast belting and canopy of foliage afforded by the Oak and other 
forest trees above. This is known as the American garden for miles 
around, visitors coming from Folkestone, Deal, Dover, and Hythe to see 
this charming spot in May and June. Canon Hodgson has bills printed 
and distributed inviting persons to come, and I need hardly say how 
readily this invitation is accepted. No restriction is placed on their peram¬ 
bulations, a key being given to every party by the gardener, and thus they 
go unrestricted, evidently valuing the Canon’s generosity, and not 
one instance is known of their taking advantageof this freedom to 
pluck a single flower of these choice shrubs. Sixty years ago Arch¬ 
deacon Croft, a former rector of Saltwood, and a great patron of horticul¬ 
ture, discovering certain natural advantages in this wood for forming an 
American garden in the shape of a natural bed of peat along the bottom 
of the valley, with ample shelter on all sides in the form of forest trees, 
at once resolved to turn them to account. Great taste was shown in the 
formation of the various walks, and in the selection and disposition of the 
many lovely varieties and species of Rhododendrons. Up through the 
centre of the valley is a beautiful green sward of turf, and here and there, 
towering up to the sky, are grand specimens of Picea nobilis, 40 feet high ; 
Abies Cunninghami, 40 feet; a noble specimen of the Redwood Cedar, 
Juniperus virginiana, pronounced by Dr. Hooker to be one of the finest 
in England ; Wellingtonia gigantea, Araucaria imbricata, Taxodium dis- 
tichum, Juniperus recurva, and Cryptomeria japonica. Other choice 
trees, such as the Paulownia imperialis, which, on the authority of the 
late Dr. Lindley, to whom Archdeacon Croft sent blooms at the time, was 
the first to bloom in England, and which is a truly noble tree ; Magnolia 
speciosa and glauca ; Kalmia latifolia, a very fine example over 8 feet 
high ; Spirsea Fraseri, a charming shrub, so graceful in habit; and arias- 
folia, another very large specimen of the genus Spiraea, are a few of the 
interesting and beautiful trees growing in this lovely spot. 
RHODODENDRONS. 
Interesting and valuable as these noble specimens of trees are, they 
could not compete in loveliness with the charming floral display of 
Rhododendrons. Such huge trees (for some were certainly entitled to be 
designated thus, owing to their great size) of that showy old species 
ponticum, Blandyanum, fastuosum fl.-pl., and a number of others, with 
smaller plants of Mrs. John Clutton, Marshal Brooks, rich scarlet ; 
Sigismund Rucker, magenta; Princess Mary, light blush; Mrs. John 
Penn, salmon pink ; Kate Waterer, rich crimson ; Lady Eleanor Cath- 
cart, rose; Baron Schroeder, plum colour ; W. E. Gladstone, a lovely pink; 
The Queen, blush ; and Marchioness of Lansdowne, rose, were a perfect 
mass of blossom, and rendering it a sight not easily to be forgotten. 
These are simply a few of the most striking examples ; suffice it to say 
that every variety worth growing will be found here. A few splendid 
clumps of Azalea indica alba were one mass of snowy whiteness. These 
had been planted with great taste and judgment, for here and there they 
added life to the picture by brightening up dull places. WendiDg our 
way through the many walks we came upon several real treasures and 
surprises. In one spot we saw two huge specimens of Camellias which 
had grown to an enormous size. Alba plena was just going out of flower, 
as was also another specimen with red flowers. These must have been a 
grand sight, judging from the immense quantities of fallen petals on the 
ground. Another curious shrub we found in flower on the side of one of 
these walks. Sir Joseph Hooker, who had been there a few days pre¬ 
viously, states that its name is Ulicium religiosum, and that it has not 
flowered out of doors in England before. It is a member of the Magnolia 
family, bearing dingy white flowers and dark green shining foliage. A 
little higher up the valley is a bog garden, which is in course of formation 
by Canon Hodgson. This was recently planted with a number of Iris 
germanica and other bog plants, which will in time form an interesting 
addition to the features of tbe American garden. A very fine specimen of 
Camellia stands in an isolated position on the turf, also there is a portion 
remaining of a once large specimen of the Cork Oak (Quercus suber), but 
this is now dying or dead. The Magnolias look perfectly at home, as 
indeed do all of the other trees and shrubs enumerated. Of course there 
are great natural advantages in the shape of just the soil suitable for this 
class of plants, shrubs, and trees, and another important gain, a capital 
shelter from cold winds. Canon Hodgson, certainly deserves to be con 
gratulated for continuing the objects of his predecessor in keeping this 
beautiful spot in such excellent form by continual planting of new 
varieties of Rhododendrons, and his sons in filling up their leisure 
moments in thinning out dead branches, and the gardener on the general 
good condition and order of this truly charming American garden.— 
T. W. S. 
NATIONAL CARNATION AND PICOTEE SOCIETY’S 
SOUTHERN SHOW. 
Jdly 28th. 
In no previous year has the above Society bad a better or more successfu 
show than that held at South Kensington on the date named. In quantity, 
and more markedly in quality, the exhibits were fully equal to the 
average. Those redoubtable growers and showerB of Carnations, Mr. 
Turner of Slough, and Mr. Douglas of Ilford, were in grand form, and 
were responsible for the leading prizes in the principal classes, while other 
noted exhibitors were also present. Throughout the Show there was praise¬ 
worthy evidence of high-class culture, the majority of the blooms being 
noticeable for large size and clearness of colours. The following is a 
list of the prizetakers in the various classes, commencing with 
CARNATIONS. 
The principal class for these was that for twenty-four blooms, not less 
than twelve dissimilar varieties. The first prize was taken by Mr. C. Turner, 
Royal Nurseries, Slough, with superb blooms of the following :—Back row— 
Master Fred, John Ball, H. K. Mayor, Jas. Douglas, Rob Roy, Jas. Taylor, 
W. M. Hewitt, and Robt. Lord. Middle row—Robt. Lord, Sir G-. Wolseley, 
E. S. Dodwell, Sarah Payne, John Haiiand, Sybil, Henry Matthews, and Wm. 
Skirving. Front row—Sarah Payne, Rob Roy, Arthur Medhurst, Jessica, 
Wm. Skirving, Hy. Cannell, Sir G. Wolseley, and Fred. Mr. Turner’s Car¬ 
nations have long been famed, but it may be confidently said that no better 
blooms were ever previously staged than these. Every flower was of con¬ 
siderable size, symmetrical, and remarkably clean. The second prize in this 
class was awarded to Mr. Jas. Douglas, gardener to F. Whitbourn, Esq., 
Great Gearies, Ilford, who also showed splendid blooms. They were ar-ranged 
as follows :—Back row—Jas. Douglas, Hy. Cannell, S. Barlow, Sybil, Jas. 
Douglas, Matador, Moore’s No. 8, and Seedling No. 4. Middle row—Robt. 
