August «, 1335. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
107 
bright rad crown. The leaves are mo tly lanceolate and more or leas 
toothed. D. integrifolimn is amongst the prettiest; its flowers are 1 inch 
long, ot a rich purplish crimon, having an orange crown. It does well on 
the rockery. E>. brevifolium, frigidum, alpinum, latilobum, lancifolium, 
Jaffrayi, and macrocarpum are all desirable plants. 
D. splendidam, illustrated in the accompanying cut, is to our thinking 
the most beautiful of all the American Cowslips. It forms a pretty little 
rosette of oval leaves, from the centre of which rise many flower stalks 
8 or 10 inches high, each carrying about a dozen extremely handsome rie i 
purplish crimson flowers with bright orange crowns, and larger than 
those of integrifolium. 
All those enumerated above may be cultivated with ease in any garden 
if provided with, the necessary shade and shelter. We are of opinion that 
position has much more to do with the successful cultivation of these truly 
handsome flowers than the given mixtures of sand, peat, and loam. Posi¬ 
tions where Soldanellas and our native Primroses thrive will be found 
suitable for the DodecatheoDS, partly though not absolute shade, and a 
light and well drained soil. 
They ripen seed pretty freely, by which means they may be increased, 
or else by parting the root, but as this is rather a dangerom mode it had 
better not be resorted to unless in extremes. 
The variety represented was procured from Mr. Ware, and was certi¬ 
ficated at the Floral Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society a short 
time ago. 
A DAY IN KENT. 
enterprise; extraordinary. 
A drive through the fruit-growing district of Kent when the Straw¬ 
berry and Raspberry crops are being gathered is particularly interesting. 
The configuration of the “ Garden of England ” is boldly undulated, and 
there is consequently a great deal of uphill and down in traversing it. 
This enables the crops to be seen from various points to better advantage, 
the sloping fields and regiments of “pickers ” being conveniently arranged 
for a passing inspection. 
For miles there is little but fruit, and, it must be added, weeds to be 
seen. Now and then we pass a piece of Wheat, and one of Oats wa3 
observed in a twenty-five-miles drive ; but instead of fields of corn and 
Turnips, as in agricultural districts, there are vast stretches of Raspberries, 
Currants, and Strawberries, and in one particular piece there could not 
have been less than from 200 to 300 persons, old and young, gathering 
the crops. By the hedgesides are wooden shanties for their accommoda¬ 
tion, and round wigwams of old oilcloth or sacking, somewhat resembling 
the Zulu kraals as they are illustrated, only not so good. In this way 
the pickers, many of them from the east end of London, lead a gipsy's 
life for some weeks, the little urchins, too young to labour, turning 
“ cartwheels,” or standing wrong end upwards in the dusty roads shout¬ 
ing for coppers. 
Much has been done, no doubt, during recent years in improving the 
land in Kent and converting useless wastes into fertile tracts ; but a 
great deal more remains to be accomplished before the district through 
which we passed can rightly claim the appellation of “ garden.” Grant¬ 
ing the excellence of culture iu many fields, others were ablaze with 
Poppies, and weeds of various kinds were struggling with each other for 
supremacy ; and as for the fences, they are wildly picturesque, no 
doubt, by alternate masses of Brambles, “ gaps,’’ and festoons of the Tra¬ 
veller’s Joy, but with a few exceptions they are anything but suitable 
boundary lines for a “garden.” “Enterprise” is visible enough in 
places, but neglect is still obtrusive, and much land is waiting to be 
tilled. The fruit crops appeared good, especially Apples and Raspberries. 
Strawberries were practically ever, and Gooseberries and Currants could 
not be very well inspected in rushing through the lanes with a gardener 
handling the ribbons, and his passenger holding on as if preparing for a 
spill. 
“ But where are we going 7 ” “I think,” said the jehu, “ we will go to 
Bexley Heath and see Phillip Ladds’place.” “But do you know him P can 
we get in 1 ” “ Well, I have seen him, and I know the foreman, and we 
shall be all right. If we see Mr. Ladds I am sure he will not object to 
us ; but it would never do for him to be pestered by a lot of cockney 
tourists, who do not know what they are looking at in such a place, and 
can hardly let the flowers alone.” After that little dialogue on we went 
A drive out of the lanes into a broad and excellent highway flanked by 
pretty villas brings into view long ridges of glass. “ Ah 1 here we are. 
We will turn down the lane and drive right into the place.” In truth 
there appeared nothing to keep us out of it, neither walls nor doors nor 
gates, and we drove in. 
It was clearly an advantage to “ know the foreman and a genial 
man Mr. Bailey is, and without doubt able, for only a man of ability could 
keep things “ square ” in such a charge. We were fortunate, too, in 
being introduced to the proprietor, and it were impossible for anyone to 
accord to strangers a more courteous, frank, and agreeable reception. He 
made us at home at once, and in five minutes it seemed as if we had been 
friends for years. “ We are not afraid of anyone seeing us and every¬ 
thing we have ” was his remark, “ but we canmt be bothered by every¬ 
body, or the work wculd never get done.” A perfectly reasonable 
observation. Mr. Ladla is evidently too strong to have any “ little 
secrets,” but is alike ready to give or to receive information. He is not 
the tearing, driving, bustling man that many imagine. Surh men are apt 
to make mistakes. He is calm and reflective, yet quick to act when he 
sees his way. It is very certain that he has not erred very seriously in 
building up his business. He started in as small a way as ever a humble 
worker did, and now his trade is of a magnitude that has won for himself 
an European fame, and his name will have a prominent place in the 
history of horticulture. 
There was very little gla^s at Bexley Heath twenty year3 ago, and now 
there is a village of it—a hundred house*, and not little ones. The 
majority are upwards of 200 feet long, the Gardenia house being 300 feet 
in length and 35 feet wide. The plants are in large pots—luxuriant 
bushes that yield hundreds of thousands of fljwers. Several of these 
great houses are filled with Tea-scented Roses, neither young nor small, 
but clean and healthy. These are trees rather than plants, in large pots, 
and the yield of blooms must be enormous of such varieties as Niphetoa, 
Isabella Sprunt, and Safrano. They are repotted, or the food-store 
replenished, as soon after the present time as possible, but regard is had 
to the main object of having blooms all the year, aod all the plants are 
not overhauled at once. House after house is filled with Bouvardias, “ all 
for cutting and a few acres of glars cover Z mal Pelargoniums, mainly 
for affording cut flowers in winter ; but they must be had at all times, 
and there was a sea of flowers. In reply to a query, “ What sorts do 
you grow f ” The answer was, “ We try minv, but taking all things into 
consideration we have no scarlet equal to Vesuvius, no pink equal to 
Master Christine, and certainly no white equal to Queen of the Whites.” 
“ Queen of the Whites ! ” we repeated, “ is that what Veitch’s are sending 
out ? ” “ The very same, and it is the best of all; look at it; compare it 
with the others ; it i3 the best tru-s, has the purest flowers, and, another 
thing, it does not shake—no gumming wanted ; see”—and off comes some 
Bnowhall-like trusses that are knocked over the hand, aud the petals 
remain intact—“ that is the Geranium for market and for me.” So said 
Mr. Ladds, and we could only reply “ It seems the one for every¬ 
body.” But the “ sight ” in the flower department is the Tuberose and 
Stephanotis house—10,000 Tuberoses in fl )wer in 5-inch pots, a forest of 
splendid spikes and flowers, and as many clusters of Stephanotis on the roof 
nestling amid luxuriant leaves. “How are the plants kept so fresh, so 
clean?” Answer, “ Water, liquid.” Yes, water and liquid manure work 
wonders when freely, yet judiciously, applied. 
A little fruit remains to be noticed. The Tomatoes may be passed, 
as only two or three tons are grown there, and a ton of Tomatoes is, com¬ 
paratively speaking, a trifle with Mr. Ladds, who eounts his tons by scores; 
but the Grapes cannot be passed. Fancy span-roofed houses about 
20 feet wide and 200 to 300 feet long laden with Grapes from eave to 
apex, the bunches almost touching each other. Stand at the door, stoop 
down, and look at the mass of fruit, it is then a question if the reality is 
comprehended. The spectacle is astonishing. The varieties are Gros 
Colman, Alicante, Lady Downe’s, and Muscats. But “ Lady Downe’s 
don’t do,” says the owner, “ and what is the use fighting with it ? Others 
can grow it, and they may. I grow what suits the place.” It is by 
taking this common-sense view of things that has made Mr. Ladds what 
he is to-day. The others “ suit the place,” or the place suits them. 
Something has been heard of the Mu-cat house at Longleat. Admitting 
all that has been said about it, the late gardener at L mgleat, Mr. Taylor, 
anl the present one, Mr. Pratt—and it would not be easy to fi’id two better 
growers and judges—will, if they can visit Bexley Heath, acknowledge the 
crop there to be good. They will see such a magnificent mass of Muscats 
as they have never seen excelled. Tney have grown larger bunches 
and equally good berries, but they should still see the weight of the crop 
and quality of the fruit at Bexley as grown for the London market, and 
they would recognise the skill of the cultivator. The roots of the Vines 
are inside. One of the houses was perfumed with guano, in another a bag 
of nitrate of soda wa3 being reduced, and water is laid on everywhere. 
Perhaps these have something to do with the crops. The establishment 
under notice has grown by degrees to its present magnitude. It is very 
plain. There is no ornamentation about it, but it is just a great feeder of 
the mighty maw of London—a striking example of what can be accom¬ 
plished by sound judgment, attention, and perseverance ; but after all it 
is only part of the business of Mr. Ltddr. 
We drive on to Dartford Heath, about four miles distant. This is a new 
place. Twenty low span-roofed houses, about 150 feet long each, are com¬ 
pleted in one block, and fifteen in another. Three vineries 300 feet long 
are arranged side by side. They are divided by pillars, so as it is really 
one great house with a ridge-and-furrow roof covering an acre of ground. 
The Vines are still young growing freely, the house in the meantime 
being occupied with Tomatoes planted about 2 feet apart in rows 3 feet 
asunder secured to stakes. The smaller houses are similarly planted 
with Tomatoes Peaches in addition covering the roofs of some of them. 
About 500 trees have been planted as a little experiment, and as these 
are promising very well indeed, and have afforded 10 000 Peaches this 
year, it is not unlikely the 500 trees may increase to 5000 ; no one knows, 
for Mr. Ladds is apt to exceed in his acts the anticipations of most 
people. The Tomatoes were flowering freely, the houses being kept quite 
dry till the fruit is set, then water is given to push on the swelling. The 
sod is light and gravelly, but manure and deep trenching work wonders. 
Thirty tons of Tomatoes were sold last year from this small place, which 
is in charge of Mr. Cheesman, whose heart is in his work, or he would not 
do it so well. 
Three miles distant from D irtford Heath is Swanley, a belter culti¬ 
vated district than we have hitherto traversed. Swanley is already a 
