302 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
[ October 1, 1885. 
the eye when we stand in the front of the mansion. Very little bedding- 
out is practised, but what is done is simple and effective. Each side of a 
long twining carriage drive is judiciously planted with a number of beau¬ 
tiful trees, such as Picea lasiocarpa, P. Pinsapo, P. grandis, Pinus Coul- 
teri, Abies Douglasii, A. brachyphylla carrying a number of fine cones, 
Araucaria imbricata, and many perfect specimens of Golden and Silver 
Hollies and Yews. There are many noble Beech and Elm trees, whilst in 
various parts of the grounds are placed large variegated Aloes, which 
impart a very pleasing appearance. 
The kitchen garden is situated to the right of the mansion, and has 
two great disadvantages, in having no walls and a north-east aspect. 
Notwithstanding these drawbacks, Mr. Swanwick manages, with the 
exercise of much skill and attention, to produce excellent crops of both 
fruit and vegetables. The Beet, Onions, Celery, Cauliflowers, &c., were 
excellent. Asparagus is well grown. Apples and Pears are grown on the 
espalier principle, and adorn the margins of the principal walks, and are 
carrying heavy crops of excellent fruit. 
The glass houses are numerous, but not extensive. They are mostly 
old, and have not the same appliances as modern erections. Notwith¬ 
standing this, Mr. Swanwick grows both fruits and plants well, and is a 
very successful exhibitor at many of the leading horticultural shows in 
the neighbourhood. The stoves contain a good representative collection. 
Allamandas and Bougainvilleas are well grown. Several huge specimens 
are at the present time profusely flowered, whilst others have already 
played their part. Plants for table decoration are largely grown, and 
special attention is paid to them. The following are a few of those most 
esteemed—Crotons Warreni and interruptus aureus ; Aralias gracillima, 
Veitchi, and regina; Dracsena3 Ernesti, nigro-rubra, and Sydneyi; 
Cocus Weddelliana, Geonoma gracilis, Areca Baueri, and Pandauus 
Veitchi, are a few of those most largely employed. Another house 
contains some good Queen Pines around the side beds, whilst the centre is 
devoted to a general collection of useful stove plants, amongst which are 
some well-coloured Crotons and a healthy plant of Anthurium Andreanum. 
The vineries contain a good average crop of well-finished Grapes, Gros 
Guillaume being especially noticeable. Other houses contain a number 
of Azaleas, Camellias, and other winter-flowering plants. General good 
order prevails throughout every department of the garden, which proves 
Mr. Swanwick to be one of our most able horticulturists, and his courtesy 
is as marked as his undoubted ability.—J. H. Walkek. 
EARLY PRUNING VINES—LAYERING VINE RODS 
• 
Mr. Iggtjlden’s letter on the subject of cutting bunches of 
Grapes is timely, and will be of service to amateurs and diligent 
readers of the Journal like myself, if it should elicit the opinion of 
recognised authorities on Grape culture. It is a question that has 
teen exercising my mind for some weeks past. I cannot help think¬ 
ing it a mistake to cut off the foliage while still grass green, in the 
wholesale manner that must prevail when the bunches are cut with a 
portion of the lateral, and I am intending, for my future guidance, to 
mark my Vines and observe the effect next year on the produce from 
spurs where the laterals have been so shortened as compared with 
those left at greater length until the leaves have fallen. 
May I also say a word on your reply to a correspondent (who is 
about to enlarge his vinery) on the subject of pegging down the 
stems ? You may be, and probably are right in advising him not to 
do it. My experience, however, is in favour of the practice, par¬ 
ticularly in the case of Vines where the roots can easily run away 
from the prepared borders. 
My Vines have been planted eleven years ; the borders inside and 
outside were all made but not confined. The Vines are vigorous and 
annually produce heavy crops of good fruit, and I have consequently 
never troubled about the roots. They are grown on the extension 
system, and some of the Vines have half a dozen main rods. 
Two years ago, in order to get a rod into a more convenient posi¬ 
tion, I pegged it down in the borders just within the house. Roots 
were at once made, and this year the berries on the bunches on that 
particular cane have been far finer than from any other on the Vine, 
or on any other Vine in the house. I presume the new roots of this 
cane are all in the border proper, which gets a good annual top-dress- 
ing, while probably many of the feeding roots of the others are quite 
beyond the border. My intention is to treat several other rods in 
a similar manner next spring. 
For the encouragement of brother amateurs I may say, that 
although confined to the desk every day until five o’clock, I manage, 
with assistance only in thinning the berries, to grow annuully about 
500 lbs. of Grapes, and sixty to seventy dozens of good Peaches and 
Nectarines—plenty of work, but a “ labour of love.”—E. Brown, The 
Grove, Lincoln. 
[We are well aware of the advantage that often results from 
layering Vine rods, but every case must be judged on its merits, and 
there is danger of overcrowding resulting from great luxuriance in a 
very small house. We have this year observed most satisfactory 
examples of layering Vine rods by Mr. Bardney at Norris Green, who 
has made weak Vines strong by that method, and in the place of a 
light crop of small Grapes produced a heavy crop of first-class fruit; 
but with Vines strong to begin with, and the roots working freely in 
a new border, it by no means follows that layering the rods would be 
advantageous, and especially where there is little roof space for the 
growths to cover. We congratulate our correspondent on his success, 
and are glad to publish a letter so encouraging to amateurs.] 
MALT AND KILN DUST. 
Will you allow me to correct a slight mistake in one of your answers 
to correspondents—“ Vectis ”— in last week’s Journal. You state ’that 
malt dust is not the root growth of the Barley in process of malting, but 
is what passes through the kiln perforations whilst drying. This is not 
s ). Malt dust is the root growth of the Barley screened from the finished 
malt after it is thrown from the kiln, and is a valuable food for cattle. 
That portion of the rootlet which passes through the kiln floor in the 
turning of the malt, and which is mixed with the dust from the fire, is 
termed kiln dust, an excellent and most valuable manure, much sought 
after by gardeners and farmers.— JAS. Bartlett, Warminster Brewery. 
[Our correspondent is quite correct, the word “ malt ” was accidentally 
inserted instead of “kiln.” We have used both malt and kiln dust for 
the purposes indicated, and found both very good.] 
CULTDRE OF HYACINTHS IN BEDS. 
It has now become quite general in both large and small gardens to 
have one or more beds of Hyacinths out of doors, and very welcome their 
flowers are in the early spring before the beds are needed for summer 
plants. A few hints upon the subject may therefore be useful, especially 
as planting time will soon be here, and bulbs should be procured at 
once. 
Soil.— To grow Hyacinths well in beds the soil should be rich, light, 
and deep, supposing the soil of the garden is a sound loam'and well 
drained. Then fix upon the beds intended for these bulb3 and excavate it 
to the depth of 15 inches. Level the bottom, and place a layer of small 
stones or brick-ends broken small, 2 inches thick. Cover this drainage 
with 2 inches of littery dung ; then mix the soil that has been thrown out 
with some well-decomposed cowdung, some leaf mould, and plenty of 
river or sea sand, well screened. The proportions to be one part cow- 
dung, one part leaf mould, to six parts of loam. Should the substratum 
be clayey or gravelly, that part must be wheeled away and as much good 
loam added as will replace it; then mix the compost well together, and 
fill the bed with it ; let it be 4 or 5 inches above the former level, to 
allow for settling ; lay it perfectly level, so that it may have the full 
benefit of the rain that falls upon it. This preparation of the beds should 
be done immediately. If there is time it would be all the better for a 
turn over before planting. I may just remark that if cowdung cannot be 
procured hotbed dung well decayed will do ; but I greatly prefer the 
former, because it is of a cooler nature, and, generally, has less straw 
amongst it. I have used cowdung gathered out of a pasture with capital 
success. 
Planting. —The best time for planting is the first week in October, 
though if the weather is mild they may be planted as late as the middle 
of November. Much depends upon the weather and the state of the 
ground. It should by all means be moderately dry, and therefore it is 
better to wait a week or two should the season at the right time of plant¬ 
ing be wet. To prevent treading upon the bed at that time lay upon it a 
narrow piece of board long enough to reach across it, or have the board 
strong enough to bear the planter’s weight, and raise it up at each end 
high enough to clear the bed ; then procure a dibber to plant them with, 
which should be thick enough to make a hole as wide as the largest 
Hyacinth is in diameter, and the end that is thrust into the soil should be 
cut across and a mark made just as far from the bottom as the bulb3 
should be covered with soil; the proper depth is 3 inches from the top of 
the bulb. Anybody with a saw and a knife could make such a one. 
Having a fine day and the board and dibber ready, then bring out the 
bulbs and place them on the bed just where they are to be planted. Each 
Hyacinth should have at least 5 inches to grow in, but 6 inches would not 
be too much space for the leaves to expand, especially if the same bulbs 
are to be planted again the following season. If the colours are to be 
mixed place them so that the colours will succeed each other in rotation, 
as, for instance, 1, red ; 2, blue ; 3, white ; 4, yellow ; then 5, red, and 
so on till the bed is full ; or if there are several beds, and it is desirable 
to keep the colours separate, so that one bed shall be red, another blue, 
another white, and another yellow, then plant them accordingly. For a 
geometrical flower garden the latter mode will be preferable. As soon a9 
one bed is placed with bulbs, then fix the board across at one end, and 
proceed to plant them. As the planting proceeds have some of the com¬ 
post ready sifted through a coarse sieve, and fill up the holes with it. 
This is much better than levelling the holes with a rake, because they 
are when so covered sure to be at the right depth. When all is planted, 
then rake the bed very lightly, and the operation is complete. 
Shelters. —The Hyacinth is hardy enough to bear a moderate degree 
of frost ; but it is advisable to cover the bed with about 2 inches of spent 
tanners’ bark, to be removed early in spring before the shoots appear 
above ground. Where this is scarce, half-decayed leaves would answer 
the same purpose, or a mat or two thrown over the bed would be protec¬ 
tion sufficient. These shelters are for such Hyacinth beds as may bo in 
an ordinary flower garden on the lawn, or in beds in a geometrical flower 
garden, with Box or other edgings and gravel walks. If an amateur or 
florist cultivates the Hyacinth in long common beds like Tulips, a per- 
