322 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 8, 1885. 
they do well under the shade of Vines. Having hut little fire heat 
after Christmas it is late in spring before I get a good young growth, but 
they are potted in April or May, using a good portion of loam. We never 
repot a Fern until it is growing. The following are what I am growing, 
and they are doing well: — Dieksonia antartica, two young plants, are 
pretty, though they are inclined to be affected by thrips ; how long they 
will do here I do not know, but in a young state they are very useful 
decorative plants. Blechnum brasiliense, the most perfect plant I have, 
this wants room to show it off, so I stand it at the end of the house on a 
tub. The Adiantums are very useful. A. cuneatum, so well known, is 
always a favourite. I thought at one time gracillimum would supersede it, 
especially for bouquet and buttonhole work, but I find it is not so. Both 
are useful either as dinner-table or va c e plants. A. decorum is, however, 
by far the most useful in small pots, say 48’s. A. concinnum latum is 
another noble-looking erect variety with much larger fronds than the pre¬ 
ceding. A. farleyense, very beautiful, but I have groat difficulty in 
keeping it through the winter ; this requires higher temperature than I can 
give it. A. Legrandi is more curious than beautiful, and if the foliage is 
kept dry it will do. A. tinctum is always very pretty, its pink tints on 
young fronds making it very distinct; its habit, however, is rather loose 
and straggling. A. Paccotti is my favourite. One of the best of the later 
introductions, it should be in every collection ; it appears to be hardy, and 
its growth is very compact, of a dark green. A. mundulum is very dwarf 
and distinct, making good bushy plants in small pots. Adiantum fulvum 
is quite distinct from any I have named, and is a useful hardy variety. 
Asplenium Hookerianum is a very pretty graceful plant, very distinct 
and useful. Lomaria gibba is too well known to need praise from me. 
This is very effective for general use, the only time it looks shabby is when 
the fertile fronds go off. Lastrea aristata variegata is a fine companion 
for Pteris argyrea. Pteris tremula is a free-growing Fern, very useful 
for so many purposes. Lastrea prolifica is a decided curiosity, and free 
in growth. Asplenium bulbiferum, though old, should not be lost sight 
of, it being useful either as large or small plants. Nephrolepis exaltata 
is another well worth growing in a collection. Cyrtomium falcatum is a 
very bright dark green large-growing variety, hardy, useful for halls 
and lobbies. Nephrodium molle corymbiferum is distinct and hardy. 
Pteris cretica is a well-known useful Fern. Pteris cretica albo-lineata, 
the variegated form of the above, is distinct and free in growth. Pteris 
serrulata is common, but indispensable in a collection. Pteris serrulata 
cristata, the crested form, very dwarf and pretty. Aspidium trifoliatum 
is worth growing for the sake of its unfernlike fronds. 
All the above do well, the unsatisfactory varieties being omitted. 
With the Ferns Asparagus plumosus nanus succeeds well, being easy 
to grow and very telling in a collection. The cut shoots and brancblets 
are very lasting. Do not err in potting the plants too soon, let them he in 
full active growth before potting or dividing.— Stephen Castle. 
THE SOUTHWELL NURSERIES, NEAR NOTTINGHAM. 
Southwell is easily reached from Nottingham on the Retford and 
Lincoln line, and the good old minster is well worthy of a visit. Close 
to the town is Mr. Merry weather’s extensive nurseries, which the rosarians 
of the district know so well, and where Roses are grown by the thousand, 
and Tea Roses out of doors are most extensively cultivated and thrive 
well. Towards the end of September the Teas were in great beauty and 
doweling profusely. The Roses are also largely grown under glass there 
and Mr. Merry weather has a large stock of the beautiful new Tea Etendard 
de Jeanne d’Are, which under glass is veritably a white Gloire de Dijon of 
great beauty and of excellent habit, whilst out of doors it grows well and 
flowers most profusely, but in the open air affects greatly the type and 
appearance of Souvenir de la Malmaison. Sunset is another favourite, an 
improved Madame Falcot ; and Madame de Watteville, a very lovely Rose 
of Homere style. Princess of Wales, extra fine ; Miss Edith Giffard 
Innocente de Pirola, and climbing Madame Eugene Yerdier are all re¬ 
garded here with great favour. The new Rose Henry Bennett is not re¬ 
garded with favour, and judging from a bloom I saw it will not take a 
high place amongst our Teas, a class of Roses which is now very rich 
indeed in fine varieties. J 
Hardy ornamental trees and shrubs are extensively grown, and 
fruit trees, especially Apples, are grown in large quantities, the South- 
well and Halam districts containing extensive Apple orchards. There is a 
remarkably productive fine variety peculiar to this district, and said to have 
been raised there, named Bramley’s Seedling, and I believe it obtained a 
special distinction at the Apple Congress. It is undoubtedly a very first- 
class variety of stiff close habit, with healthy distinct foliage an 
enormous and certain cropper, and everybody’s Apple. It is all that can 
be desired in quality and grows to a good size. Herbaceous plants also 
secure here more than ordinary attention, and a very fine collection is 
well cultivated. I noticed a pretty and seldom met with plant 
Hypericum Cons, with its Heath-like habit and charming yellow flowers’ 
Helianthus multiflorus major, one of the finest of all the single 
perennial Sunflowers, and Veronica subsessilis are two very desirable 
border plants. Montbretia Pottsi, with its bright orange slender spikes 
was very bright and beautiful. Lobelia syphilitica was at home and in 
lull beauty, and a mass of Rudbeckia Newmanii showed what a grand 
thing it is for autumn decoration, especially in masses, and yet it is an old 
plant not known as it should be. Mr. Merry weather speaks highly of Mr. 
Ingram’s Saxifraga ligulata as a decorative plant, a strong-growing 
variety but it blooms earlier in the year. Two large beds of Saxifraga 
granulata flore-pleno in luxuriant growth must bo a sight in the spring. 
Spring-bedding plants are cultivated here, and a very large stock of 
double hardy Primulas grow well here, and a good collection of Alpine 
and other hardy Primulas do so well here. Pansies do well, as also do 
Violas, that fine variety Countess of Kintore being a special favourite. 
Violets luxuriate, and all the newer varieties, as well as the older oDes, are 
grown here largely ; but Mr. Merryweather places a very high value as a 
market variety upon Willsiana, sent out from Slough, a close erect-grow¬ 
ing variety of excellent habit, with large single blue flowers, and a fine 
pot or frame variety. Amongst the doubles Comte de Brazza and Marie 
Louise are the favourites here. That very fine double variety Lady Hume 
Campbell, which is a special favourite at Harefield Grove, near to Lady 
Hume Campbell’s estate, and is a great improvement on the old 
Neapolitan, and of the same habit and colour, is to be added. Altogether 
the Southwell Nurseries afford an excellent opportunity to old hardy-plant 
lovers of brushing up their memories and reviving old associations by 
seeing so many of our finest, and in many instances rare old favourites in 
the plant world.— Viola. 
LONDON’S LESSER OPEN SPACES—THEIR TREES 
AND PLANTS—No. 4. 
An appeal was recently made to the Duke of Westminster, as 
the freeholder, to secure the opening to the public, at least in 
the dull season of London, of those West End squares that are 
situate in what is styled Belgravia. As far as the inhabitants of 
Westminster are concerned, they might be said to have some 
ancient right to enter the enclosures now so jealously guarded 
from the commonalty, for they occupy part of the open space 
that during some centuries was free to the Westminster folks, 
young and old, for some months of the year, and was commonly 
known as the “ Five Fields.” At the present time the people of 
the districts near Belgravia cannot be said to be badly off for 
open spaces, with the wide range of West End parks and Battersea 
Park within easy access. Out of deference to the wishes of the 
privileged, however, the Duke had to refuse, although personally 
willing, but an exception was made in respect to one-half of the 
central plots of Grosvenor Gardens, which is opened tem¬ 
porarily 
The Five Fields, which yielded to mansions and gardens soon 
after George III. ceased to reign, have left us little or no traces 
of their former history. Their boundaries are lost; we only know 
they were situate north of Ebury Street towards Knights bridge, 
the now hidden streamlet, the Westbourne, flowing between them 
and Chelsea, crossed by a bridge of mere planks, called “ Bloody 
Bridge,” as associated with some act of violence committed by 
the robbers who lurked at night behind its sand or mudbanks. 
There was a Willow Walk, too, but the soil does not favour at 
present the growth of this tree, which, unfortunately, graceful 
as it is inflts different kinds, can but seldom be induced to grow 
about the metropolis, because it wants much moisture and dislikes 
smoke. I once hoped to find in some of the squares, after the 
ground had been turned over, specimens of the wild Clary 
(Salvia verbeniaca) or the Bitter Cress (probably Cardamine 
hirsutum), which it is recorded the old herbalists plucked in the 
Five Fields, but they did not appear Though to my surprise I 
found the Red Valerian (Centranthus ruber), only a straggler it 
is true, yet possibly it formerly grew on the higher slopes of this 
ground, just as we now see it sometimes along railway banks, 
chiefly in chalky districts. This open space seem-; to have been 
a part of the farmland of Ebury or Aybery. and Lammas-land, 
that is open in some months of the year and closed during others. 
Towards Knightsbridge, however, and about the site of Belgrave 
Square was ground always under cultivation by the Chelsea 
gardeners of the Georgian times, where they raised such vege¬ 
tables a3 Melons and Asparagus, the soil being formerly suitable 
for them and other plants that are lovers of moisture. The last 
vegetable I saw flourishing under culture in Belgravian bounds 
was—Rhubarb ! 
To proceed. Grosvenor Gardens, then, small in extent, is as 
yet the only West End square free to all (at least it is in August 
and September), but under some singular regulations, for one 
thing “ shouting ” is prohibited within its sacred limits, as well 
as speech-making. Not a space much resorted to by the poorer 
class, it offers to any semi-suffocated passenger who has just 
emerged at Victoria Station from the miseries of underground 
travelling, a spot where he can breathe a purer air and gaze on 
greenery. Wisely but a small number of trees have been planted. 
A double row of young Sycamores cross the centre from north to 
south; probably these in time will prove to be too near each other, 
close planting being often noticeable about London, I suppose 
for the reason that some are sure to die off. But Sycamores do 
not look well if placed too near together, owing to the size of the 
leaf, and on the whole it is a species that bears a London life 
better than many trees. Here is a central bed, with a moderate 
display of summer flowers, and paths run off from the centre at 
