358 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 22, 1885. 
named thirty years ago. It is rot mucli practised there now, if at all, 
hut recourse would perhaps be had to it should wet summers come again, 
and with them a malignant outbreak of the Potato disease. Be that as 
it may, someone commenced the practice at Appleby that appears to be 
identified with a foreign name, and I am sufficiently patriotic to desire 
Englishmen to have the credit to which they may be entitled, even in a 
method of growing Potatoes. 
OAKBROOK-SHARPE'S VICTOR POTATO—DESTROYING WASP NESTS. 
Moving on I next found myself at Sheffield, and a passing call on Mr. 
Woodcock at Oakbrook enabled me to see how well he continues manag¬ 
ing Mrs. Mark Firth’s gardens, and also to note that there had been no 
parching summer there, and lawn-mowing, that lapsed in the south, was 
a weekly duty. The Royal trees, of which there are seven in the grounds, 
are making good progress, the specimens of Fisher’s Golden Irish Yew, 
planted by the Prince and Princess of Wales a few years ago, sharing the 
honour with a pair at Chatsworth of being the finest in the country. 
Lapagerias, which are so well grown at Oakbrook, were commencing to 
expand. The Parsley-leaved Bramble was producing long clusters of its 
Inrge black fruit, thrice the size of wild Brambles, and regarded as in¬ 
dispensable ; and Sharpe’s Victor Potato had just been lifted—as fine a 
lot of tubers as was ever seen, and mentioned here because the variety 
is described by Mr. Woodcock as the best early Potato he has ever 
grown in frames or outside, and others may like to know it. Mr. Wood¬ 
cock had also a very fine lot of Chrysanthemums, but I was sorry to hear 
from Mr. B Simonite that most plants on the north side of the town were 
cut to shreds by a hailstorm early in August. 
Though the summer was not hot wasps’ nests were numerous, and the 
easiest, cleanest, and quickest way of taking them may be mentioned. 
The agent employed is cyanide of potassium. Many persons know how 
effective this is, but numbers have not tried it. They may do so next 
year if they are troubled with the fruit-devouring pests. A strong nest 
was found, and in the daytime, when the wasps were busy, about a tea¬ 
spoonful of the rough salt-like substance was placed on the end of a 
3-foot lath and tipped into the entrance, that is all. No more wasps 
came out till dug out ; but what about those that are not in ? They 
return from their foraging expedition and go tumbling in never to come 
out again alive. We watched attentively for half an hour, and not one 
escaped. The nests are dug out the next morning, but if firmly blocked 
up it is difficult to conceive what more is needed, except baits for fishing 
or food for fowls, which eat the white fat “ grubs ” ravenously. 
TO CHATSWORTH. 
And now on we go over the hills to Chatsworth—a twelve-miles drive, 
than which it is not easy to imagine anything of the kind more delightful 
in summer ; but the run from Callendar to Loch Katrine leaves nothing 
to be desired. I have yet to see the lakes of Killarney, but as both Mr. 
Burhidge and Mr. Mnrphy have invited me “over,” I hope to be able 
someday to compare Irish with Scottish and English scenery. There are 
two routes from Sheffield to Chatsworth by coach, and persons who have 
not travelled by either of them, and should have the opportunity, should 
choose the one by Froggat Edge (if there is another “ t ” in the word 
those who know can add it, I am sure I do not). It is marvellously cheap, 
only costing Is. 6d. The “Edge” is the abrupt termination of a range of 
hills, rent and riven as if by some Titanic force tearing the rocks asunder 
and spreading the ponderous masses on the slope as if they had been so 
many pebbles in the hands of a sportive child. This is the work of far 
past ages. The ruin, if it may be called so, is stupendous, and is as 
TU £g e d and wild as the most romantic mind can imagine. It is on the 
left; and on the right, what a contrast ! Below us and stretching far 
away is a smooth charming pastoral valley hiding itself here and there 
bit ween the tree-clad hills, the twisting Derwent shimmering in the fore¬ 
ground. If there were nothing but this even the gardening tourist would 
oe satisfied ; but there is Chatsworth at the end of it, and from a gardener’s 
point of view the assertion may be ventured that it was never better 
worth seeing than during the present year. No attempt will be made to 
describe it. A notebook is essential for that, and it would be filled ; but 
as this was deliberately and, if you like, by “ malice aforesaid,” left at 
home, only a fringe of the great place will be touched, with the object 
mainly of directing attention to a delightful Water Lily that all should 
grow who can, and which many might succeed in doing if they tried with¬ 
out the convenience of such a luxury as will be alluded to, and which can 
only be possessed by the few. 
VICTORIA REGIA HOUSE—NYMPHiEA DAUBENIANA. 
Since its erection this splendid structure has always been one of the 
noble features of these princely gardens. This year it is no exception to 
the rule, having recently been thoroughly repaired and redecorated. At 
the time of my visit it presented a sight not easily forgotten. The centre 
tank, 36 feet in diameter, is occupied with the Victoria regia, which was 
planted late in April. It has now twenty leaves od, many of them 6 feet 
in diameter. Between forty and fifty flowers had then expanded, and there 
were many more to follow. The largest flower measured 121 inches in 
diameter. 
Round the edge of the large tank are planted many varieties of 
Aymphaeas which flower freely during summer and autumn, and add much 
to the beauty of the house as well as proving most acceptable in supplying 
a great quantity of choice cut flowers. The variety Daubeniana is the 
most useful for the latter purpose, and might with advantage be more 
extensively grown in stoves, where its fragrant and beautiful flowers 
would be much appreciated, Mr. Thomas has kindly penned a few lines 
on the cultivation of this variety, which will be found in another column. 
Another superb species is the new Nymphaca zanzibarensis, its large purple 
flowers with brilliant orange centre producing a rich effect among other 
choice Nymphmas, such as pure white dentata and the Carmine Devoniana. 
There are many other varieties of Nymphseas in this tank, but the above 
are the most popular and showy. In the side tanks (eight in number) 
are planted Nymphaeas of various sorts, Nelumbiums, Thalia dealbata, 
Pontederias, Triana bogatensis, Ceratopteris thalictrioides (the Water 
Fern), and other rare aquatic plants. The side of the house and the curbs 
round the tanks are occupied with ornamental plants, conspicuous among 
tnem being the Musa coccinea (true variety), flowering freely on plants 
potted from suckers this spring. Celosias are splendidly grown in this 
house, the abundance of light, heat, and humidity seeming to suit them 
admirably. Coleus also succeed well here. I do not remember having 
seen any better coloured before, and, what is unusual, they are allowed 
to flower, which they do freely—a dozen spikes on a plant, several of them 
measuring 18 inches long. The effect of these light blue flowers against 
the brilliant foliage of the Coleus is mcst charming. 
The doorway and a portion of the sides of the house are festooned with 
climbers, such as Cobea scandens variegata, Cissus discolor, Yitis 
gongyoiloides, and the pillars are effectively clothed with Allamandas, 
Bougainvilleas, Clerodendrons, &c. A notice of this house would be in¬ 
complete without a mention of the superbly grown baskets of Achimenes. 
which have been grown there for many years past, suspended from the 
roof. They have charmed and surprised all who have had the privilege 
of seeing them. They have been as fine this year as usual, as will be 
admitted when it is stated they were complete floral halls, varying from 
12 feet to 15 feet or more in circumference. 
In other departments the Chatsworth Gardens will bear close inspec¬ 
tion. Eighty-years-old last-autumn-lifted Vines were ^bearing a splendid 
crop. Pines have undergone a striking transformation, 130 handsome 
fruits then advancing for autumn and winter ; the plant houses near the 
mansion being thoroughly restored, and their contents in excellent condi¬ 
tion, while the kitchen garden was filled to overflowing with useful crops. 
Scarlet Runners, however, that were exhausted by heat in the south, the 
sun burning off the flowers, were so checked by cold at Chatsworth that 
they could scarcely produce any flowers and no crop of pods worth 
gathering. Gardens, then, have not been “ burnt up ” all over, and the 
reports of heat and drought with the consequent scarcity of vegetation 
in the south must have been almost regarded as exaggerations by some 
northerners ; but they were not.—J. W. 
EARLY PRUNING OF VINES. 
I wish we had a few more men like Mr. Iggulden, who would give 
us their experience when they strike out of the beaten track. We are so 
apt to follow another, without stopping to consider if it is the most 
practical course to pursue, until we either stumble over something acci¬ 
dentally, or someone points out a much more reasonable way. I am but 
a young man, yet I have considerably altered my method of cultivating 
many plants from what I was first taught, chiefly through reading the 
Journal. 
I was very pleased to read Mr. Iggulden’s remarks on early pruning 
of Vines, as I have been practising early pruning about six or seven years 
by shortening the laterals and sub-laterals a little every week, commencing 
about the 1st of September (according to the season and the ripeness of 
the fruit), until the laterals are shortened to the leaf next above the 
bunch, and the sub-laterals have been all removed up to the last two 
years. Since, then, I have left the three lowest on each lateral. Since 
doing so, I think I have had better bunches. Previously I used to pull 
off all the lower sub-laterals when they were quite young, about the time 
they were in flower, or thinning commences. I should like the opinion 
of Mr. Iggulden and others on this, Are these lowest sub-laterals better 
left on and pinched to one or two leaves, or taken off when quite young ? 
—J. L. B. 
The meetings of the National Rose Society have been 
arranged for 1886. The Metropolitan Show will be held at South 
Kensington, July 6th, the Provincial Show at the Botanic Gardens, 
Birmingham, on July 15th. * The following Rose show fixtures have also 
been announced—Farningham, June 30th ; Reigate, July 1st; Tunbridge 
Wells, July 2nd; Eltham, July 3rd; Sutton, July 7th; Hitchin, July 
8th; and Wirral, July 10th. These Societies are all affiliated to the 
National. 
-Williams’ Orchid Album for October contains plates of the 
undermentioned. Schomburgeia TlBiClNlS,the noted Cowhorn Orchid 
of Honduras, which is remarkable for its large conical hollow pseudc- 
