December S, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
495 
writing of and later on. The late Mr. Geo. Westland used to make a 
special fea'ure of growing this Campanula for the early autumn decoration 
of the beautiful conservatory at Witley Court. Bougainvillea spectabilis 
was thriving and flowering splendidly in this cool structure. This 
beautiful climber is generally grown in too high a temperature, with the 
natural result—a paucity of flowers. 
Situated at the back of the conservatory, and enclosed within a square 
hedge of Privet or Laurels, are the plant houses principally devoted to 
growing small foliage and flowering plants for table and house decoration. 
A couple of houses are more or less occupied with Orchids, many of which 
are very large specimens, and used a few years ago to be great objects of 
attraction at the leading shows at South Kensington and the Botanic, 
Kegent’s Park. Particularly noteworthy for size and healthiness were 
Vandas insignis and cserulea, Aerides virens, Cypripedium Harrisianum, 
Dendrobiums nobile, densiflorum, speciosum and Hilli, Cattleyas labiata, 
Skinneri, &c., with several species of Oncidiums, Anguloas, and Ltelias. 
One house is devoted to the lovely and chaste Amazon Lily (Eucharis 
-amazonica), the whole of the plants being conspicuous for vigour ; and we 
may mention, by the way, that the drying-off process is not practised 
here, an evident proof that an active and continued growth is the most 
rational method of growing these useful plants. 
From the plant houses we are conducted to the lawn, which is pro¬ 
nounced by competent judges to rank with the finest examples of its 
kind in England. It is indeed a beautiful lawn, unblemished by garish 
parterres or beds, and its quiet beauty is greatly enhanced by the noble 
trees and shrubs which so artistically fringe its sides that extend for 
upwards of a mile, and form a vista of such exquisite beauty as only 
Goodwood with its rich arborescent treasures can do. 
Leaving this charming lawn to our left, we pass along greensward 
walks beneath a canopy of foliage of gigantic Oaks, Cedars, Chestnuts, 
and Limes, until we come to the hermitage, an immense hollow dell 
■surrounded by old ruins, in which are a number of caverns, subterraneous 
passages, rooteries and rockeries, and other features of a wildly pic¬ 
turesque description. One peculiar and noteworthy feature of the caverns 
was the fact of the floors being paved with horses’ teeth, and the roofs 
and sides of univalves or beautiful samples of shells. Within a stone’s 
throw of this weird-looking spot is the flower garden and arboretum, 
which occupies a position unequalled for beauty of surroundings. It is 
surrounded on all sides, except the south, by immense trees of Quercus 
Ilex, Cedrus atlantica, Chestnuts and Limes; towering up to an immense 
height behind these were lofty examples of the Scotch Fir (Pinus sylves- 
tris) and Lombardy Poplars, whilst to the front were masses of Rhododen¬ 
drons, Azaleas, and other shrubs, thus forming an amphitheatre of rich 
verdant foliage, which in addition to its great beauty forms an excellent 
shelter. Some very striking specimens of Conifers were thriving remark¬ 
ably well here, notably Wellingtonia (Sequoia) gigantea, Cryptomeria 
japonica, Cedrus Deodara, Pinus insignis, and several others. There is, 
too, a large and lofty specimen of the Tulip Tree (Liriodendron), which 
must be very pretty when in full blossom. The beds are of simple 
■design and few in number, and these are mostly filled with herbaceous 
plants, Lilies, and single Dahlias. There is one bed of Zonal Pelar¬ 
goniums, and these have remained in the bed without lifting or protecting 
for three years, a conclusive proof of the value of the shelter afforded by 
the trees just mentioned. On the south side is an old wall, against 
which is a rustic framework of wood with a walk underneath. The sides 
and roof of this rustic woodwork are covered with the Traveller’s Joy 
(Clematis Vitalba), and other species, such as Jackmanni, &c., Jasminums 
in variety, and climbing Roses, which grow in happy confusion, and form 
a very pretty bower, and is altogether an excellent plan for turning an 
otherwise unsightly wall into a very pretty object. In front of this are 
two long herbaceous borders divided by a walk, and in these are such 
showy hardy plants as Rudbeckia Newmani, Pentstemons, Antirrhinums, 
Delphiniums, Statices, Carnations, and Campanulas in variety. Con¬ 
tinuing our stroll through avenues and groves of trees, and other pleasant 
features of landscape beauty, we find ourselves back to the spot whence 
we started on our tour round the pleasure grounds. We have yet the 
fruit and vegetable gardens, as well as the forcing houses, to see, and to 
see these we have to go a considerable distance across the park, as the 
latter departments are a long way apart from the former. 
The kitchen garden is of an extensive character—we forget the exact 
dimensions, and is surrounded by high walls built in the form of a 
parallelogram, and here, as in the pleasure grounds, the north and eastern 
sides are sheltered bj the thick dense growth of the Quercus Ilex. Just 
inside the entrance gates is the spacious and comfortable-looking residence 
of the able gardener-in-chief, Mr. Rutland. The walla are covered with a 
capital and well-trained lot of fruit trees. Peaches do specially well 
here, as also do Nectarines. Amsden June is a great favourite variety of 
Peach here, and Lord Napier among the Nectarines. We saw the trees of 
the latter variety heavily laden with large and high-coloured fruit. 
Another wall is devoted to growing the best varieties of Pears, most of 
which were carrying heavy crops of fruit. The remaining walls were 
covered with Plums and Cherries. A few large standard Apple and 
Pear trees were dotted about here and there, with a miscellaneous collec¬ 
tion of bush fruits and Strawberries. 
Vegetables, as might be expected in the case of such a large establish¬ 
ment, are grown on a large scale here, hence immense quarters of the 
useful classes of Brassicas, Carrots, Parsnips, and Beet are grown. In 
order to keep up a supply of Shorthorn Carrots during the winter sow¬ 
ings are made on a south border in the end of July and beginning of 
August. The young plants make little roots by the end of the year, and 
are then fit for drawing for use. The whole of the crops were looking 
in the best possible condition of health, notwithstanding the excessive 
drought. We omitted when describing the fruit trees to mention how 
freely the large Fig trees bear and ripen their fruit in the open air there. 
Owing to the dry weather the fruit is not so large, neither did it ripen so 
early in consequence this season. 
The forcing department, which occupies an open position in the centre 
of the kitchen garden, consists of several vineries, Peach houses, Pine 
stoves, Melon and Cucumber houses, and pits. 
Grape-growing is well understood and carried out, as the records of 
the various leading shows will testify. But few Grapes were hanging on 
the Vines at the time of our visit, as the produce of several houses are con¬ 
sumed during tho race week. A portion of a house of Mrs. Pince 
remained, the bunches of which were very fine and beautifully coloured: 
The whole of the Vines were in splendid condition, both wood and foliage 
testifying by their robust and vigorous appearance that they are looked 
well after here. Mr. Rutland adopts a capital plan of securing early 
Grapes, and which is well worthy of record. In a three-quarter span-roof 
house there is a pit about 4 feet deep on each side of the path. Each of 
these pits are half filled with a capital compost, and in this young one- 
year-old Vines are planted about 18 inches or 2 feet apart. The second 
year the Vines are left the length of the roof, and are allowed to bear a 
crop of fruit. The remainder of the beds are filled with compost, and this 
secures a heavy third crop the following year. It is worked upon the 
same principle as is adopted in the case of pot Vines, with this exception, 
that the Vines will bear heavy crops for three successive seasons, 
whereas in the case of pot Vines it is useless to attempt growing a second 
crop. Young Vines are kept constantly growing on, and should any of 
the canes exhibit any tendency to weakness from overcropping, after the 
second year they are replaced by the young Vines just mentioned. After 
the fourth year the old Vines give way to new ones with a renewal of the 
compost. We omitted to mention that the house is in two divisions, 
which enables the Vines in one house to be renewed whilst the other is 
bearing. This plan is decidedly superior to growing Vines in pots for 
early forcing, as the returns are greater in proportion to the expenditure 
and labour involved. We may add that the plan has been carried out 
with great success here for many years past. 
Pines are grown well and in quantity ; especially noteworthy were 
some grand fruiting examples of Smooth Cayenne, Charlotte Rothschild, 
and the Queen. In the Melon houses were some remarkably handsome 
fruits of that capital variety, Dr. Hogg, in their last stage of ripening. 
This is a favourite variety with the family. Many readers will remember 
reading an account a year or so ago of a gigantic Melon raised at Good- 
wood from seed rent home by Major General Drury Lowe from Egypt, 
and exhibited by Mr. Rutland at South Kensington. Peaches early and 
late are grown well under glas», as also are Nectarines, these being repre¬ 
sented by veteran trees of large proportions of those capital sorts, Royal 
George Peach and Elruge Nectarine. Having completed our tour through 
the houses we return by way of a large rosery leading up to our guide’s 
house, which, by the way, is nearly covered on one side by a large plant of 
that beautiful climber, Passiflora caarulea Newmani. This variety, 
which originated not far from Goodwood, is a very superior form of 
crerulea, and deserves to be more generally grown than it is. 
We completed our tour of inspection by visiting the fruit garden, which 
is situated at a still greater distance from the kitchen garden than the 
latter from the flower and pleasure grounds. Owing to the departments 
being situated so far apart the duty of superintending these is not an 
easy one. The fruit garden’ is situated about two miles away, and 
occupies the site of an ancient garden attached to the mouldering ruins of 
a once princely residence—Halmaker Castle, formerly the property of the 
Derby family, but for some years now belonging to the Duke of Rich¬ 
mond. But little now remains of the Castle, which occupies a command¬ 
ing position, except a few of its immensely thick outer walls. There is a 
fine avenue of ancient Spanish Chestnuts with gnarly stems, indicative of 
the attainment of a hoary and venerable age. Growing up into vigorous 
bushes, in the floors of the ancient hall and chapel, are a number of 
Filberts in strange contrast with the revelry of the one and the sanctity of 
the other in centuries gone by. Another strange feature was the sight of 
seeing a crop of Potatoes growing at a high elevation on what had 
originally been the floor of a bedroom. The outer walls still remain up 
to the original level of the bedroom floor, to which level in the course of 
time the falling debris has accumulated. On this a soil has been formed 
by the decomposition of vegetable matter, enough, with a little addition in 
fact, to grow the Potatoes just mentioned. In the old gardens and a 
small orchard adjoining there is a good collection of the very best varieties 
of culinary and dessert Apples, chiefly standards. On the walls are 
trained good varieties of Pears and Peaches. Plums, especially Victorias, 
were so heavily laden with fruit that every branch had to be supported by 
a prop. The situation of the orchard is high and very much exposed, and 
the soil and subsoil very stony. Notwithstanding this Mr. Rutland states 
that the trees bear freely, produce fine fruit, which is always beautifully 
coloured ; and, moreover, the trees do not exhibit that tendency to gross- 
ness of growth which is so characteristic of trees grown in low situations. 
Samples of Apples grown here have never failed in competition at the 
leading shows to secure first honours. 
I need only add that my visit was rendered a most pleasant one by the 
hospitality of both Mr. and Mrs. Rutland.—T. W. S. 
PRUNING DENDROBIUM NOBILE. 
I beo cnce more to trouble you with a few remarks about Dendro- 
brum nobile. You will remember I said all the old growths were cut 
