354 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 2, 1969. 
through the houses as if nothing was the matter with them, and went 
away rejoicing.” 
As Mr. Parker was laying out and p’anting the pleasant grounds sur¬ 
rounding the new St. Andrew’s Brine Bath*, 1 had the pleasure of 
inspecting the establishment; a very large swimming bath in the centre 
(for ladies), with private baths and dressing rooms all round, and with 
special rooms for special baths and cases, every requisite for personal 
comfort being provided. Outside the principal building is the gentle¬ 
men's swimming bath, the largest inland brine swimming bath in the 
world. The large baths are among the best places in the world for 
learning to swim, for the simple reason that you cannot sink through 
the water ; indeed, if the brine were not diluted with fresh water a 
person could not force himself into it but would float like a cork. In 
some of the private baths, which are made “strong” for certain cases, 
the patient is forced and kept down by cross bars. The brine in its 
natural state contains 22,000 grains of solid matter in each gallon, or 
about 5J ounces in each pint. This consists mainly of chloride of sodium, 
with trices of chloride of magnesium, sulphate of lime, sulphate of 
a'umina, sulphate of soda, and iodide of sodium. The swimming bath 
is three-fourths filled with the brine, the remaining fourth being fresh 
water, the whole is then raised to a temperature of about 85° Fahr., and 
is five or six times the strength of sea water. It is impossible to sink 
in it, and all a person has to do is to preserve his centre of gravity 
with his head above the surface and he is as safe as in a hammock. 
The baths are in the higher part of the town, or on the rising ground 
in the outskirts, near to the station, yet apart from the smoke and steam, 
where the brine pumping and evaporation is going on unceasingly. 
This part is dingy enough, but the other leads by pleasant roads into a 
pleasant country, and is almost within earshot of the “ rush and roar” 
of the cascades of Impney. I went to see the process of brine pumping 
and salt precipitation. The liquid is forced into large vats about 
2 feet deep or so, with fires underneath. The water is thus driven off 
by evaporation, the salt being precipitated, dug out with shovels, placed 
into wooden moulds, and dried. Men and women are engaged in this 
hot occupation, and are not overburdened with apparel. Yet the workers 
appeared healthy and happy, and zymotic or infectious diseases are 
practically unknown amongst them, the chlorine in the air being an 
antidote or repellant, contributing to the healthiness of the town and 
the salubrity of its surroundings. I make no apology for this narration 
of matters outside the garden, especially since not a few who are engaged 
in it are subject to ailments of the nature of those above indicated, and 
may like to know where they may be cured, while those who are well 
will not object to a slight change in literary fare, or at least to a little 
seasoning in the form of a few grains of salt. 
IMPNEY. 
When I arrived at Impney Mr. Parker reminded me I was there on 
the same day five years ago - the day of his engagement, and I re¬ 
member Mr. Corbett telling me on that occasion that the most power¬ 
ful opponent in his early days was a Mr. Richard Parker, but he hoped 
the new Richard Parker would work with, not against, him, and that 
they would get on well together. This hope has, I believe, been 
fulfilled. It was no light task following men like Mr. M. Temple of 
Carronbridge and Mr. 0. Thomas of Chatsworth ; but Mr. Parker’s eight 
years with Mr. Mclndoe of Hutton gave him the requisite experience, 
and his own good judgment and demeanour enabled him to become 
what he is—an able and trusted servant and general business man. 
It is not my intention to tell the story of Impney over again. This 
was given in the Journal of Horticulture of April 3rd, 1884, and 
those who can and wish to do so may turn to the issue of that date for 
particulars they will not find here. It is pleasant to revisit a good 
garden after a lapse of years, and note the progress or retrogression. 
It is retrogression in many places from circumstances beyond the 
gardener's control, but all progress at Impney—not in good culture, 
management, and high keeping, for in those respects nothing better 
could be desired than was apparent five years ago ; and it is quite 
enough to say that in every department the standard of excellence is 
fully maintained. The most marked progress, with one exception, is in 
outside improvements—lawn extension, re-arrangement of roads and 
shrubberies, and the erection of a large span-roofed Australian house 
for tree Ferns brought from their native habitats by Mr. Corbett. These 
are stately specimens planted among rocks, with a suitable undergrowth, 
Sclaginella growing luxuriantly, and clothing the Fern trunks with its 
moss-like sprays. It is a very enjoyable house, and shows how much can 
be accomplished in a little time when wealth and skill go hand-in-hand. 
In the splendid range of lean-to houses the Vines were growing much 
the same as they were five years ago. I thought then the rods were 
thin for their age, and they do not appear to have thickened much since. 
I believe they had a check in their early stages through the natural 
excess of salt in the soil, and the defect had to be remedied. I am told, 
however, they bear very good Grapes, though the Muscat house is in 
course of renewal. After mulching and watering the inside border with 
little effect the roots were sought for, but not found, for every one had 
turned round and passed through the wall outside. This gave an 
opportunity of planting young Vines in a narrow border inside, to be 
enlarged as needed, and in the meantime the Grape supply will be 
maintained by the old Vines. Peach trees bearing well, young trees 
planted, and the finest crops of Negro Largo Figs I have ever seen were 
noteworthy in the range. Root restriction and good feeding was the 
secret of the short-jointed fruitful wood which is not always seen in 
this fine Fig. 
Plants of various kinds were as satisfactory as plants could be, and 
Cyclamens much finer than is customary in private gardens. Mr. 
Parker says he has no trouble with them, but at Hutton he could not 
grow them do what he would. One variety was distinct by the flowers 
being tipped with white like the Magpie Pansy. I think one of^ the 
same nature has been certificated, and the Impney “break” is 
decidedly worthy of perpetuation. Now to the advance in flower 
culture. As will be anticipated, this refers to 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
Mr. Parker came to the front in the best competition with a bound, 
and two massive silver cups from Sheffield adorn his sideboard. He 
may be justly proud of their possession, and of having accomplished so 
much in such a short time. He will have to be “reckoned with” in 
future, for his blooms appear to improve each time he stages, though he 
has not yet quite got the “ Molyneux finish.” When he does, or if he 
does, the Swanmore victor will have to do his best to excel them-. 
Locality, however, exerts an influence on Chrysanthemums. The high 
and dry Hampshire hill has, I suspect, something to do with the firm¬ 
ness and translucency of the Swanmore blooms, and I doubt the possi¬ 
bility of growing either the incurved or Japanese varieties there so large 
as in a lower and naturally more humid district. What I mean is, I 
believe Mr. Molyneux could produce larger blooms at Impney than Mr. 
Parker could at Swanmore ; but size is not everything by a very long 
way, and if anyone wants proof of the statement it can be found in a. 
hundred examples or more of “ champion incurved” at shows, for these, 
though the reverse of small, are seldom, if ever, by any means the 
largest under examination. Do not let me be understood as implying 
that the Impney blooms are “ coarse.” They are very far from that, or 
the Sheffield cups would not be where they are ; but I repeat that so 
far they have not quite equalled the best-finished examples from Swan¬ 
more. This is a hint for both the master growers, and if one succeeds 
in gaining a little more size and the other a little more quality, and both 
stage together, may I be there to see—preferably as a spectator, fer 
though great as the honour might be to judge them it would be brain¬ 
taxing work, and I know by a fair share of experience how much easier 
it is, and how much lighter the responsibility, to judge after the prizes 
have been awarded than before. After these reflections I have only to 
say that Mr. Parker is a good general, and does not start with three 
times more plants than he can attend to well, or at least after he has 
made his selection. He has a sturdy lot now, has not been much 
troubled by early buds, and intends doing his best for the next cam¬ 
paign. The subject now changes like a flash. 
ELECTRICITY. 
When I endeavoured to describe the working of this pure and beau¬ 
tiful light at Oakleigh (Sir Francis Wyatt Truscott’s) I did not anticipate 
that it would be an) thing so interesting as it proved to many Journal 
readers. It was a little change, and appreciated. One of the im¬ 
provements at Impney is a system of electric lighting that is well 
worth recording. It is not inappropriate, for the light is employed, not 
for illuminating the mansion alone, but the drive, pleasure grounds, and 
lakes ; and the generating power is water, or in other words, after 
providing the machinery the electric current that sets some hundreds sf 
globes aglow, some of them half a mile from the dynamo, cost next to 
nothing in production. This is the greatest advance 1 have yet seen. 
A small river containing an unfailing supply of water flows through 
the park, and has been skilfully diverted for forming charming lakes 
and picturesque cascades. It is at one of the “ falls ” where the 
machinery is fixed, the force of the water driving a turbine and the 
revolving dynamo with the necessary celerity and the greatest regu¬ 
larity and smoothness. There appeared to be positively no pulsation fn 
the light produced. I did not see the grounds lighted, but only the 
mansion and conservatory, but it is easy to imagine what the effect mu6t 
be by the reflection of the miniature suns in the lakes. The cost of 
producing the electric light is the great obstacle to its more general 
use, but at Impney the cost is reduced to a minimum, and there must 
be numerous other places where dams could be formed and the requisite 
fall of water secured for producing the spark, which when sufficiently 
powerful excels all other illuminants, and can be rendered as safe ami 
as completely under control as any other method of lighting. It will 
be seen that Mr. Corbett is not only a man of wealth but a man of 
enterprise, and Impney is worthy of the expenditure that has been 
bestowed on it in making it what it is to-day. 
HARDY FRUIT—WALL COPING—PERRY. 
An excellent collection of fruit, both on walls, as pyramids and 
standards, is grown. The trees are well trained, in admirable condition, 
and blossom is abundant. They are entirely free from moss, and with 
the exception of two or three varieties, from canker also. I was some¬ 
what interested in one case, which I could neither attribute to poverty 
of soil nor to insects attacking the branches. We, however, cured the 
tree in two minutes, and there is not a speck of canker to be seen on it 
now. I think a costly mistake in wall coping should be mentioned—a 
great evil resulting from a small omission. When at Impney five years 
ago it was apparent that the nearly new garden walls were decaying 
from the top downwards. The faulty portion has since, at great trouble 
and no small expense, with some injury to the trees, been taken down, 
rebuilt, and'coped with flagstones. The previous coping was of hard 
blue bricks, projecting in the usual way, but not under-grooved. There 
