262 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
\ M:irch £7, 1 & 90 . 
liralry, and on a bank in close proximity was a hedge of Laurels, where 
mir worthy guide (Mr. Ilhoderick) pointed out the superiority of the 
variety rotundifolia over the old common Laurel, the colour and texture 
Ilf the leaf being much better, and the wood hardier and more retentive 
of the lower foliage. 
A glance at the massive iron gates in the illustra'ion will convey a 
better idea of their style than will a written description. Suffice it to say 
that they are very old, and are all the best class of handwork. A large 
square or court in approaching the mansion is skirted with wide borders 
which are ribboned in the season in the old style with spring and 
summer bedding plants and bulbs in their respective seasons, and an 
inner square is also done in a simi'ar manner, both being rendered most 
attractively gay. Walls surrounding the flower garden are in p.irt 
clothed with Roses, Clematis, Jasmines, and a host of useful flowering 
climbers, and paitly with Plums and other fruit trees, the wide borders 
in the former instance being furnished with a useful collection of 
herbaceous plants and bulbs, which, supplemented by other similar 
succession, so that masses of colour and variety can always be relied 
upon to create an effective display at all seasons in the splendid apart¬ 
ments, which have always to be kept brilliantly gay. The ordinary pip¬ 
mounting would not do here, nothing less than branches of flowers would 
have any effect in some of the larger receptacles. That Mr. Rhoderick 
should be able to keep up such a supply with somewhat limited means, 
for the houses are not of modern build, speaks well for the system 
that he practises. Some of the principal flowers used are Richardia 
mthiopica, grown outdoors in summer in trenches, hundreds of them. 
Chrysanthemums—upwards of a thousand plants of the best varieties 
are grown, besides large quantities grown and flowered in .sheltered 
positions. In this collection we saw the most perfect form of Mrs. 
.dlpheus Hardy—a lovely flower. 
Poinsettias, large quantities bearing bracts 15 inches across, with 
late struck plants ranging from G to 18 inches high, very useful for bor¬ 
dering, &c.; hybrid Rhododendrons, and Azaleas mollis, indica, and 
other varieties, are forced by the score, whilst of Roman Hyacinths no 
PhG. 34.—TREDE3AR HOUSE, 
borders in various positions in the garden, afford a valuable supple¬ 
mentary supply of cut flowers to those artiflcially produced. High and 
dense \ew and Bay hedges afford shelter to many tender plants. In 
one enclosure of these Azaleas and Camellias luxuriate, and we remem¬ 
ber a splendid bed of Lilium auratum here in all its known glory. On 
the high walls of the mansion and buildings on this side are splendid 
examples of Magnolia grandiflora. One of these measures 35 to 
40 feet high, and about the same in breadth. A miniature flower garden 
near Mr. Rhoderick’s house is also a pretty picture. Small beds in a box 
design, always gay with summer and winter occupants alternately facing 
a rustic summer house, overhung with Clematis, Wistaria sinensis, Ac , 
in common with adjoining walls. The usual bedding, which is most 
extensively done, but not on the rigid lines common in modern garden¬ 
ing, must for the present be passed over with the bare remark that it 
takes the best part of several houses throughout the winter to store and 
nurse the many thousands of plants required for this purpose, the same 
houses being devoted afterwards to the culture of Melons, Cucumbers, 
and Tomatoes. In the glass department we find that Mr. Rhoderick 
works on a splendid system in catering for the huge demand for fur¬ 
nishing material in the way of plants and cut flowers. Immense 
supplies of everything suitable for cutting purposes are brought on in 
less than 10,000 are annually forced, and about as many other Hyacinths- 
and Tulips. Mr. Rhoderick speaks highly of Scilla campanulata alb.a. 
for pot work, but it should not be forced too hard, Bouvardias-an I 
Solanums in early winter are found valuable, whilst double and semi¬ 
double Geraniums are indispensable. Double Primulas and Cyclamens 
are strongly in evidence, and the much-talked-of Kalanchoe carnea, has 
obtained a favourable verdict. 
Of plants for house work, Mr. Rhoderick speaks well of the varie¬ 
gated Indiarubber, Ficus elastica variegata, and Draciena Lindeni, as 
two valuable additions to ornamental plants for this purpose ; the latter 
has had a bad name for losing its colour in the lower leaves, but this 
is perhaps on account of keeping too far from the light when growing, 
and in too strong heat. The Kentias and Areca lutescens in Palms are 
favourites, though many others are grown, with Crotons and Dracicnas 
as reinforcements. About 1400 Violets in frames, several varieties 
vieing with each other for first place, the chief varieties being Marie 
Louise, New York, and Comte de Brazza. Roses should have been 
mentioned as one of the principal plants in the above list. The best 
Teas and H.P.’s are worked in succession, to which might be added large 
borders throughout the kitchen garden and elsewhere that furnish 
abundance of ihe coveted blooms. The usual fruit and vegetable forcing 
