April 28,1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
329 
style of massing of colours of scarlet Pelargonium, yellow Calceolarias, 
and -crimson aiul purple Verbenas, is now. comparatively, somewhat 
sombre in appearance, and perhaps more in keeping with the general 
cbajftcter of the place. It was rearranged by Mr. May some seven years 
ago'Athu. beds planted chiefly with a good selection of hardy herbaceous 
plants and annuals in their season. 
Ay around we could not help remarking the Ivies and Hypericum 
intermingled with Vincas—a very happy combination, splendid groups of 
Kerns, Foxgloves, Wood Rush, with here and there a Burdock ana the 
Scented Coltsfoot, Geranium Robertianum, rambling at will, making 
excellent cover to the ground amongst the weeds anil shrubs. An old 
plant of Wistaria Consequana was noted growing on the gardener's 
residence. Some of its wood is more than a foot through. 
- Doubtless more could be said of sueh-a garden, so full of arboricul- 
tural interest, but we must devote a few brief remarks to the plant 
structures and their contents. The Camellias are the chief plants to 
aryest attention. *• -Fancy a structure devoted to their cultivation 
100'yards in length, and filled from end to end—-and such plants, fine 
bushes in fact, all of them at the time of our visit showing well for 
flower. They arc all old and good sorts, such as Alba plena, one of the 
it for at least ten years, and tried most of the so-called carlies against it. 
I name the Vicomtesse and Keens’ Seedling, as they are so well known. 
Black Prince is not so early with me. I grow them in what we call 
small 32’s, about 5.J inches in diameter, and have been picking every 
day since Easter. I send you a fair sample, except as regards flavour, 
which is not quite so good as usual, as I am obliged to grow them in 
Melon and Cucumber pits which arc kept rather close. I have hail ripe 
fruit in the open ground in May. I believe I sent you some last year, 
the end of May or first week in June.— J. Gibson', Draycot. 
[The examples represent a very fine crop of medium-sized fruit- 
From the same crowns there are from twelve to fifteen ripe fruit, others 
in various stages of development, with a number of expanded flowers 
and unopened buds. This variety is apparently the “ Princess Frederick 
William” of the “ Fruit Manual,” an l is there described as follows :— 
“ Fruit, large, roundish, and corrugated. Skin, pale red. Seeds, not 
numerous, and imbedded. Flesh, with a rosy tint, sweet, anil of good 
flavour. The plant is a great bearer, throws the trusses of fruit well up, 
and is very early. It forces well, and the fruit when ripe yields a strong 
perfume, a few plants with ripe fruit on them scenting a large house. 
On this account it is much prized by some.” The perfume of the fruit 
F'g. 59 .—Chiswick House from “ Poet’s Cohneb.” 
best still ; fimbriate, this plant having grown so big tliat the house 
hail to be enlarged to accommodate it, but it has almost seen its day. 
Daily Grafton, Lady Hume’s Blush, Woodsi, Beali, nobilissima, imbricata, 
Chandlcri clegans, and many other sorts that were famous in their day 
but are not now in general cultivation. 
Amongst the climbers we noted Magnolia eonspicua, Ruscus andro- 
gynus, and Fuchsias on the roof, which are beautiful in summer, amongst 
them the old F. corym biflora. In a little stove adjoining a few good old- 
fashioned Orchids arc grown, the varieties in flower or showing flower 
being Lrelia anceps, Vanda suavis, Maxillaria picta, Zygopetalum 
Mackayi; Anthurium macrophyllum was noted as a bold and distinct 
foliage plant. A line specimen of the Screw Pine, Paiulanus utilis, 
was observed. 
In some houses adjacent arc grown large quantities of Callas, 
Rouvardias, Erica liyemalis, Begonias, Campanula pyramidaiis, for 
decorative purposes. Amaryllises are also well cared for, as are 
Carnations. A house of Azalea indica, so useful for its flowers, was 
nifteworthy. Judging from a hasty glance, we were pleased to see the 
dwellings of the under gardeners appeared to be very comfortable and in a 
satisfactory condition, not pretentious, but excellent compared w.th 
somo-others.—B. 
PRINCESS FREDERICK WILLIAM STRAWBERRY. 
Respecting Strawberry “ Princess of Prussia,” I admit the fl ivour 
is not first-rate, but if plants are started at the same time as Keens’ 
Seedling or Vicomtesse Hericart ile Thury are, the Prince-s will afford 
ripe fruit at least a fortnight before them. I have grown and forced 
sent by Mr. Gibson is very decided. Princess Frederick William is a 
useful early Strawberry, not very large, but attaining a good size when 
the fruits are thinned and the plants generously cultivated.] 
WATERTIGHT ASHPITS. 
Mr. Bardney gives me a “ chance ” of demonstrating practically 
the advantages accruing from having water in the ashpit. Allow me to 
tell your correspondent that had I held up the ashpits here as a criterion 
in this matter, or had they been properly adapted for the purpose of 
supplying steam as a supporter of combustion, I would have made an 
effort to comply with his request; but seeing that they are only partly 
suited to meet that object the results are not what might lie expected. 
Besides, the alterations which are taking place yearly render it impos¬ 
sible to give a true return in the saving of fuel. Nevertheless, if it is not 
too much for the credulity of your correspondent, I may state that at 
present the cubic space heated is double what it was some six years 
ago, and yet we do not use more fuel than was necessary then, even 
although double the amount of heat is obtained, and more forcing done 
during midwinter than was formerly the case, and before water was 
used in the ashpits. 
1 would now ask if it would not be better to try and devise some 
means of proving whether the advantages resulting from the presence 
of water in the ashpits could not be practically tested by a boiler and 
ashpit specially constructed for the purpose, and the cost to be met by 
subscription? Perhaps Mr. Bardney may be in a position to ascertain 
what an experiment of this kind would cost. If this suggestion is 
