438 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Jane 2, 1887. 
Mr. G. Goldsmith, the gardener, sends the following hint on its culti¬ 
vation. 
*•' To grow this Ranunculus successfully it must be kept in a cold 
airy pit or frame. When it starts in spring it should be potted firmly 
in a compost of half good stiff loam, a fourth part leaf soil and sand, 
the remainder horse droppings from an old Mushroom bed. When the 
pots are full of roots weak liquid manure should be given to encourage 
it to throw up strong flower spikes and assist it to make strong roots 
for another season. To increase the stock it should be divided as soon 
as it commences growing, as I have not yet succeeded in raising seed¬ 
lings. It continues in bloom from six to eight weeks.” 
HEATHFIELD HOUSE, LOW FELL, GATESHEAD. 
Heathfield House, the residence of E. Lange, Esq., is within two 
miles of Newcastle, and tramcars run every fifteen minutes, so that any 
readers of the Journal who may visit the Exhibition at Newcastle will 
find this well worth visiting, as it takes little time. The gardener, Mr. 
A. Methven, is a well-known local exhibitor at the Durham, Northum¬ 
berland, and Newcastle-on-Tyne horticultural shows. The spirited 
proprietor is an ardent patron of horticulture, and within the last two 
years he has had a range of glass houses erected at a cost of £ 10,000. 
From the mansion this has a most imposing appearance. The altitude 
is high, averaging nearly 20 feet each house, and as the houses are 
built on a steep decline there are three terraces with stone steps, and 
the bases of the houses are all ashlar-work, which makes the whole 
range most complete from an architectural point of view. 
The first house is devoted to Cattleyas. Its size is 25 feet by 12 feet. 
The plants have all been recently imported, and, to use a common 
expression, are growing like weeds. The house is heated by a flue 
1G inches by 14 inches, bricked over 4 feet high, with side venti¬ 
lators. On the top of the flue is a foot of rubble ; this is cemented, and 
2 inches depth of water is always supplied. Such is the command of 
the heating power here that if the fire goes out for ten hours the tem¬ 
perature does not vary much. We observed Dendrobium Falconeri well 
set with bloom, Odontoglossum citrosmum (two spikes, thirteen flowers 
each), and Laclia purpurata with a very strong spike. The next is an 
Odontoglossum house, 25 feet by 12 feet, where the choice Masdevallia 
Harryana and Reichenbachiana, plants of Odontoglossum gloriosum,with 
two spikes of thirteen flowers each, in a 6-inch pot, were examples of 
cultural skill. In this house is a hybrid Dendrobium named now 
Heathfieldiana, which Mr. Methven was successful in obtaining. Mr. 
Cookson of Oakfield Hall sent a flower of this to Reichenbach, who 
named it Cooksoni by mistake. This has now been altered, and the 
whole stock is in the hands of Messrs. Sander & Co., St. Albans. 
The next is a small Cattleya house 20 feet by 12 feet. C. Mossise 
and C. Mendeli are both flourishing. One of the varieties is very dis¬ 
tinct from C. Mossise. The labellum is a rich dark crimson, broader, 
and the yellow in the thorax more distinct, while the sepals are also 
large and expand more freely than the usual type of C. Mossise. In 
this house eleven Cattleya plants were in bloom, showing one or two 
spikes, of imported plants, two years old, in 6 and 8-inch pots, con¬ 
taining seven to eight flowers each. These plants in the course of a few 
years will be fine specimens. Adjoining is a capacious fernery, 40 feet 
by 25 feet. The rockwork is huge blocks of sandstone joined together 
artistically. Dicksonia antarctica, Cyathea dealbata, and Alsophila 
excelsa are all flourishing. The rockwork is covered with Ficus repens 
and Irish Ivy. The next is a stove containing fine plants of Encepha- 
lartos villosus 1) feet high, Kentia Fosteriana, a id a rare Sabal ; 
Phoenix sylvestris, Zamia Lehmanni, and Chanuerops humilis throw¬ 
ing up flower spikes. There is also a fine old plant of Sobralia 
macrantha 5 to 6 feet in diameter, in addition to a number of Anthu- 
rium Schertzerianum throwing unusually large spathes. 
From there the fruit houses are entered. The first is a Peach house 
of the same dimensions as the fernery. The apex is 20 feet high. The 
front is planted with Stirling Castle and Royal George, the back Im- 
peratrice and Violette Hative Nectarines. In the middle the trees are 
planted right angles to the front row, and it is no doubt interesting to 
state that they are doing very well, and show what can be done in a 
large house by an experienced cultivator. Many well-known gardeners 
scarcely expected Mr. A. Methven’s plan to be successful; however, of 
that there remains no doubt. Although the houses are very lofty the 
trees in the centre are covered from the bottom to the top with fruit. 
The trees at right angles to the front row' are Rivers’ Early Peach, Pine 
Apple Nectarine, Stirling Castle, and Royal George ; the latter three of 
those are standards, the other two dwarfs. Most fruit-growers would be 
pleased to see this unique arrangement and the advantages derived from 
it. Of the vineries the first is a late house, comprising Gros Colman, 
Black Prince, Lady Downe’s, Mrs. Fince, Raisin de Calabre, Alnwick 
Seedling, and Alicante. The Vines were in a healthy condition. Mr. 
Methven employs cow manure extensively, 10 to 12 inches deep—in fact, 
as much as 6 tons to a house 30 feet by 25 feet. The borders are nearly 
all inside. The bunches are large, averaging from 3 to 4 lbs. each, and 
the foliage in a perfectly healthy state. 
. Between this house and the Muscat house is an octagon conservatory 
or Camellia house, in which were large plants in exhibition form of 
Erica Exquisite, Regime, and Marnockiana 5 to 6 feet high, also a fine 
piece of Cordyline indivisa. The Muscat house contains Vines in full 
bearing. The Vines are Bowood Muscat, Muscat of Alexandria, and 
Canon Hall. The crop is heavy, and the altitude being 20 feet the rods 
have a run of 25 feet, so the return will be very large. A Black 
Hamburgh house is in keeping with the rest. The first Grapes will be 
ready in June, as the proprietor does not care for them too early. The 
last house is a stove, which was full with plants of Eucharis amazonica 
5 to 6 feet across, in large pots, with a 12-inch pot turned upside down 
to insure drainage. Specimen Crotons were strong and in exhibition 
form. This extensive range is one of the largest that has in recent years 
been erected in the north, containing as it does 71,280 square feet. 
The grounds are not very large, but are well laid out, and are in 
keeping with the rest of the establishment. There is a very fine rockery 
made to represent an alpine scene—a miniature of Mont Blanc. The 
base is planted with Austrian and Corsican Pines, the height is 50 feet, 
the whole representing a rugged eminence. A winding path leads to 
the top, where the visitor has an enchanting view of the valley of the 
Tyne, embracing as it does all the well-known industries which have 
made the Tyne famous in commerce, as well as a large view over the 
whole of North Durham. This charming spot was designed by the 
brother of the owner, J. Lange, ’ Esq. A new flower garden has also 
been made, which is to be bedded in the carpet style. The whole garden 
in a month or two will be well worth seeing, better than it is at present; 
but it is of such easy access it was well that it should now be described 
to the readers of the Journal; so that in visiting the Jubilee Ex¬ 
hibition at Newcastle they may have the opportunity of visiting it. 
From the owner and his gardener they will receive a hearty welcome.— 
Beknakd Cowan, 
DECORATIVE DAHLIAS. 
Nothing can be gained by hastening Dahlias on faster than 
weather permits. Too early propagation and subsequent “ drawing 
up ” of the plants is still far too common. Dahlias are much like 
Potatoes, as they do best planted when the ground and atmosphere 
are sufficiently warm to cause them to grow without check. Planted 
now, there is no fear but they will find their way downwards and 
upwards very rapidly. Dahlias have suffered g'eatly through having 
become a florist’s flower. People see large blooms at flow, r shows 
and read articles, hoping to attain to something like the same success, 
but generally in vain, as Dahlias require a much greater amount of 
attention than most gardeners can find time to bestow upon them ; 
but all the same the idea has become fixed that Dahlias must be 
propagated in a certain way, staked up with a fixed precision, and 
treated generally on strictly defined lines. It may be supposed from 
the heading of this paper that a certain class of Dahlias only is 
intended to come within its scope But that is not so, as all sections 
of Dahlias are good as decorative plants when properly grown, or 
perhaps it would be better to say when grown for that purpose. 
A mass of well gr. wn doubles, either show or fancy varieties, can¬ 
not be ex elled in late autumn, whether by any other Dahlias 
generally grown or by any other plant. They are unfortunately 
late in the season in reaching their finest condition ; but they are 
well worth waiting for. Singles are much quicker in making, a 
show, but at their best they are not so fine and matsive as doubles. 
In our northern parts the Cactus forms require to be grown from 
old roots, not cuttings, not only in order to induce them to flower 
quicker, but indeed to flower at all, as they are so much more 
floriferous. Indeed, with all sections it is well to plant a few from 
old tubers, as they keep so much better during winter than cutting 
plants do. 
There is one point to be attended to, no matter for what purpose 
the plants are wanted, and that is, that the ground must be well 
manured and deeply worked. At least 6 inches in thickness of dung 
should be added annually, and where it can be spare! half a spadeful 
of old Mushroom bed welt mixed with the soil where each plant is to 
be put out is of the greatest help ; but further than this we do not 
require to follow in the way of the fl rist. bingle Dahlias massed 
in beds or planted in lines may be placed 3 feet apart by 2 feet, and 
instead of tying the plants to sticks they must be pegged down 
twice. Where plenty of cut flower is in demand there will be little 
chance of the plants becoming too thick, but if that become 
imminent then cut out freely, so that there may be no crowding. 
All seed pods must be removed from singles. By these means the 
risk of damage by cold autumn rains is greatly lessened. Single 
flowers have been condemned for cutting purposes on amount of 
their being s> short-lived; but if quite young flowers are selected, 
and especially if a branch is cut at a time, instead of a full bloom, 
which most likely has been fertilised by bees, then they will be 
found to stand cutting very well. 
Double s rts do well pegged down also, but they require to be 
supported by short stout sticks towards autumD, so that the heavy 
heads of bloom do not carry off branches during windy weather. It 
is also very necessary to thin out the shoots, so that those left have 
plenty of room ; but it is not necessary to thin out flowtr buds, as 
these are most useful for decorating vases along with large flowers. 
The Cactus forms, especially Juarizii and Mr. Tait, are quite 
