246 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 13, 1894. 
entering in the soil. Give an application twice a week to begin with, 
and increase until the buds are nearly showing colour. Plants that 
have been subjected to doses of nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia 
are very liable to damp when in bloom, especially if the wood has not 
been well ripened. The main thing is to try and obtain firm, short- 
jointed wood, with good but not necessarily large foliage. It must be 
well ripened by natural causes, not starved and partially dried as seme 
persons think, but gradually ripened from the base to the top. 
(To be continued.) 
LIVERPOOL NOTES. 
Gloxinias at Cleveley. 
It would be a difficult matter to visit Cleveley and not find something 
interesting in flower. This season the Gloxinias have been marvels of 
beauty and good cultivation. The seeds from which such excellent 
results have been attained were sown in the spring of 1893. When the 
seedling! could be handled they were transferred to boxes and after¬ 
wards placed in 4J-inch pots, in which size they were allowed to bloom, 
an excellent show being obtained the same autumn. Last spring they 
were placed in and 6-inch pots, and at the time of my visit they 
presented a charming picture, some 500 plants being set in a groundwork 
of Maidenhair Fern, with a few small plants of Cocos Weddelliana to 
take off the flatness of the group. Mr. Cromwell had alio a similar 
arrangement along the beautiful corridor, thus showing how accommo¬ 
dating the Gloxinias are if only arranged out of draughts. Her Majesty 
is a pure white variety, the flowers being large and the foliage dwarf 
and vigorous. 
Fruit at The Towers, Eainhill. 
It is amazing what may be performed, and that successfully, by a 
single-handed gardener, if only he takes interest in his work. This was 
never better exemplified than on the occasion of the last Rainhill show, 
when, at the invitation of Mr. E. Blythian, Mrs. Baxter’s gardener, some 
friends, including several noted fruit growers, went to look at the Grapes 
and Peaches. Although Mr. Blythian has produced some sp’endid stove 
and greenhouse plants at various exhibitions, and at times excellent 
Grapes, we w^ere little prepared to find fruit so well grown. The Peach 
house, a good substantial lean-to building, was first entered. The back 
wall trees bore a crop of fine fruit, beautifully coloured, and all of 
exhibition size. Many, no doubt, thought the trees overcropped, but it 
was pleasing to hear Mr. Blythian remark that he had taken as heavy 
crops for many years past, and judging from the clean shoots, he is 
likely to be as successful in the future. 
The vinery is about 100 feet long, divided into three houses, same 
style, and continued from the Peach house. In the early house some 
Grapes had been cut, but there were still numerous handsome shapely 
bunches left. The second house contained Muscats, Alicantes, Buckland 
Sweetwater, and others ; the late house, Alicantes, Madresfield Court, 
with others, all in the same admirable condition, the greater portion of 
the bunches being fit for any exhibition table. All the borders are 
inside the houses, and when we take into consideration the time required 
in thinning, training, and watering, in addition to large pleasure grounds, 
plant houses and kitchen garden, all well kept, we realise that a man 
has found his true vocation. Certain it is in the case of Mr. Blythian, 
and where more fitting to acknowledge labour well done and good 
results achieved than in the pages of the Journal of Horticulture ? 
A Floral Paradise. 
The garden at Ardenholm, Maghull, near Liverpool, the charming 
residence of W. S. McMillan, Esq., is truly unique. Having heard of 
this garden, and of its genial owner, I at the invitation of Mr. W. J. 
Robertson paid it a visit. The garden is certainly quite different to 
other gardens around Liverpool, being given up with one or two 
exceptions to the cultivation of Paeonies, Lilies, Roses, Delphiniums, 
Phloxes, Pentstemons, tuberous Begonias, Cannes, and Lobelias of the 
Cardinal type. Mr. Robertson kindly escorted me through the grounds. 
The Paeonies, of which there are 400 tree and about fifty herbaceous 
ones grown, were just going over, but the collection contains the most 
expensive varieties in cultivation. Six hundred and fifty dwarf Roses 
were in full bloom, and a fine effect they produced. Lilies had been 
caught with the frost, but there many choice varieties open, with more 
stout spikes showing. 
The Delphiniums, however, were the great feature of all, about 400 
of these plants being grown. To deal with them adequately in this 
brief notice would be impossible, so I ask my readers to imagine this 
, grand array of established plants in full bloom, in all colours of blue, 
lavender, yellow, mauve, and other shades. Some of the plants are in 
rows, others isolated, many of the latter being 7 to 8 feet 6 high, and 
from 5 to 6 feet through, with dark green foliage down to the ground. 
Some idea of their magnitude may be gained when I mention that over 
5000 stakes are used to keep them in position, and so neatly is the work 
done that it is with difficulty that one can be detected. When some 
few years ago Mr. McMillan took over the house there was no semblance 
of a garden, but a wilderness has been turned into a veritable floral 
paradise. Of the remaining plants in the garlen I must speak at some 
future date. Begonias are precarious here as bedding plants, and 
Cannas are quite a new feature that they will be watched with interest 
—R. P. R. 
The Weather in London. —During the past week the weather 
has been very variable. Thursday last opened fine, but heavy rain 
fell at midday, while Friday was dry though sunless throughout the 
day. On Saturday morning there appeared indications of a wet day, 
but it cleared later in the morning. Sunday was very wet almost 
the whole of the day, Monday opening dull, but becoming bright 
later. Tuesday was a bright genial day though cold at night, Wed¬ 
nesday fine. 
- Crystal Palace Fruit Show Grape Stands.—D ifficulty 
having arisen in respect to note 4, page 3, of the schedule of the Crystal 
Palace Fruit Show, Sept. 29th, Oct. 1st and 2ad, may I ask you to state 
that the exact dimensions of the Grape stands fixed therein will not be 
rigidly enforced? Stands of any reasonable size may be used.— 
W. Wilks, Secretary R.ILS. 
- American Apples. —According to the latest reports some of 
the American fruit growers are anticipating a fairly good season, because 
the Apple crop in England is a light one. The crops both in the 
United States and in Canada, however, are estimated to be less than a 
fair yield. Several hundred barrels of Apples have already been sent 
from New York and other ports to England. 
-A Good Crop of Tomatoes, — Will growers of Tomatoes 
oblige by stating what they consider a good crop for a plant to mature ? 
I have had one bearing 16^ lbs. of weight of fruit this season. There 
were eleven trusses, an average of nine to the truss; the largest truss 
consisted of eighteen Tomatoes, weighing 3 lbs. 2 ozs. Possibly several 
readers would be glad to have the information suggested in the Journal 
of Horticulture. —J. P., Wolverhamyyton, 
- Rhododendron Schlippenbachi.—A correspondent says 
that this Rhododendron has something of the habit of Azalea mollis, 
with large flowers like Azalea indica. The flowers open as an ordinary 
Azalea, are 3 inches across, rosy lilac, spotted about the base with dark 
brown. There are often about six flowers in a cluster, making the plant 
very showy. It is said to be a native of the wooded hills of Corea and 
Manchuria, and is a garden plant in Japan. 
- Carnation Lizzie McGowan. — While cultivators are for 
praising the large flowering varieties they are apt to forget the smaller 
and free-flowering sorts that yield treble the number of blooms. For 
supplying pure white blossoms, and especially during the winter, the 
above named variety is unsurpassed. More than this, the flowers are 
very fragrant, which cannot be said of the bulk of the modern raised 
kinds. Lizzie McGowan belongs to the fringed type, is not an extra 
strong grower, but flowers in the greatest profusion.—E. M. 
- Saponaria ocymoides. —For the rockery or to cover a stone 
edging alongside a path this is an excellent plant to grow. Not only is 
it of a trailing habit, but it flowers most abundantly during early 
summer. The flowers are deep rose. A stock of plants can quickly be 
raised from seed, but the flowers obtained are nothing as compared to 
those from plants raised by division of the roots, being so many shades 
lighter in colour, therefore less showy. Having grown a number of 
plants from seed I strongly advise others to depend upon those raised 
from a true stock.—M. 
- Ripened Wood.— I shall be happy to join issue on this 
question with “E.K.” or anyone else whenever they choose to throw 
down the gauntlet; but my impression is readers of the Journal of 
Horticulture would prefer that this discussion should cease, at any rate 
for the present. I will, however, close with an inquiry bearing on, 
yet apart from, the “ Ripened Wood ” controversy. Are not all kinds of 
fruit, but especially Pears and Apples, colouring splendidly in “this 
practically sunless season,” as “ E. K.” so truly terms the present one ?— 
A Sceptic. —[We have no evidence in support of the impression of our 
correspondent, and we shall readily publish what “ E. K.” has to say on 
this important subject when he has time to treat it as fully as he may 
wish.] 
