m 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 27, 1894 
One of the finest of garden Eosea rejoices in the affectionate name of 
Papa Gontier; it is, like Gustave Eegis and Madame Pernet Ducher, 
exquisite in the bud, and greatly resembles a Camellia when full blown. 
It is one of the most beautiful productions of Nabonnand, to whom we 
are also indebted for L’Ideal, a Rose of great charm, well worthy of its 
name. Papa Gontier (which I usually call M. Gontier) is rosy crimson 
in its primary stage, turning considerably lighter in colour as the flower 
expands. It is very conspicuous among modern Teas by reason of its 
remarkably attractive complexion. 
I am not surprised to find that Mr. Paul has made special mention 
of that charming China Rose Laurette Messimy, which I have of late 
been doing my utmost to popularise. That it will ere long be universally 
cultivated I cannot doubt. So also will Madame Georges Bruant, a 
most interesting hybrid between the white Rugosa and'Sombreuil, and 
embodying the fairest characteristics of both. The White Lady, though 
of dwarf habit, is an excellent flower for the adornment of the garden. 
Another highly decorative variety is Mr. Cant’s Prince Arthur, one of 
the best of dark crimson Roses, which is also a most valuable exhibition 
Rose. Very beautiful in the autumn is Duke of Albany, whose colour 
is bright scarlet, deepening towards the centre into a rich maroon. 
I think there can be no question that Hybrid Perpetuals are rapidly 
being supplanted in the popular estimation by the more perpetually 
flowering and more artistic Teas. In my garden such superb Hybrid 
Perpetuals are Marie Baumann, Mrs. John Laing, La France, Caroline 
Testout, and A. K. Williams, probably because they were not neglected 
after their first efflorescence, are more brilliant at present than they 
were at any period during the summer months ; but they must receive 
periodical nourishment at this season, otherwise their strength will 
inevitably decline. This I have learned from observation of other 
gardens, rather than from painful experience of my own.— David 
R. Williamson. 
A CIRCULAR TOUR. 
When an estate is advertised for sale of course it will be fertile, 
picturesque, and enclosed in a “ring fence.” This must not be taken 
too literally, for the “ ring ” may be of a very different shape to the 
symbol that affects the momentous issues in the economy of Nature. 
So in respect to the outline of a tour. It may be regarded as circular 
if you keep going on and arrive at the point of departure without going 
over the same ground twice, and it is only in this sense that the round¬ 
about method of reaching Shrewsbury from London and back again can 
come within the hackneyed denomination. It may be well also to 
further explain that it was not a writing but a resting tour that a jaded 
man indulged in ; so you can picture him as worn to a shadow with hard 
work, seeking repose and inspiration. His memory jottings w'ill there¬ 
fore be brief, amounting to a mere record of impressions gained at 
Osmaston, Shrewsbury, Bristol, and Bath. 
OsMASTON Manor. 
A princely place is this, the residence of Sir Peter Walker, Bart., in 
the mansion and surroundings, the pleasure grounds and gardens being, 
as is well known, in the charge of Mr. W. Bardney. Osmaston Manor is 
not a particularly easy place to reach. The train service from Londoii to 
Derby is all that can be wished for ; but though from there the distance 
as the crow flies is only about ten miles, the local tram iak.'« us round 
thirty miles, and has a habit of appearing to stop at everv station as 
long as possible; then there is a change and wait at Uttoxeter for 
Ashbourne, and after arriving there an uphill road journey of three 
miles. This route is “circular” enough and not soothing. It is a relief 
to reach the end of the journey, but if any weary pilgrim thinks he will 
find rest there he will be very much mistaken. 
Mr. Bardney is an active man, and appears to think everyone should 
move as quickly as himself, when he is moving; because he can stand 
and talk, plan out improvements, explain how to carry them out, and 
enlarge on methods of cultivation till you are glad to sit down. He is 
earnest, able and thorough. There is not very much of him, but a good 
deal in him, and he is credited with being able to get a full share (of 
work) out of others. It must be good work too, or a few words might 
be heard about it ; and hence it is that “Bardney’s men” have a 
reputation for acquitting themselves well in the gardening world. 
When Osmaston Manor was built, and the gardens and pleasure 
grounds formed and planted, it is known that the question of cost was 
not considered. The work was the life work of a wealthy ironmaster, 
the late Mr. Frank Wright, from whose son the estate wss purchased by 
the late Sir A. B. Walker for a trifle of some £200,000 to £300.000. Great 
improvements have been effected by the present Baroner, large share 
of these falling under the superintendence of Mr. Bardney ; and'if all is 
done that ought to be done in thinning and opening out valuable trees 
he has something of a life work before him. Choice trees appear to 
have been planted lavishly and let alone until they have formed a 
thicket. Much has been done, thoughtfully and carefully, ui relieving 
the crush from time to time during the past few years; and if similar 
judgment were exercised, and the work systematically i.u i coni nuously 
pursued, Osmaston might soon have a grand arboretum. 
In other respects Mr. Bardney has been busy. He has rescued the 
grand rockery from semi-obscurity, and revealed its characteristic 
boldness. This great feature of the grounds is at all times interesting, 
but must be singularly charming when the spring flowers, which sweep 
down from the rocks to the water, are in full beauty. Nor have the 
workers been overlooked, for a new bothy, with every requisite for 
health and comfort, has been provided for eight men—a provision as 
excellent as it was necessary in such a notable garden establishment. 
Considerable alterations have also taken place in the heating arrange¬ 
ments during the time Mr. Bardney has had the charge of the gardens. 
In this work he is an expert. The old stokehole for the conservatory 
and other places required to be heated near the mansion, was in a most 
inconvenient place, and proved a nuisance in more ways than one. A new 
stokehole 14 feet deep has been made some 100 feet or more away, and 
the main pipes conveyed in a tunnel 4 feet high and 3 feet wide beneath 
the raquet court to the point desired—a no light undertaking. Before 
saying anything about the boiler we may describe briefly the arrange¬ 
ments for emptying and filling the pipts. All can be emptied apart 
from the boiler and stokehole. A 2-inch cold water main runs under 
the conservatory. This has been tapped and connected by a 1^-inch 
pipe to one of the returns ; two valves are used, one near the cold water 
main, and the other near the return. When the pipes are empty, all 
that is needed for filling them is to open the two valves, and it is done in 
about one hour instead of four hours, as before the alteration. For 
emptying a piece of pipe 1 foot long can be removed in a few seconds, 
and the 2-inch valve turned on, the water being conveyed to a drain and 
carried away. 
The boiler is one Mr. Bardney has had specially made, and is 8 feet in 
length, 4 feet high, and 4 feet wide. It may be termed a large saddle 
with waterway end, and sixteen S^-inch horizontal tubes, expanded, 
running through it. The flame strikes the back of the boiler, and is 
then conveyed by eight tubes to the front and back through the top 
row of tubes. The smoke then enters a flue in the stable wall, which it 
traverses for several hundred feet before it reaches the main shaft or 
smoke tower situated in the centre of the gardens. To the front of the 
boiler is arranged a cap or small boiler instead of a brick arch ; the flow 
pipe from this enters the main flow, while the returns are united into 
the returns to the large boiler on each side. The front is Bramham’s, a 
strong massive imposing affair. The boiler is rivetted, made of 4 feet 
steel plates, three-eighths thick, with a large manhole on the top, and 
a 2-inch outlet on each side for emptying purposes—a splendid provision 
for removing all sediment from boilers, a matter too frequently neglected. 
Again, we find that if the valve is close on the main pipe the boiler 
cannot well be injured because a IJ-inch safety pipe is arranged direct 
from the boiler through the roof of the stokehole. 
Two other large rivetted Trentham boilers, with water bridge and 
cross tubes, have been erected under the smoke tower in the centre of 
the garden for heating the fruit and other houses. In this case the old 
form of Trentham has been improved upon—the return pipes have been 
rivetted on near the front, and thus form two legs to the boiler. At the 
base of the return sockets 2-inch pipes are arranged for the removal of 
sediment, in addition to a 2-inch pipe at the lowest part of the boiler 
itself. These pipes are fitted with 2-inch steam valves. It will thus be 
seen that the boilers can be cleaned out whenever thought necessary with 
a minimum of labour. These are but a few of the heating arrangements 
which have been carried out since Sir Peter Walker inherited the manor 
from his father about eighteen months ago. Mains have been carried 
147 feet up the garden, and then right and left to beat six Peach houses, 
four of which were formerly cool houses. The mains that pass up the 
garden have been covered by one of Messrs. Foster & Pearson’s span- 
roofed pits, 8 feet wide—an excellent idea, provision being thus made 
for growing thousands of small plants, and thus utilising warmth that 
would be otherwise wasted. 
It is not deemed advisable by the writer to enter into a description 
of the contents of the different structures, as if he began he would not 
know where to stop. It must suffice to say, therefore, that it is the habit 
of this thorough gardener to make the most and best of the means at his 
disposal. The glass ranges have been erected at great cost, but the long 
flat ridge-and-furrow-roofed houses (iron) are quite unsuited to the 
purpose for which they were erected—Grape growing, more especially as 
they were glazed with thick rough plate glass. Mr. Harrison, late of 
Knowsley, also other gardeners, struggled with them, and now it is 
Mr. Bardney’s turn. In one range, now clear glazed, he has an excellent 
crop of late Grapes, and the Vines are in admirable condition ; but try 
as he may, and there is scarcely any limit to his determination, he will 
never succeed in growing early Grapes satisfactorily in the other range. 
It would make a fine bouse for Palms and other ornamental foliage 
plants, but for Grapes it is wholly unsuited ; and if ever a full supply 
of the princely fruit is needed, early and late, suitable structures must 
be erected, or the requirements cannot be met in the best form^ and 
only the best is appropriate to this splendid establishment. 
With Peaches and Nectarines there is no difficulty. Trained trees and 
standards, with round, free, bush-like heads, were laden themselves with 
fruit. Mr. Bardney avers that for growing Nectarines for sale untrained 
standards are the kind for affording the most fruit and bringing back the 
most money. Though that is not the object at Osmaston the trees and 
their crops afford a lesson all the same. 
There is a handsome conservatory connected with the mansion by 
a long covered verandah. At one end is a double staircase, balustraded 
and covered with Asparagus plumosus, and this, with the hanging 
baskets in the colonnades behind, was a beautiful feature ; in the 
