302 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 27, 1894. 
tioned, is under the more immediate supervision of Mr. Joseph Cheal, 
though we learn he has a son who is rapidly coming to the fore, and of 
whom we shall doubtless hear more as the years roll by. That the firm 
has been highly successful in this branch of horticulture everyone 
knows by the admirable manner in which the Broadstairs Public 
Gardens and Ramsgate Park were laid out, besides many other public 
and private places. But it is to the nursery department that attention 
is to be directed in these notes, so we will go and see Mr. Alexander 
Cheal, and he will doubtless put us in the way of seeing something 
good. 
Before going right amongst the trees and flowers it may be well to 
call attention to the progress of the firm, which has, since its establish¬ 
ment about twenty-five years ago, continually moved onward. Each 
year, almost without exception, it has been found necessary to secure 
more land, until, from a comparatively small undertaking, the nurseries 
have reached an extent of nearly, if not quite, 100 acres, all of which 
are under cultivation at the present time. This proves beyond a doubt 
the zeal and determination of the two brothers, and mayhap, of their 
father, too. The latter, who is now in his ninety-fifth year, was out 
when the visit was paid, so that the pleasure of seeing and talking with 
him were withheld. Crawley air is evidently conducive to good health, 
both in human and in plant life, for both are alike hale, sturdy, and 
strong. Let us hope that Mr. J. Cheal, sen., will live still many 
more years to see the fruits of his sons’ labours, and those also of his 
grandson, who. as has previously been said, is just entering on what 
cannot prove other than a busy life. 
Trained and other Trees. 
In point of numbers the stock of fruit trees at Lowfields is very 
extensive, and though of course it is well-nigh impossible to give precise 
figures, Mr. Wallis, the experienced foreman of this branch, is of the 
opinion that there are now about 300,000 trees on the place, these, of 
course, covering all ages and all shapes, of which upwards of 8000 are 
what are known as trained trees, but exclusive of cordons. In one new 
piece of the nursery, the latest addition in fact, there are about 
60,000 Apple, Pear, Plum, and other fruit trees, the former greatly 
predominating, in the course of formation, some having been budded 
this year, but the majority were manipulated last season. The 
trees throughout have this season made splendid growth, as much as 
is sometimes made in two seasons, and this is attributed to the hot 
summer of last year thoroughly ripening all parts of the tree, and 
leaving the soil warm to such a depth as to encourage the production 
of very large numbers of fibrous feeders. 
The Cordons. 
When we reach the cordon-shaped trees we have found the firm’s 
specialty, and it is represented in a fairly substantial manner just now 
by about 10,000 trees. And such trees too, clothed to the grourd with 
spurs and fruits and to the tip with healthy green leafage, and standing 
stout and strong, in heights varying with the age of the trees, they 
formed a picture such as one cannot see every day much as one might 
like to do so. It is surprising the amount of fruits these trees will, 
when properly trained, carry. It is claimed by advocates of this form 
of tree that for covering a wall to give early and remunerative crops 
of fruits there is not another form to equal them. As illustrative of 
the advantages of cordon trees for planting in small gardens such 
as more especially preponderate in the neighbourhood of towns, 
there was erected many years ago rough frameworks of wood 
about 8 feet apart, and to these the trees were trained. Now, with the 
minimum amount of attention bestowed on them they are carrying 
grand crops of medium-sized, shapely fruits, proving their adaptability 
for the purpose in view. Apples and Pears are principally comprised 
in this interesting trial. A little later and we come to a broad stretch 
of cordon Apples, amongst which some trees of Colonel Vaughan, 
most handsomely coloured are highly prominent. From the bottom 
to the top they are bearing fruit, some more than others, but in all 
cases the shape, size, and condition of the fruits leave nothing to be 
desired. 
One could without difficulty go on citing case after case of the utility 
of cordons in the open ground, but these must suffice, and we will turn 
our attention for a brief space of time to another phase of their cul¬ 
tivation which is also to be seen here—namely, a medium-sized house 
of cordoii Pears. They are now a perfect spectacle, with the fruits 
hanging in a most charming profusion all over the roof. The trees are 
probably 10 feet high or rather more, never having been stopped as is 
usually done, but they are nevertheless fruiting from one end to the 
other, though the fruits are, owing to the wet and sunless weather during 
the past summer, not quite so large as is usually the case, but they are 
sufficiently so to demonstrate the correctness of this system of training to 
insure a large amount of produce from a small space. It may be 
interesting to many readers if some of the varieties represented in the 
structure and which are doing particularly well are mentioned, and 
amongst these a prominent place must be accorded to Belle de Bruxelles, 
a large Pear of great beauty. The Beurres are numeious, and include 
Sterckman’s, Alexander Lucas, and Superfin, the latter of which splendidly 
upholds its name. Mardchal de Cour and Louise Bonne of Jersey 
are each producing creditable fruits; also Doyenn^ Boussoch and 
General Todtleben, while the usually so large Pitmastoii Duche.ss is not so 
good, the fruits being very small this season, much more so than was the 
case last year. But we must not linger longer with the cordons, or we 
shall not be able to see all there jet remains to be seen. 
Amongst the Fruit. 
Perhaps the most interesting, and undoubtedly the most palatable to 
many persons, is to wander here and there amongst the fruit-bearing 
trees, to see and to taste, in order to be able to pass a just verdict. We 
will look first at the Apples, of which there are very many thousands, 
comprising, it is almost superfluous to say, all the leading varieties. 
For richness and depth of colouration, freedom of bearing, and general 
exemplary behaviour Duchess of Oldenburg must be placed first, for 
the sight it presents is very remarkable, not even rivalled by Colonel 
Vaughan. Bushels of fruit have already been taken, and there are still 
more to come ; and as for the appearance, readers have but to wait 
patiently until the Crystal Palace Fruit Show, when Messrs. Cheal will 
assuredly show it, as it has rarely been seen before. Everyone knows 
what a grand variety Bismarck is ; its reputation has even reached 
Germany, where it is said thousands are being planted. It succeeds 
on almost all soils, so is pretty certain to give great satisfac¬ 
tion. Beauty of Bath is an early dessert Apple, which does not appear 
to be sufficiently known, while Blenheim Pippin, as seen at Cheals’ this 
year, leaves little to be desired. Of Bramley’s Seedling much has been 
said, and it is undoubtedly bearing out the excellent character given it 
by its introducer, for it is a certain and heavy cropper of fine quality 
fruits. Frogmore Prolific and Ecklinville are magnificent, and the 
same may well be said of New Hawthornden and Golden Noble. Histon 
Favourite and Gospatric are two cooking Apples which present a very 
fine appearance on the trees, the fruits of both being singularly beautiful. 
King of the Pippins is bearing splendidly this year, as also are Lady 
Sudeley and the old Kerry Pippin. Lords Derby and Grosvenor, Peas- 
good’s Nonesuch, Potts’ Seedling, The Queen, Warner’s King, and Lane’s 
Prince Albert form a septet of Apples deserving of a place in every 
fruit garden, both for their excellent cooking and show qualities. Each 
of these is exceptionally fine at Crawley this year. Yorkshire Beauty 
and Stirling Castle, too, are not by any means to be despised, any more 
than is the useful Manks Codlin. But enough Apples have been noted, 
and we must turn now to the Pears and Plums, 
It is perhaps needless to say that Pears are making as good a display 
here as appears to be the case throughout the country this season, while 
Plums have not by any means been a light crop. The former are 
represented by such sterling kinds as Beurrfis Clairgeau, d’Amanlis, 
de Capiaumont and Hardy ; Brockworth Park, Clapp’s Favourite, 
Duchesse d’Angouleme, Durondeau, Jersey Gratioli, King Edward, 
Princess, Vicar of Winkfield, Williams’ Bon ChrStien, besides those in 
the house mentioned above, and many others. In almost all cases the 
form of the fruits is very fine and well in character, while, as has 
been said, the crops are of very great weight. Among the Plums that 
are and have been fine this year may he mentioned Archduke, Belgian, 
Purple, Jefferson’s, Pond’s Seedling, Cox’s Emperor, Prince Engelbert, 
The Czar, Gisborne’s, Kirke’s, Washington, and Victoria, this, of course, 
being only a severely abridged selection. Cherries are not now in 
evidence so far as fruit is concerned, but Crabs—and more especially 
Dartmouth—are of great beauty. The variety named is perhaps the 
most ornamental, its bright crimson fruits, which are covered with 
a bloom like a Plum, being exceedingly handsome and very much 
larger than the more commonly seen Siberians. But we have now taken 
up quite enough of Mr. Wallis’ valuable time, so we will now have a 
glance at the flowers, which are principally hardy and are very 
numerous. 
The Dahlias. 
Renowned as is this firm for its cordon fruit trees, it is certainly 
equally so for Dahlias, and more especially so for Cactus varieties. The 
plants grown are, as will readily be imagined from the extent to which 
blooms are staged, very numerous, and from the growth one cannot be 
surprised that such grand flowers are produced. It is obviously impossible 
for mention to be made of all the varieties grown, and therefore a very 
short selection will be given of the best, and these only amongst the 
Cactus kinds. If a crimson-scarlet coloured one is desired, then Crawley 
Gem should be procured, while the deep orange flowers of Duchess of 
York find many admirers. One of the richest of the velvety crimson 
varieties is Sir Francis Montefiore, and for rich scarlet crimson Gloriosa 
IS superb. Lady Penzance is one of the most charming yellows, though 
May Pictor, also yellow, is very beau'iful. Such as Beauty of Eynsford, 
Robert Cannell, Delicata, Duke of Clarence, and Josephine are now so 
well known as to render any description here superfluous. Single and 
single Cactus kinds are also grown in very large numbers, and are of 
superb quality. Of the many other flowers to be seen, as well as 
coniferous and other shrubs, mention cannot now be made, and those 
readers who are able to do so will do well to go and have a look round 
for themselves, in which case they should go to either Horley or Three 
Bridges stations, to and from which there is a very fine service of 
trains.— Nomad. 
KOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
September 25th. 
The last fortnightly meeting of this Society was held in Chiswick 
Gardens, and was favoured with very bad weather, rain falling more or 
less throughout the day. Hardy flowers, including Dahlias and 
Gladioli, made a good display in the large vinery, as also did fruit 
and vegetables, but Orchids were not by any means numerous. Trees 
and shrubs were extensively shown, chiefly on tables in the open, in 
view of the Conference, notes on which will be found elsewhere. 
