October 18, 1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
371 
worthy of note that long rows of dwarf trees budded last year are to be 
seen in the nurseries under notice, each with a single heavy fruit resting, 
in many cases, on the ground. A fruit bud must have accompanied the 
wood bud, and the productions of both buds have not apparently mili¬ 
tated against each other. There ii no mistake about Bismarck being 
everybody’s Apple. I like Baumann’s Red Winter Reinette even better, 
as it is crisp, juicy, and sweet already, and keeps good for cooking or 
dessert till January. Small trees of this remarkably showy variety 
were bearing heavily. Lady Sudeley, too, is a real beauty. The fruit is 
very freely produced, fairly large, and are most beautifully and heavily 
striped with crimson, while the quality is decidedly good. Gascoyne's 
Scarlet is also worthy of special mention, and if my advice is taken this 
will be largely planted by both market and private growers during the 
coming season. Mr. Bunyard has his own favourites, and one of these 
is Golden Spire. No mistake will be made in planting this variety. I 
should like Gold Medal better if the fruit were of the same conical form 
as Golden Spire. It is a grand Apple though, and evidently the tree 
has a fine constitution. Hambling’s Seedling promises to be a great 
acquisition, and should be grown by exhibitors. Then there is Newton 
Wonder, that should be kept in mind by planters. I thought my friend 
looked as if taken by surprise when Mr. Bunyard asserted that Round¬ 
way Magnum Bonum surpassed such high-class varieties as Cox’s and 
Ribston Pippins for flavour. Perhaps he is waiting to try it ; he might 
as well also try Mabbott’s Pearmain, Brownlee’s and Bgremont Russets, 
and Ross’ Nonpareil. He should also try in his garden the “ Amateur’s 
Standard ” Apple trees, the stems clothed with fruit, and the heads also 
productive. 
“ The Senior ” seems to have remembered the names of some good 
Pears, but my note-book tells me that Duchesse de Bordeaux is a grand 
acquisition to the list of January Pears, and the crop was enormous. 
Directeur Hardy, again, is well worthy of inclusion in spite of its 
ripening in October with so many others. It is a fine Pear. I find 
my notes on Beurr4 Mortillet much underlined, an excellent companion 
for it being found in Madame Andr6 Leroy. Beurr4 Fouqueray may be 
briefly described as an early form of Beurrfi Bachelier, and considered 
superior to it in every way. Marie Benoist should be grown where fine 
Pears are wanted in quantity early in the winter, and Durondeau is of 
attractive appearance and good in every way. Quite large Pear trees 
move admirably out of the well-prepared Maidstone soil, as shown by a 
long avenue of twenty-five-year-old Pear trees transplanted last autumn. 
They had not been disturbed at the roots for twelve years, yet there 
were no failures, but most have borne good crops this season, also made 
good wood growth. 
Yes, the Damsons and Plums were grand, and of the former Bradley’s 
King certainly does “ take my fancy.” Large, freely grown standards 
of this variety were simply smothered with fruit, the quality of which 
is decidedly superior to Crittenden’s. As a late ripening, attractive 
Plum Monarch is hard to surpass, but I should say it was more of a 
cooking than a dessert variety—at any rate, I did not eat the whole 
of the fruit I tasted, though it is only fair to state it was scarcely 
ripe. Peaches and Nectarines, in common with Cherries, Plums, and 
Apricots, are largely grown to meet the demand for trained trees. So 
well did the Peach wood ripen quite in the open last year, that some 
have actually ripened fruit this season without the assistance of wall 
shelter. 
The trial of Filberts and Cob Nuts was most interesting to me, but 
we had to rush through the bushes owing to having doubts of “ The 
Senior ” much longer being content to perch on a packing case. It 
should be added that there are very large quarters, or something like 
20,000 bushes grown, and quite young, or four-branched bushes, were 
bearing a few nuts. Mr. Bunyard believes Berry’s Early Kent to oe the 
best variety of Gooseberry for market growers, and has raised 100,000 
bushes accordingly, and there is also a grand breadth of that very fine 
Raspberry Superlative. Visitors to the recent great fruit show at the 
Crystal Palace would be able to judge for themselves of the beauty of 
the Apples grown under glass at Maidstone. What about the con¬ 
tributory aids to high colouring in this case, Mr. Senior ?— The Junior. 
SPRING BANK, SEVERN STOKE. 
Spring Bank, the residence of Mrs. Hunter, is situated in the 
Severn Valley, about three miles north of Upton, in a most charming 
neighbourhood, some four or five miles from Malvern, and from the 
rising ground in the district we have fine views of the whole Malvern 
range. The mansion is located in the midst of tranquil scenery, 
charming pleasure grounds, furnished with well-grown Coniferm, and 
banks and borders of brilliant flowers. On a recent visit, when the 
leaves of the surrounding forest trees were tinged with autumn tints, 
and indications of the “sere and yellow leaf” were on every hand, there 
was much to charm and please anyone interested in horticulture. 
Spring Bank is one of those places that has not degenerated in these 
days of agricultural depression, and we sincerely hope its popular and 
generous-hearted owner will long maintain it in its present hi;h state of 
perfection. The gardens at Spring Bank are not renowned so much for 
their vast extent, or acres of glass houses and proportionate extensive 
flower gardens, as for general high keeping, and as regards the glass 
houses and other resources, there is everything that is essential 
for supplying the wants of a moderate-sized establishment. There are 
eight good houses, one large conservatory, two ranges of heated pits, one 
range of cold pits, a good supply of boxes and cold frames for the 
propagating and nursing of plants in various stages of growth for the 
embellishment of the conservatory. 
In the plant houses we noticed a large and varied assortment of 
Dracaenas, Crotons, and similar plants used for dinner-table and room 
decoration, all in luxuriant health. In one house there were some 
fine Poinsettias. Mr. Wilson is specially successful with these winter 
decorative plants, the bracts being not unfrequently 19 inches across, 
with foliage down to the rim of the pot. Another house devoted to 
Cucumbers for winter use and Tomatoes in pots had been previously 
used for Melons, of which large crops had been gathered, Blenheim 
Orange being the favourite. Out of many sorts of Tomatoes grown. 
Challenger was the most popular. In another house we noticed excellent 
double Primulas, both white and coloured varieties, that would supply 
fine masses of flowers throughout the winter, also splendid plants of 
Euphorbia jacquiniaefiora, that would soon he clothed with wreaths 
of brilliant flowers. 
In the early vinery the Grapes were all cut, but in the second house 
there were fine bunches still hanging of Muscat of Alexandria, Black 
Hamburgh, Gros Colman, Black Alicante, and Madresfield Court. We 
have rarely seen finer examples of the latter variety than we saw at 
Spring Bank ; in fact, Mr. Wilson, although not a regular exhibitor, 
has already taken thirteen prizes for hlack Grapes in succession, in 
open competition, and never a second. Most of the Vines in the first 
and second house have been planted for more than fifty years, yet they 
are full of vigour, and by the appearance of the well ripened wood 
they gave promise of fine fruit for next year. The ripened wood has 
that firm mahogany appearance that characterises healthy, vigorous 
Vines. The three large vineries has recently been filled with 
Chrysanthemums, and contains a'oout 300 plants in superb health 
and full of promise, which no doubt they would easily perform. We 
need not particularise the merits of the Chrysanthemums ; suffice it 
to say the plants had been well cared for. Those intended for iarge 
flowers are in a highly satisfactory condition, while a fair pro¬ 
portion is grown for cut flowers and ordinary decorative purposes. 
In the ranges of cold and warm pita there are large reserves of 
decorative plants, and in cold frames ample supplies of Watercress 
and Violets for a winter supply. 
The conservatory is a large and commodious structure, 60 feet long 
and 20 wide, and is filled with a choice and healthy assortment of 
plants. Down the centre we noticed some fine Tree Ferns, Palms, and 
other foliage plants, which imparts to the house quite a tropical 
appearance; while on the side benches down one side the house there 
is a large assortment of Zonal Pelargoniums just bursting into full 
bloom. These plants had been standing in the open air during the 
summer, and the more they are baked in the blazing sun the better 
they bloom when taken indoors towards the end of September, when 
they will continue to throw up their flower spikes right on into the new 
year. On the cross benches at the far end of the conservatory there 
are some good specimens of Cypripediums, such as barbatum, insigne 
Maulei; and along the other side an unusual collection of Tydaeas, 
which had been raised from seed during last spring. These are inter¬ 
mixed with Ferns and other foliage and flowering plants, which all 
combined to produce a charming effect. 
We now pass into the kitchen garden. It is one of those spots so 
dear to poets and writers of fiction, where we have a blending of hardy 
flowers, fruit, and vegetables, and where they revel in uninterrupted 
luxuriance. There are broad borders for flowers ; Carnations in large 
numbers for cutting, Montbretias and other plants, Clematis suspended 
in festoons, and on the other quarters the usual complement of bush 
fruit and Strawberries. There is a feature which calls for special 
remark, namely, several rows of remarkable dwarf Celery. One variety 
is Sutton’s A1 Red Celery and the other White Gem. Although not 
more than half the height of other rows of Celery on the same 
ground, yet there would be more that would be eatable in the dwarf 
sort, and not require more than half the trouble in earthing and 
blanching. 
Coming to the lawn the first object of attraction is a large bed of 
flowers 70 yards long and 9 feet wide, plantel very largely with Dahlias, 
of which there was a fine assortment. As we passed along we noticed 
fine specimens of Coniferm, including Juniperus excelsa, Juniperus 
chinensis, Picea nobilis, Wellingtonia gigantea. Biota elegantissima. 
Araucaria imbricata, and many others ; beds of Yuccas and fine Aloes 
i which had no doubt seen many generations, standing on the terrace in 
large tubs. Entering a secluded walk we find our way through a 
winding path into a rocky dell. There there is a well arranged fernery 
and a choice collection of hardy Ferns. We would gladly linger in such 
a charming spot, for there is much to admire and please the eye, and 
gratify the imagination. 
At some distance from the pleasure grounds there is another and 
larger kitchen garden, which is furnished with a good supply of 
luxuriant vegetables for winter and spring consumption ; while on the 
walls we observed some well trained Plums that were carrying heavy crops 
of fruit of such sorts as the old Green Gage, Transparent Gage, Goliah, 
Diamond, Washington, and other varieties. The adjoining orchard is 
16 acres, and contains a good selection of the best Apples and Pears. 
The crops of the latter were remarkably heavy, but the Apples were 
rather light. Some of the best Apples are Irish Peach, Devonshire 
Quarrenden, Flanders, Lord Darby, Blenheim Orange, Golden Pippin, 
King of the Pippins, and Sturmer Pippin. Many of the best and most 
popular Pears are also cultivated. The orchard is as clean and as trim 
as any other part of the garden, and during Mr. Wilson’s twenty-six 
