THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
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i addition, there is, perhaps, the largest extent of walls for 
I fruit-trees in the three kingdoms. Then, again, there is 
close by, the truly royal residence of Windsor Castle, and the 
fine views from the terrace, and the noble park. The visitor, 
whilst here, must not forget the Long Walk, the Virginia 
Water, and the large vine at Cumberland Lodge. All these 
sights are within the compass of a day’s excursion. 
Close to Frogmore is the beautiful seat of Sir John Cath- 
cart, at the far-famed Cooper's Hill —a site that for fine views 
is not excelled in the kingdom. There is, also, a good gar¬ 
den, a nice range of hothouses, greenhouses, and conserva¬ 
tories, in which is a good collection of well-grown plants. 
There are two railways to Windsor; the Great Western, from 
the Paddington Station, and the South Western, from the 
Waterloo Bridge Station. Distance about twenty miles. 
The Duke of Devonshire's Villa at Chiswick. —This is a 
beautiful villa residence, with a fine range of plant-houses, 
and a large flower-garden, cultivated in the bedding-out 
style, now so much the fashion. In the pleasure-ground there 
is an avenue of noble Cedars of Lebanon. Six miles from 
London. Omnibuses, and railway from the Waterloo Station. 
Duke of Northumberland’s, Sion House, Isleworth.—In 
the gardens at this place is a large and lofty half-circular 
house, filled with rare exotic fruit-trees. There may be seen 
the Nutmeg-tree, the Vanilla, the Banana, the Lee-Clii from 
China, and various other tropical fruits, either in fruit or 
blossom. In the pleasure-ground is a fine collection of rare 
hardy trees and shrubs of immense size. Omnibuses from 
the Bank every hour to Brentford. Eight miles. 
Mrs. Lawrence’s, Ealing Parle .—This far-famed place must 
not be omitted. Famous for, as is well known, a splendid 
collection of Orchids, and stove and greenhouse plants, grown 
to the highest state of excellence. Eight miles from London. 
By the Brentford omnibuses, or Great Western Railway to 
Ealing Station. 
H. Collyer, Esq., Dartford .—This gentleman’s collection of 
Stove and Greenhouse plants is most excellent, vying with, 
and sometimes even surpassing, the last-mentioned collec¬ 
tion. By the North Kent Railway to Dartford. 
S. Rucker, Esq., Wandsworth. — The most remarkable 
feature in these beautiful gardens is the unrivalled collection 
of that singular tribe of plants, the Orchids. General lovers 
of plants will not be disappointed, however, as here are well- 
grown specimens of Stove and Greenhouse plants in almost 
endless variety. Six miles from London. By railway from 
the Waterloo-bridge Station. 
H. Schreeder, Esq., Stratford Green. —This gentleman also 
has a good well-grown collection of Orchidacea;. By Eastern 
Counties Railway from the Shoreditch Station. Four miles. 
R. Hanbury, Esq., The Poles, near Ware.—In the short 
space of three years this place has come into repute as a 
place worth seeing. There is a large Orchid-house well 
filled with fine plants; a large Stove, also well-inhabited; and 
a Greenhouse, of the same dimensions, well-furnished with 
young rising specimens. By Eastern Counties Railway to 
Ware. Eighteen miles. 
W. H. Farmer, Esq., and Sir E.Antrobus, both near Clieam, 
and both famous for good collections of plants. Epsom Rail¬ 
way to Cheam from London-bridge. Sixteen miles. 
We have great pleasure in bringing the following pro¬ 
minently before our readers :— 
Bkospectus —Mr. F. Y. Brocas (at R. S. Hill’s, Esq., 
Basingstoke) has some sets of specimens of British Mosses, 
(containing fifty species), mounted on small note-paper, 
which he is desirous of disposing of to subscribers. Sub¬ 
scription 5s., or free by post, 5s. fid. Mr. B. hopes to be 
able to continue the collection of British Mosses, and to 
publish them in sets of fifty species, at the same price, from 
time to time, as opportunity may offer. In order to accom¬ 
plish this object, Mr. B. will be happy to receive Mosses in 
exchange for Flowering Plants or Ferns. 
GARDENING GOSSIP. 
At the Horticultural Society’s Show, on May the 3rd, 
which, with their usual bad luck, happened on a cold, 
fainy day, the Show of plants was as fine as we ever saw 
[May 15. 
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them. We are not fond of grumbling at the judges, for 
we know their difficulties and trials; but we cannot help 
finding fault with those who placed Mr. May, gardener 
to Mr. Lawrence, before Mr. Cole, gardener to Mr. 
Collyer. The monster Epacris grandijlora, which has not 
a single good quality in the culture, but is a mass ol 
confusion, was one plaut, and the great Pimelea specta- 
hilis, miserably drawn in the forcing, and yet not ball 
bloomed, was another which should have put the col- i 
lection aside. Mr. Coles’s plants were not so large, but 
better grown, better flowered, and in better, that is to ; 
say more healthy, colour. These two collections were ; 
first and second; Mr. Frazer third, and Mr. Pamplin 
fourth. In the next class of stove and greenhouse 
plants, Sir E. Autrobus was first, and Mr. Coster second. 
The orchidaceous plants excelled former shows. Lord 
Ivillmorey was first; Sir E. Antrobus second; Mr. 
Woolley third; and the Duchess of Northumberland, 
fourth. Among this tribe, the two most extraordinary 
plants were Plialamopsis grandiflora, shown by Mr. 
Kingliorne, in the highest state of perfection ; a spike 
of its lovely white flowers a yard long, and the lowest 
bloom not showing the least symptom of age. The 
other, Vanda suavis, exhibited by Mr. Veitch, a mag¬ 
nificent specimen. Mr. Veitch also exhibited two plants 
of Madenilla magnijica, from Manilla, a plant worth a 
journey to its native place to see, bad it not been 
brought nearer. The bracts are rich pink, and the 
blooms, before they open, are like splendid bunches 
of grapes of a deeper colour than the bracts. As the | 
bloom advances, the bunch becomes more open, and j 
each of the grape-like buds open. It is not so truly j 
grand when open as it is while advancing. 
A noble collection of Rhododendrons, from Sion House, 
occupied a fine position, and formed a very grand feature. 
Azaleas (Indian) were numerous and beautiful, and the 
show was beyond measure grand and imposing. Among 
Florists’ flowers, there was an improvement. Pansies 
were shown in pots, and looked remarkably effective. Au¬ 
riculas were coarse. Seedlings of all kinds were scarce. 
Hoyle’s Magnet, a new Geranium, is a new colour, a rich 
crimson scarlet, and will be effective in collection, though a 
little crumpled. Hoyle’s Celia is a rich orange scarlet, and 
pretty. Chieftain is a crimson, with one of the worst faults 
a geranium can have—the lower petal sticks up away from 
the other four; and this is rather early evidence of bad 
censorship at the National Society, where this said Chieftain 
has actually received a certificate. If certificates are already 
given hy that Society to flowers with radical defects, it is evi¬ 
dence that the opinion entertained by Florists’, that there 
must be an election of censors by the whole of the members, 
is just. Turner’s new geranium, The First of Mag, is too 
like many we already possess to be good for anything as a 
new one; but even that is said to have been favourably cer¬ 
tified by the National. Of Cinnerarias, there were many : 
the only two which we think distinct, and an advance on 
what we have, were Marianne, a pink-tipped variety of very 
fine form, and Lady of the Lake, a lilac-tipped, scarcely 
inferior. Several of last year’s were shown; the best of 
which is Lady Hume Cumpbell; but the two we have men¬ 
tioned are better, neither of them having the notch which 
is too conspicuous in many of the present favourites.* 
I 
! 
The Beauty of Bath Auricula is not first-rate, though 
an acquisition. Its principal fault is the shortness of 
its footstalks, which will always prevent it from being a 
good show flower; the truss can never be large and fine. 
* We shall give a fuller list of the plants exhibited.—Eb. C. G. 
