342 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
August 4. 
P. macrocarpa. This fine pine is decidedly hardy. 
The one here is 25 feet high, without an injured shoot. 
P. Sabiniana, a nice young tree, 15 feet, but a pigmy 
compared with a specimen 1 saw the day following at 
Rolleston Park, Sir Oswald Mosely, Bart, 
j P. taurica, a spreading, handsome tree, 22 feet by 18 
j feet diameter. 
Taxus fastigiata (The Irish Yew).—Of this handsome 
evergreen tree there were several fine specimens, from 
12 to 15 feet high. 
Mr. Catling, last autumn, tried the somewhat hazard¬ 
ous experiment of removing some large Conifers, espe¬ 
cially the Picea nobilis, mentioned above, and a P. 
Webbiana; the Cedrus deodarci, and the Cryptomeria 
japonica; all those have grown and are doing well. 
These gardens have been long celebrated for an 
unique collection of hardy Ferns. I saw a fine speci¬ 
men of that very rare variety, the Asplenium Qoldianum; 
this is planted in a peat-border in the American Garden. 
Taking a bird’s-eye view of the whole garden, I must 
say, that considering the wet season, which, as is well 
known, greatly encourages the growth of weeds, the 
garden throughout is in good keeping; the turf is close 
and dense, and the walks firm and dry. 
The next place I visited was Armitage Parle , about 
three miles from Rugby, in Staffordshire, the seat of 
Josiali Spode, Esq. Very unexpectedly, I found here a 
curious, interesting, and beautiful place; the country 
is undulated, and the views from the mansion extensive 
and diversified. The grand attraction of this place is 
the Victoria House, and Stove Aquarium, each a square 
of thirty-five feet diameter. There is a peculiarity about 
heating the water for the Victoria that I have not ob¬ 
served elsewhere. The tank containing the water is 
about three feet deep, and the pipe to heat it with is but 
two inches in bore ; and, what is more remarkable, is the 
position in which this pipe of hot water is placed; instead 
of being, as is usual, laid at the bottom of the tanks, it is 
placed near the sides, and within six inches of the surface. 
Mr. Bolass, the clever, intelligent gardener, assured me 
this pipe heated the water quite sufficiently even for the j 
Victoria. When l saw it it was in perfect health,leaves 
large and finely turned up at the sides, showing the un¬ 
derside of a fine crimson colour. Ono flower was finely 
expanded and another in bud Mr. B. says, he finds 
the soil for this Queen of Lilies requires to be of the 
strongest texture, such as a good gardener would use 
for Melons; and certainly he is an authority, for 
his plant showed that it liked the soil he had planted 
it in. 
In the other tank, which I have named the Stove 
Aquarium (though it is in the same house as the Vic¬ 
toria, the walk in the centre separating the two tanks) 
there was in flower a rare and highly-coloured Nymphcea, 
! a variety of N. Devoniana. The largest leaves measured 
j fifteen inches across; they were nearly round, and 
deeply dentated at the edges. The flowers are about 
the size of our common Water Lily, but more cupped, 
and the colour is rich bright crimson. I have no doubt 
this high colour was brightened very much by being so 
near the glass, the house beiug so constructed (a low 
span), together with the tanks standing three feet above 
the walks, as to bring the plants in the water within 
six feet of the glass. There were several other species 
of Nympluea, but only this crimson one in bloom; a 
large, long tank on ono side of the house is filled with 
Nelumbium spcciosum. On the kerb stone round the 
tanks, as well as on a broad shelf next the doors, Lyco¬ 
podiums were placed, and in this moist, warm atmos¬ 
phere, grew with surprising luxuriance, as did also the 
Pitcher plants, and many species of JEscliyuan thus 
: flowered profusely. The gardener tried an experiment 
j this spring of forcing Melons in this Aquarium, and 
j succeeded perfectly. I saw the plants, but the fruit 
had all been cut. They were planted in a large box, 
and trained up to the roof. 
Leaving the Victoria House, which, by-the-by, was not 
so hot as I have usually felt such houses, we passed in 
front of a range of glass houses devoted to the culture 
of the Grape, the Peach, and the Nectarine, and more 
than 100 yards long. A door at the end of the walk 
admitted us into the pleasure-ground. Taking a short 
turn, a rising ground came in view, with a kind of pass, 
or hollow; into this the walk led us along till we came 
to a tunnel cut through the hill. Through this covered 
way we passed, and at the end a view burst upon me 
surprisingly beautiful. Imagine a large hollow, or kind 
of crater, in the top of a hill, in the centre of which, 
standing upon a rock, a beautiful circular greenhouse, 
with rocks of various sizes dispersed about .and around 
it, and all covered with my favourite hardy Ferns, with 
here and there patches of Rhododendrons, Heaths, and 
other appropriate shrubs, and rough blocks of stone 
scattered amongst them. The scene was truly surprising 
and beautiful. The greenhouse is a unique thing, set 
upon walls hewn out of the solid rock; a flat rock for 
the central stage, the sides of which are covered with 
more tender Ferns, and elegant mosses and Lycopods. 
The Heaths and other plants were in pots, set upon the 
rocky stage and platforms (I should have preferred them 
in rustic vases) : it looked like fairy land. We emerged 
from this hollow on the opposite side to that we entered, , 
and again came out into the dressed ground, the con¬ 
trast between the two being very striking and com¬ 
plete. A winding walk between mimic hills brought us 
in view of the mansion, a solid stone-built structure. 
I strongly suspect the hollow we had just left was made 
by getting out of it the stone to build this house with. 
On ono front of the house are terraces: the first, beds 
of flowers on turf; the second, turf, without beds; and 
the third, beds of flowers in a different style to the 
first. The beds were well furnished, and blooming pro- j 
fusely. In fact, the best show of flowers in the open 
air 1 have seen yet this season was there. Beyond these 
j terraces thero is a circular space, in the centre of which 
is a fountain. A walk surrounds it, and an arbour of 
climbing Roses—the sort used is an evergreen variety 
named Felicite perpetuc. It is a pretty medium-sized 
Rose, and a most prodigious bloomer in large clusters. 
The way from this cool arbour of sweet Roses led us 
into a rocky glen, the sides of which were covered with 
the larger-growing Ferns, forming “ a gloomy shade : ” 
this way is winding, and brings the visitor to a door, 
which opens, and reveals a view of Orchids and moss- 
covered pillars. This is another wonderful change. 
Passing through this Orchid house, in which 1 observed 
some good Stanhopcas in bloom, we came to the 
vineries, &c., noticed previously. A more interesting 
and varied place I never had the pleasure of seeing. 
Mr. Spode allows his beautiful grounds, gardens, &c-., to 
be seen twice a week during the summer season—I 
think the gardener said on Tuesday and Thursday. 
A greater treat to lovers of gardening in various styles 
cannot be imagined. T. Appleby. 
NEGLECTED PLANTS. 
It cannot have escaped the notice of those whose 
memory will carry them back a few years, how many 
useful and ornamental plants have been ushered before 
the world in such flattering terms as would seem to 
leave little more to desire in the way of improvement in 
their respective species; a new variety of vegetable, a 
week or ten days earlier than any that preceded it, and 
another one earlier still than the last one, and so on, 
until the gardener would be inclined to suppose that if I 
