370 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, September 15, 1857. 
I saw at a garden a vinery in which the Vines have in 
part got into a bad condition. On inquiring as to depth 
of border my informant said it was only four feet. Now, 
although Vines have done tolerably well in four and five 
feet borders under peculiar circumstances, yet how much 
the odds are against them ! What business has a Vine 
root that depth from the surface if we can prove two 
things—first, that the Vine is indigenous to a climate 
where, during the growing season, the roots are in a 
temperature several degrees higher than the soil in 
Britain under similar circumstances, and, secondly, that 
the soil at four feet deep will probably not be over 55°, 
whilst that within one foot of the surface will be ten or 
a dozen degrees higher during summer in this country? 
Really, if Grape culture on the whole has been ad¬ 
vancing in later years, some respect and consideration 
are surely due to a question of so much importance. 
One thing more I may name as to the parts of Derby¬ 
shire I have visited. There is a great want of feeling 
for what may be called the pleasantries of gardening. 
One thing is missing in the country cottages, and the 
presence of which points to what may be called a gar¬ 
dening feeling: there is a great scant of flower-pots in 
the windows of cottagers as compared with some other 
parts of the kingdom. I always consider the window 
flower-pot an evidence of the feelings of the inmates. 
However, such affairs as the Clay cross Exhibition will 
doubtless create a spirit of emulation, and I am assured 
that in a year or two the efforts made by the conductors 
will lead to such an amount of progress as possibly they 
do not anticipate. Robert Errington. 
GATHERINGS FROM NEIGHBOURS. 
LUTON HOO. 
A full description of this place will be found in a 
previous volume. I will merely note here a few things 
that struck me as improvements, &c., on my last visit. 
Plant Stove. —The range of houses were supplied 
with fine, healthy crops. The back wall of the plant 
stove had been lowered to within eighteen inches or so 
of the path, and a bank of Ferns thus formed rivalling 
the Fern houses at Kew. A shelf next the back wall, 
about the same height, covered with beautiful Lycopods, 
&c., was appropriated to the smaller and rarer Ferns. 
On entering you look upon an avenue of Ferns. On 
turning round the end of the bed and along the front of 
the house you come in contact with fine Orchids and 
other stove plants. By this arrangement one house is 
made to present two or three distinct features—an idea 
worthy of consideration, especially in the case of those 
with limited house room. The Aerides I formerly men¬ 
tioned had above forty spikes of bloom. The Stan- 
hopeas, and especially tigrina, were throwing out mag¬ 
nificent bunches. In one of the vineries, though not 
planted many years, the bunches were given to shank a 
little. Mr. Fraser lifted the roots, placed them near the 
surface, and the evil was cured. 
Portulaccas. —In front of one of the houses was one 
of the most brilliant sights I have seen this season. A 
large border was a perfect blazing carpet of Portulaccas. 
There were white, yellow, orange, purple, and crimson, 
with various shades. The intention had been to have 
them in rows, but they had mixed and blended con¬ 
siderably, and perhaps with all the better effect, as it 
took off all appearance of stiffness. The fine sunny day 
brought out their beauties fully. The remarkably fine 
summer was also in their favour, but something must 
also have been owing to their treatment. They were 
raised in a little heat, and planted out about the end of 
May. It struck mo there had been an inch or two of 
sandy gravel thrown over the border before planting, 
which would help to keep the collars of these succulents 
from rotting off, even if there had been showery weather. 
We found the same plants growing vigorously on rock- 
works. 
Backgrounds to Flower Gardens. — In front of 
the houses is a largish flower garden on grass. This is 
separated from the kitchen garden beyond by a row of 
Scotch Roses, standard Roses, and another row of pyra¬ 
midal Pears. A green bank or hedge high enough to 
prevent the eye looking upon Pea stakes, &c., beyond, 
would secure unity of expression. Our readers who 
recollect our description of Raith will remember how 
nicely Mr. Crockett secured that object under similar 
circumstances. 
Washing Gravel. —Good gravel is very scarce in the 
neighbourhood. It abounds so much in clay that it 
would be next to impassable when wet. Mr. Fraser has 
it brought to the vicinity of a pond, and there it is 
washed in tubs of water through strong, rather fine- 
meshed wire sieves, provided with two handles for the 
operator, and emptied in a heap only when the clayey 
matter is removed. The walks in consequence are not 
yet quite so firm on the surface as good people with 
wafer-soled shoes would wish, but every passing over 
with a roller will make the small stones smaller and 
more compact. If weeds do ever grow in such walks a 
sprinkling of salt would kill the weeds, crack the little 
stones, and thus help compactness, with but little injury 
in such open walks. I say with such walks, as I should 
wish to enter a caveat against the free use of salt in 
walks that are already compact enough, and from which 
water does not pass too freely, as the salt will have 
the tendency to make them still more compact, and fre¬ 
quently disagreeable, from the absorption and retention 
of moisture. The wearing effects of salt and its moisture- 
retaining properties have been somewhat overlooked, 
even by those who otherwise have disapproved of its 
use in an economical and labour question point of view 
Whether these walks ever require salting or not, in the 
kitchen garden they look very neat at present, the Box 
edging being fresh laid; and, being well drained and 
almost level from side to side, not only may the pedes¬ 
trian traverse them in wet weather without his boots 
getting clogged and leaving deep footprints behind him, 
but he escapes, owing to that levelness, the disagreeable 
sensation, if he has companions with him, of moving 
with a long leg and short leg alternately, as if he was 
walking outlie sloping deck of a sailing vessel. I have 
known great expense incurred at times in securing good 
gravel from a distance when there was far better ma¬ 
terial at hand than what Mr. Fraser has used. The 
washing hint may, therefore, have its uses. 
Gigantic Rockery, Fernery, and Alpinery. —This 
has been formed this season on the south side of the 
octagon-shaped kitchen garden, between the garden wall 
and the old wood, which, in its fine specimens and wind¬ 
ing, sequestered walks, still retains the marks of a Brown 
and a Collinson. On the west side beyond the wall 
border is an old orchard, and on the east side a new one 
is forming, to consist chiefly of dwarf trees. In the 
middle of this south wall is a garden door, and opposite 
to it a gateway into the old wood. A wide border in 
front of the wall is now devoted to herbaceous plants. 
The space between the walk and the wood, some two or 
three times wider, was devoted also to herbaceous plants 
and a collection of Grasses. The fernery, &c., is thus 
separated by the main walk into two divisions. With 
differences of ground plans the mode of action on both 
sides has been similar. A winding bank has been formed 
next the wood, diversified in its height and width, which 
is chiefly to be filled with Lastrcea Jilix mas and Pteris 
aquilina, the common Braken. This last beautiful Fern 
Mr. Fraser, and, I may add, myself also, have found 
difficult to succeed in transplanting, the buds being 
placed on running stems so far frequently below the 
