144 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, December 8, 1857. 
and micrlit be made more so, if the ground were more 
diversified. "W e could hardlj avoid envying IMi 
Hume in having so little to do with the scythe, and so 
little with bedding plants ; flower-gardening and plea¬ 
sure-ground-keeping being the most expensive of all 
gardening; and then giving nothing in return but 
pleasure to the eye. . 
The walled-in kitchen garden, divided also tor the 
most part longitudinally by a wall in the centre, is not 
altogether very large ; but, unlike Rob Rorrison s 
bonnet, its power of producing must be measured 
more by what is outside than inside of the walls. 
The large space round the garden has been planted 
with fruit trees in rows at wide intervals ; and^ it 
would be impossible to see trees in a more healtny 
fruitful condition : and the wide spaces between them 
are appropriated to small fruit, and huge breadths of 
Potatoes, and winter vegetables. The trees on the 
nice walls are in excellent order—Pears particularly 
so ; and there are some very fine large trees of the 
Moorpark Apricot, which this season were covered with 
fruit. Young pyramidal standard Pear trees occupy 
the borders on the sides of the walks opposite from 
the wall, and were full of fruit buds. Mr. Hume 
complained that his Peach trees suffered much from 
the black fly, &c., this season ; but they retained few 
traces of it now. 
The main range of houses is placed on the south 
side of the north wall of the garden. A new Peach 
house had been added two years ago or so ; and two 
splendid trees, taken originally from the wall, filled 
the whole of the trellis that runs from top to bottom 
under the glass, with the exception of a short space at 
the top. Two fine riders also filled the back wall; 
but, ere long, they will have to be removed, if the fruit 
trees are allowed all the front surface room. The 
early Yines were pruned and cleaned. Their borders 
were covered with litter ; and that again lcept dry 
with a tarp aiding formed of old hop hags stitched 
together, and then painted with tar. The late Grapes 
had not coloured to please Mr. Hume, though the 
bunches were good. The whole of these vineries are 
floored inside with broad paving tiles ; thus giving 
them a very clean appearance, and furnishing many 
advantages in the way of dryness when of importance, 
as well as what may be obtained from the radiation of 
heat and the reflection of light. Where flower-gar¬ 
dening is a chief thing, you will find few houses like 
these empty. When forcing early, Mr. Hume covers 
these tiles with a layer of straw, and then places a 
large ridge of dung and leaves in the house, which 
greatly assists in breaking the Vines strongly. 
In the Peach house referred to, and also in another 
new vinery at the west end, Mr. Hume has adopted a 
capital mode of fixing, or laying, his hot water pipes ; 
and that is simply placing them on the floor, as near 
as possible on one level. I noticed a small air pipe at 
the extreme end ; but I should imagine that at the 
highest point there was scarcely one inch difference 
from the lowest point so far as level was concerned. 
By this plan the pipes, as a whole, are more uniform 
in temperature than when the flows and returns are 
separated a considerable distance as respects level 
from each other. Hot water artists are quite right in 
insisting on plenty of piping, as you thus obtain the 
necessary temperature without making any of the 
npes so hot as to vitiate the air of the house. But I 
lave known four or more courses of pipes piled upon 
each other ; and when the upper were so hot that you 
could not place your hand on them, the lower were 
scarcely warm ; so much so, that the lower pipes were 
removed to heat another house without any detriment 
whatever. I believe that four pipes, under Mr. 
Hume’s mode, would be as effectual as the eight were 
in their four courses piled upon each other. From 
their greater levelness, all the pipes would approximate 
each other more equally in temperature. 
Behind the houses are very nice commodious sheds 
and offices; and behind them, the fine open space, to 
which I referred on entering, and w T here the Straw¬ 
berry pots, &c., for forcing were placed in beds, Mr. 
Hume forces chiefly Keens, Queen s, and Ingram’s 
Prince of Wales. I he plants spoke well of what they 
could do hereafter. Here are also situated different 
varieties of pits and boxes, all useful, and fully em¬ 
ployed ; also a beautiful range of neat houses, with 
hipped glass roofs at the back ; the walk passing 
through near the middle, and slate platforms on both 
sides, unless there was a pit for plunging in on one 
side, and heated beneath. The top heating apparatus 
is situated close to the front wall below the platform ; 
and there being ventilators in the front wall, the air is 
heated by passing over the pipes before it rises among 
the plants. One house was filled with Dwarf Kidney 
Beans. Another was devoted to nice young plants of 
Orchids, chiefly Aerifies and Vandas ; the ccerulea of 
the latter being in full bloom. Another division was 
devoted to Geraniums and other greenhouse plants, 
among which I noticed several large fine specimens of 
the variegated Prince of Orange Geranium. 
Farther on still, is a large wide house, heated above 
and below, and appropriated to Cucumbers. There is 
a walk along the back ; and the rest is a pit, in which 
two rows of Cucumbers were growing strongly in their 
respective hills, a strong plank being placed longitudi¬ 
nally between them for walking and examining the 
plants. The trellis on which they were trained was in 
detached pieces ; so that it could be removed, cleaned, 
and fresh painted when necessary. The top sashes were 
whitened a little in summer. The lower sashes are 
furnished with light frames covered with frigi donio, 
that can be moved up and down almost with a touch,, 
they are so light; and which serve for covering in 
winter, and shading in summer. 
Behind these are two large span-roofed houses 
in the orchard style, some sixteen feet wide, and 
twenty to forty feet in length; roof all fixed—the 
ventilation being given entirely from the sides, and 
from large openings, when necessary, in both ends 
of the house. Ho more has ever been necessary. A 
single pipe goes round just to keep out frost when 
required. One house was filled with well-grown 
Azaleas ; and the other had a number of Figs in pots ; 
and ere long would be filled with Peaches, Nectarines, 
&c. The trees for this purpose looked remarkably 
well, and were standing fully half plunged. The 
surface soil had been picked off some time ago; and 
the roots were already working in the fresh surfacings. 
Mr. Hume disapproves not only of frequent shiftings ; 
but he judges that wanting to do anything to the 
surface in spring will not only make the buds come 
weak, but be very apt to make them drop. When 
fresh surfaced early in autumn these evils are coun¬ 
teracted. 
One recollection more. We have known people in 
great trouble how to keep their Onions. Here they 
were stringed in the usual manner, and tied to the 
walls of an open shed ; and though water would run 
from them after a severe frost, they were not at all 
injured in consequence. 
The extreme of neatness and high keeping was 
everywhere apparent; and I only regret that I cannot 
impart to my readers a tithe of the pleasure I expe¬ 
rienced in this my first visit to the Poles. 
R. Fish. 
