THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, May 10, 1869. 75 
are a study even to au old gardener. I said it is as steep 
as the Malvern Hill gardens, or those on the sides of 
the Calton Hill in Edinburgh. It is also as high and [ 
as much exposed as the garden-front of the Crystal 
Palace, it faces directly with the north pole, and has 
the strongest clay bottom; but the beds and borders 
were made as practical gardeners could wish. One large 
bed, in the centre of the slope, is devoted to Experi¬ 
mental acclimatising foreign plants. One hundred and 
fifty loads of clay were dug out of it, and thirty loads of j 
brick rubbish put in for drainage; then Wimbledon peat, 
and a little yellow mixed loam at top. The result sur¬ 
prised me more than anything I ever saw about London. 
The Eugenia Ugni, as a bush plant in this bed, produced 
the best coloured berries that were exhibited last autumn. 
Hone of the plants are the least protected in winter. 
Murybia Gunneana, a shrubby white-flowering Aster, in 
one mass of bloom ; Quercus glabra, an evergreen broad¬ 
leaved Oak, as a bushy shrub, as free and healthy as 
a Laurel; Wellingtonia gigantea, quite healthy; Olea 
fragrans, the same ; C/iamcecypartsglauca, quite at home ; 
Mitraria coccinea, half dead; Cunningliamia lanceolala, 
quite healthy ; Pittosporum Tobira, the same ; Sarcococca 
prmiformis, dwarf Laurel-like plant; a fine Swammer- 
damia antennaria, Clethra tomentosa, Griolinea litoralis, 
an immense bush of living evergreen, one of Mr. Veitch’s 
new things, looking like a Bridgesia; Adenocarpus in¬ 
termedins, a large bush, with yellow Pea blossoms, which 
blooms all the summer and autumn till stopped by frost. 
Mr. Summers recommends this yellow shrub, with the 
white Zieria macrophylla, which blooms all the spring 
in the greenhouse, and the whole of the summer and 
autumn out of doors ; together with the three Diplacuses, 
glwtinosus, punieeus, and grandiforus, as a group of soft, 
shrubby plants, which would tell well in a bedding system 
•—a capital and original hint. 
In the same Experimental bed was a large and most 
healthy plant of Grevillea rosmarinifolia, sweeping the 
ground, for four or fivC feet in diameter, and in bloom 
all this winter. Also, Lomatia longifulia, six or seven 
feet high, blooming and seeding, and the seedlings up in 
all directions round it, proving it to be the hardiest of the 
Hew Holland Proteads. It looks like a narrow-leaved 
Banksia. All these have stood out four or five years, or 
more, but elsewhere are generally kept in-doors in winter. 
The Indig of era decora dies down every year like a 
Euchsia, and up again, strong as ever, blooms most beau¬ 
tifully, and is cut again, and so on. Tea plants and 
Camellias as healthy as with Milne, Arnott, and Co., 
quite exposed to the coldest blast. Broad-leaved and two 
kinds of narrow-leaved Myrtles just the same. Glypto- 
botrys heterophylla, a Conifer from China or Japan in 
1850, as healthy as a Cryptomeria, and produced cones 
last season; a rare thing. Ceanothuspapillosus in the 
most robust health, and literally swarmed with bloom- 
buds all over a large, close-growing shrub of it, six feet 
by eight feet, in the open border. C. divaricatus, of course 
much more hardy. Deeringia Amherstii, looking like 
some strong Cornus ; but it is a rare, hardy Ameranth, and 
there is a most beautifully-variegated form of it, equally 
hardy, in this garden, which will be exhibited, from here, 
probably for the first time. I got the secret of doing it for 
exhibition, but have not room to hold it to-day. Elceagnus 
reflexa, a beautiful and very rare hardy shrub, looking 
like a Banisteria; Conifers, Rhododendrons, hardy 
Climbers, and many more interesting plants, crowd me 
here; but I must edge off with the best Wellingtonia, 
which was bought at one guinea the inch. It is now 
exactly five feet high, less one half inch. Crinoline to 
just touch the end of the branches would need to be nine 
feet three inches round, aud the stem is ten inches round 
at the surface of the ground. The growth last year was 
two feet full, say a little over. There is not a Wellingtonia 
in Europe more fully exposed. 
On the very crown of the hill, above the sloping 
pleasure-ground, stands a block of plant-houses, built on 
an excellent plan for the growth of plants, and for the 
economy of heating. Three wide spans, that in the 
centre is devoted to Ferns, Orchids, Water Lilies; stove; 
and fine-foliaged plants. The divisions back and front are of 
glass down to the path. On the north side is a very wide 
Hew Holland-house, the “ back wall” of which is one of 
the said glass divisions. On the other side of the' centre 
stands the intermediate-house or stove, with one part Of 
it divided oil' for Cactus, in all its sections, Mesembry- 
anthemums, and other succulents. All the plants look in 
the very best health. Many of them are exhibition 
plants, and took first and second prizes. The secret of 
part of the success, and part of the good looks, is in tho 
fact that the side or “bottom air” must come through 
wide houses on either side of the centre house, and be 
“ qualified ” before if can reach the plants; and tho 
current is such, that “ top air ” is seldom needed till fires 
ai’e unnecessary. I noted the kinds, and the mode of 
treating the best-looking plants in all these ranges ; but 
I must keep them till I see how the prizes go, for fear of 
letting the cat out of the bag unwittingly, and take a turn 
into a splendid sight—a full standing orchard-house, at 
full play, and loaded in every part with the most pro¬ 
mising crops. Hever let me hear another word against 
orchard-houses. If you could see the Muscat Grapes in 
pots in this house on the top of Forest Hill, my word for 
it, you would act like the man who used to boast of his 
plants on “ the leads,” which he refresTied once a week 
from Covent Garden, till his neighbour, the head of the 
police at the Chiswick Shows, got him to go down there 
and see what the real gardeners did do ; and when he saw 
it he was ready to tear his hair out by the roots, and vowed 
he would go home, break all all his pots, and never again 
make such a fool of himself. 
If Mr. Summers do not beat Mr. Drewitt this year 
with these Muscats it will be surprising to me. His 
Peaches, Apricots, and Hectarines, are most beautiful 
and regular crops. The plants could not be more healthy. 
He does not allow a single root to escape into the border, 
as that would entail the destruction of the best feeders, 
and the bother of fresh potting. Pears do not set so v ell 
as stone fruit; but, once set, they go on well afterwards. 
The best remedy for this difficult setting is to keep the 
Pear-tree pots out till the bloom is in danger of frost. _ 
Bedding plants grow abundantly between the fruit 
trees, and Strawberries all round the sides, next the 
lights and ventilation. The division for Grapes has a 
bed in the centre for Cucumbers ; and it was irora this 
division that the remarkable pot of Cucumbers came 
which I mentioned as taking the first prize at the Crystal 
Palace last autumn. There were thirty-three Cucumbers 
on that plant at the Show, and five ol them averaged 
two feet each. Some of the Muscats now thinned ought 
to swell to Jibs, or 5 lbs. a bunch. Five bunches of the 
average of Grapes are reckoned a poor crop ; seven 
bunches a good crop; and eight ditto a large crop. Tim 
first prize for pot Grapes was also for fruit from this 
house. . ... 
The secret is to fruit only the five, six, seven, or eight 
top buds on a shoot, according to the strength of the 
roots. One plan is to make them in standards, with the 
fruiting buds in a coil—parasol fashion on the top ; the 
other is to coil into the pot the disbudded lower part of 
the shoots, and so bring down the bearers, which then 
make a fruiting pillar for the dessert-table. E. Beaton. 
LOOKIHG ABOUND US. 
SHRUBBY CALCEOLARIAS. 
Those intended to be grown in pots should receive 
their last potting by the beginning of May. _ The earliest 
lot will now be in bloom. Light rich soil suits them 
when young. A little rotten dung and good loam arc 
