THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Januaey 11, 1851). 
220 
well bloomed. These were judiciously mixed with, and set off 
by, large Ferns, and the fashionable and always beautiful va¬ 
riegated-leaved plants. 
The greenhouse forms a span-roof with this stove, separated 
from the latter by a central wall. The plants on the stage were 
arranged something in the ribbon style—Fuchsias formed the 
back row, then Scarlet Geraniums, then Verbenas, finally edged 
with green Lycopods. This is the first attempt I have seen in 
arranging plants in that style, and I think it is much more 
worthy of imitation than the promiscuous mixture we generally 
see in collections of plants. On the front low platform, I saw 
some good specimens of Heaths, Epacris, and other hard-wooded 
plants, growing, indeed, too large for the house; but they will 
have more room shortly, for a new large span-roofed house was 
just being finished, purposely for such plants, though Mr. 
M‘Bey informed me he intended to fill it with Chrysanthemums 
this year, as he was afraid the fresh paint would injure his more 
susceptible plants. I consider this was a wise and prudent 
caution. From this greenhouse, we walked to examine the Pibe 
pits. Here, that fruit is grown entirely in pits. They are fifty 
feet long and fifteen feet wide, rather steep span-roofed, and the 
lights lift up whenever any operations are necessary. They looked 
very well in their position. They are heated with hot water. 
Pits for Cucumbers, early vegetables, and for protecting and 
propagating bedding out plants, are placed near the glass-houses, 
in a square surrounded by an evergreen hedge, with walks 
between them. This, also, is an excellent arrangement, for such 
pits and frames do not associate well with any other gardening 
objects. 
The Vineries and Peach-houses are placed against the south 
wall, and are extensive. The crops of the earlier houses were, of 
course, all gathered ; but, in the later forced houses, I saw some 
good fruit still hanging. 
In the large square of the garden, the south wall is covered 
with healthy Peach, Nectarine, and Apricot trees. The ripening 
of the wood, and the protecting of the early blossoms, is effected 
by having the walls flued—a good old method, too much ne¬ 
glected now-a-days. This warm summer, combined with this 
artificial heat, had caused some Black Hamburgh Grapes to 
ripen, even so far north as Lincoln, very well indeed—1 have 
never seen finer out of doors. 
In the borders, I again saw that very neat and useful Cabbage, 
called the Rosetle, which I described as having seen at Headington 
Hill lately. I can confidently recommend it as a desirable and 
much superior autumn vegetable. 
Pear trees in the open borders are here framed in the pyramid 
and drooping styles, and are very healthy, fruitful trees. 
Leaving this interesting part of the grounds, a winding walk 
brought us to the modern flower garden. In the centre is a 
raised Italian bed, of considerable size. A straight walk leads 
down the middle, and is flanked by handsome vases. The beds 
are on turf, and filled with the usual flowers, which, when I saw 
them, were past their best. The south side is bounded by a con¬ 
servative wall, which, when the plants against it are more ad¬ 
vanced in growth, will greatly add to the interest of the place. 
Hitherto, I have done nothing but praise everything I saw 
there; indeed, I could find very little that could be improved. 
The only point I should like to alter would be the Pinetum. I 
thought there were too many dark-coloured Coniferte, and that 
they were too much crowded. I would certainly take away a 
considerable number of Yews, and substitute some of the more 
elegant and lighter-shaded species. I must, however, conclude 
by saying, that I was really pleased with the place, and recom¬ 
mend all lovers of good gardening to go and judge for them¬ 
selves.—T. Attleby. 
APRICOT GEOS ROUGE-BELLE D’OELEANS 
CHERRY. 
I have read with very great interest tho account you are so 
accurately giving of “Fruits suited to Great Britain.” I observe, 
that, under the head of Apricot Gros Rouge , you state that it is 
a variety of the Reach Apricot. Now, Mr. Rivers, in his “ De¬ 
scriptive Catalogue of Fruits for 1851,” informs the public that 
the Gros Rouge is a new variety of the Moorpark race. When 
a country gentleman, so well informed as you are, differs from a 
nurseryman so intelligent and skilful as Mr. Rivers, how are we 
students of The Cottage Gardener to arrive at the truth ? 
I have grown the Gros Rouge against a south brick wall for 
the last seven years, and it appears to me to be a hardy, healthy 
vigorous-growing variety. As yet, however, it has proved to be 
but a shy bearer, as it lias only produced about a dozen fruit all 
these years. The flowers open very sleepily, and scarcely expand 
at all: last spring, however, they opened rather less sleepily than 
in previous years. The fruit is as you describe—rich, juicy, and 
excellent. Its habit, growth, and hardiness of wood, arc all that 
could be wished, if it would only fruit more freely. 
Belle d’ Orleans Cherry. —Seven years ago, I was tempted to 
buy a trained rider of this earliest and richest of Cherries. It 
grew beautifully, covered itself admirably with fruit spurs, and 
was covered with blossom every spring, and was quite an ornament 
to the west wall of my garden. While in flower, no fruit tree 
can be more beautiful; but, alas! this is almost all it lias ever 
done—a dozen fruit the most it has ever produced in any one 
season. The slightest frost destroyed the vitality of the blossoms. 
For the last two years, it has been protected in the same manner, 
and with the same material, as the Peach trees. While these bore 
abundant crops of fruit, this Cherry failed, as usual: hundreds of 
blossoms were killed by the frost, in spite of tho protecting ma¬ 
terial ; and of the hundreds that escaped injury, and set for fruit, 
only a dozen or so swelled to fine fruit: the remainder either did 
not grow at all, or dropped off in the stoning. I have, therefore, 
reluctantly dug the free up, and thrown it away, as far too tender 
to be useful.—A Loyer or Good Fruit. 
\_Gros Rouge and. Moorpark are both varieties of the Reach 
Apricot, and, therefore, Gros Rouge may be referred either to the 
one or the other.] 
CALCEOLARIAS AND THEIR FAILURE. 
I AM glad to find that my appeal to the growers of Calceolarias 
(out of doors), to come forward and state their experience of the 
plant, has been responded to by two correspondents (pages 185 and 
186), both giving a favourable report of the bedding kinds used 
by them during last summer. It is to be hoped that the plant’s 
usefulness is not drawing to a close, as was feared by many ; but 
I also hope that others who may not have been so successful will 
also come forward and publish their case, for the result of an un¬ 
successful experiment is scarcely less interesting than of one that 
succeeded. The dangerous points and places in our path ought 
to be as carefully pointed out, as rocks and shoals are to the 
mariner ; and one who records his disappointment in not having 
such a good display as he expected of such and such things, 
treated in some proper (but perhaps novel) manner, is as much 
entitled to our thanks, as the one who puts forth his success. 
In the matter of Calceolarias, there is evidently something 
wrong. Our correspondent (“T. C. F.,” page 185), says, “He 
believes the failure to have been general. But, in his case, they did 
very well on stiff, wet ground, newly broken up and drained, the 
beds being composed of chopped turf.” Under such favourable 
circumstances, they had a much better chance than in many others. 
But fresh earth will not always grow them, for I had some planted 
on ground which had been embanked to the depth of several 
feet of fresh earth, that had not been in cultivation for at least 
fifty years or more, and with no better success than in the ordi¬ 
nary flower-beds. With me, the plants do not die off during the 
summer, as complained of by many ; but they did not flower 
much after the first blooms of the season were over. I attributed 
this to the heat and dryness of the month of June. The plants 
became, in a manner, stunted and partially ripened; and when 
moist weather did set in, the growth was iu wood, and not in 
flowers, the latter only being formed so late in the season as to be 
useless—cold, bad weather setting in. Now, I do not despair of 
having Calceolarias as good as ever, next year again, if the season 
be favourable; but it is somowhat odd that they should have 
become so barren of flowers, both in 1857 and 1858 : tho early 
part of both seasons, however, being very hot may have caused 
them to do so. 
In regard to the cultivation and hardihood of the shrubby 
kinds, mostly used in bedding, I may say, that in tho winter of 
1850-51, two beds of the old Calceolaria angustifolia stood with¬ 
out losing a single plant., and with very little protection, and, as 
might be expected, their first blooming—which, of course, was 
early for Calceolarias—was abundant and fine. But there was little 
succession, and towards August some of the plants died off. The 
situation being a dry one, and soil not deep, and watering by 
hand being impracticable, the result need afford no surprise. 
I have not, therefore, endeavoured to save any whole beds since, 
