650 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
June 12, 1886. 
undulating surface, plenty of shade, and costly monu¬ 
ments, and all the other melancholy attractions possible 
to find in any place of sepulture. The various squares 
are greatly patronized ; they are well planted, and at 
the time of my visit the beds were gay with Hyacinths 
and Tulips, and other spring flowers. There is a 
plentiful supply of seats for the weary, and fountains 
for the thirsty. There are many lovers of plants 
amongst the amateurs in the vicinity of New York, 
but the finest private establishments are away out of 
the city. For miles on the banks of the Hudson you 
can see fine well-kept places, such men as Jay Gould, 
Hon. S. J. Tilden, and many others, having very fine 
and extensive ranges of glass. 
Up the Hudson River. 
At Irvington, Mr. Jay Gould’s palatial residence, 
there is a noble range of houses, of which I enclose 
you a sketch (see p. 649). The central house in the 
range is filled with Palms, fine foliage plants, &c. ; 
one house is full of Nepenthes, very fine, and several 
contain Orchids only, including a magnificent lot of 
Cattleyas in flower, many hundreds of which are 
grown. Crotons and Dracsenas and other fine foliage 
plants occupy another house, and in several good 
Vineries I noticed good crops of fruit. I also passed 
through houses of Roses, planted out, Heliotropes, and 
Carnations, &c. The grounds are beautifully kept, 
and contain a fine collection of hardy trees and shrubs, 
and splendid Conifers. Bedding-out is also well done, 
the place is beautifully kept, and great credit is due to 
Mr. Mansfold, Mr. Gould’s clever gardener, who has 
had charge of the establishment a great many years. 
At the Hon. S. J. Tilden’s, Greystone, Jonkers, the 
houses are new, and not completely planted. The 
centre house contains Palms and other fine foliaged 
plants ; others will be devoted to Vines and other fruits ; 
one is devoted to Roses, and others again are intended 
for Orchids and stove plants. These when filled will be 
very fine, as it is the intention of Mr. Tilden to have 
nothing but what is first class, and he is well supported 
by Mr. Miller, his gardener. The grounds are very 
extensive, and fine views of the Hudson River are 
obtained from various points. 
The principal horticultural buildings in America have 
been erected by Messrs. Lord & Burnham, of Irvington, 
and are models of skill in construction. They are now 
engaged in erecting many fine ranges of houses in 
various parts of America, which speaks well for the 
future prospects of horticulture. The range above 
alluded to as just having been erected for the Hon. S. J. 
Tilden, Jonkers, New Jersey, is fit for anyplace, and 
capable of producing plants, cut flowers, &c., equal to 
any nobleman’s requirements. A trip up the Hudson 
River should not by any means be missed by the visitor to 
New York, the splendid boats and fine scenery rendering 
it a most enjoyable outing It is said by travellers that 
there is no river or lake in the world so beautiful as 
that portion of the Hudson between Peekshill and West 
Point; it is as fine as any scenery on the Rhine. The 
Catskill Mountain ranges scarcely leave the eye, so 
graceful is the outline, and for a long time the views over 
the Hudson Valley are very fine. 
Catskill to Albany. 
After leaving Catskill one comes to Hudson, a large 
and thriving town, but were there are no good private 
places worthy of note ; and the same may be said of 
Poughkeepsie. Arriving at Albany, the capital of the 
state of New York, one is struck with the magnificent 
new buildings, such as the State House and Govern¬ 
ment offices. A famous collection of Orchids, second 
to none in America, is to be seen here at the country 
residence of Erastus Corning, Esq. It contains many 
novelties of sterling merit, many of which cannot be 
duplicated. There is a grand collection of all the 
leading and most rare Orchids, and they are in splendid 
condition. Cool Orchids are here done well, the 
numerous spikes and fine varieties which are so familiar 
to us all are to be seen in perfection. Cattleyas, Lailias, 
Vandas, Aerides, Saccolabiums, Phalsenopsis, Den- 
drobiums, &c., are all represented in many fine plants 
of the most popular sorts. Stove and greenhouse plants 
are also well done; likewise Vines. Mr. Gray, Mr. 
Coming’s gardener, has had charge of the place a great 
many years, and his long experience has taught him 
the suitable requirements for carrying out practically 
all-round gardening in a perfect and artistic manner. 
Mr. Corning is a great lover of plants, and is to be 
congratulated upon having the finest collection of 
Orchids in America, and which is a source of great 
pleasure to him. There are houses here devoted to 
each class, viz., Dendrobiums, Cattleyas, Odonto- 
glossums, Vandas. &c., &c. Another fine collection, 
but not so large, is that of General Rathbone, which 
also contains jnany good plants. 
There are several florists here, of whom the most 
noted is Louis Menand, whose nursery contains many 
novelties not often to be met with. There are also one 
or two collections of Orchids at Troy. At one of these 
places I saw Odontoglossum citrosmum roseum, with 
over two dozen spikes. The cemeteries at Albany and 
Troy are very extensive and well kept, as are the public 
squares and gardens. Leaving Albany on the way to 
Rochester, one passes through a magnificently undulated 
and well-wooded country, containing many features of 
interest, but too numerous to mention here—fine ravines, 
waterfalls, &c., everything that one can wish for. 
You pass Utica, the capital of Oneida ; Rome, a thriving 
town on the Mohawk River ; Syracuse, where the ex¬ 
tensive salt wells are situated ; Auburn, capital of 
Cayuga County, where one of the large New York 
prisons is located ; and Palmyra before reaching the 
beautiful town of Rochester. There are several horti¬ 
culturists at the places mentioned who are beginning 
and promise to become patrons of gardening. 
Rochester. 
Rochester, one of the largest towns in North New 
York State, is situated on the Genesee River. Here 
are some very fine seed establishments, where a most 
extensive and lucrative business is carried on, but to give 
a description of them would occupy too much space, so 
I must confine myself to plant establishments. Here 
has been established within the last two years what 
promises in the future to be one of the largest and best 
collections of plants in America. W. S. Kimball, Esq., 
is the enthusiast; he has started well, and what is more, 
the plants are doing well. He fortunately procured the 
services of Mr. George Savage, whose English training 
and American experience stamps him as one of the best 
gardeners in the States; both master and man work 
well together, and it is pleasing always to meet such 
enthusiasts. The houses here are first-rate for the 
purpose ; some new ones were being erected at the time 
of my visit for Orchids, and fine ones too. Several fine 
Cattleyas and Lrelias were in flower, including a huge 
mass of C. Skinneri with over 250 flowers, several good 
Dendrobes, Cypripediums, Vandas, Aerides, Angrsecums, 
Phalsenopsis, and many others were in flower, making 
a very fine display. In addition to the Orchid-house, 
there is a grand Aquatic-house, where all the Nympheas 
and Victor Regia do well. Mr. Kimball most liberally 
throws open his houses to the public, a treat which is 
greatly appreciated by rich and poor, and which would 
be a great benefit to the same classes in other towns if 
some of those in possession of plants would follow his 
example. In a few years this collection will outdo some 
of the older-established ones. 
The Falls of Niagara. 
From Rochester, Niagara is easily reached, and here 
are the celebrated falls which are known all over the 
world. It is said that 25,000 tons of water pass over 
the ridge every second ; it is a grand and imposing 
sight. Tkere’are several interesting features here, viz., 
the Rapids, Goal Island, the Whirlpool, the Burning 
Spring, and for those who like to adventure, as I did, 
under the falls, when you must be provided with 
waterproof clothing, and a cool collected man as guide. 
Here is also the celebrated Suspension Bridge which 
connects America with Canada. Buffalo is easily 
reached from here, but there is nothing interesting in 
gardening there worthy of mention. Cleveland, Ohio, 
the Forest City is situated on Lake Erie, and is so called 
because the wide streets are lined with fine Elms, 
which give it a very interesting and grand appearance ; 
there are a few Orchid growers beginning here also. 
There is also a good park, with a fine monument 
erected to the memory of Commodore Perry, also a 
grand cemetery, Wood Lawn. 
Chicago and Cincinnati. 
At Toledo and Fort Mayne there is nothing particu¬ 
larly interesting, but at Chicago and Cincinnati, there 
are several flourishing florists, and some good private 
places are springing up. Chicago is one of the most 
flourishing cities in the world, beautifully situated on 
Lake Michigan, on ground sloping up from the lake, 
and with the Chicago river dividing into two branches 
running through the entire city, adds to its beauty and 
commercial convenience. The city is full of interest; 
it has fine buildings of enormous size, and one would 
little think that so recent as 1874, such a calamity 
existed as the great fire which completely prostrated 
the place for a while. There are several fine parks 
here, well laid out, also cemeteries, but they want time 
to give them an established appearance in most eases; 
the Union Park is the most complete. 
Here I must conclude the first portion of my notes, 
with a few words on the Easter Lily of Bermuda, of 
which I send you a photograph of a remarkable 
specimen, which flowered with Messrs. F. R. Pierson & 
Co., Tanytown, New York (see p. 645). It bore 
no less than 145 blooms in 1884. Lilium Harrisi 
is forced for winter and spring flowering in enormous 
quantities, so great a favourite has it become. 
(To be continued.) 
-- 
STIGMAPHYLLUM CILIATUM. 
I had not seen this plant in flower, and had very 
little idea what it was like till it flowered here, and I 
am now surprised at this, because from its behaviour 
here I am of opinion that it must rank amongst the 
first of our stove climbers, and with us it has not been 
affected with any insect pests so as to give us much 
trouble. I received a plant of it five years ago in a 
5-inch pot, which was transferred into one 2 ins. larger, 
and early the following year into a 10-in., which is the 
largest size we care to see on the narrow stage it had to 
stand upon. In April of that year it flowered as well 
as could be expected, and it was satisfactory the 
following one, but it began to lose its leaves and look 
shabby before the end of it, and as there was no im¬ 
provement, the fourth year I decided to plant it out in 
what might be regarded as an unfavourable position, 
and I had no great hopes of its succeeding, as the 
shoots would inevitably be within 3 ins. of the hot- 
water pipes and for 2 ft. of their length in comparative 
darkness, which would interfere with young shoots 
coming from the bottom. A hole was, however, dug 
for it underneath the four hot-water pipes and the 
shoots were carefully drawn through the narrow space 
at the back of the stage whilst the ball of the plant 
was being conducted as desired till the hole was reached. 
A few inches of peat and loam in equal portions with a 
dash of sand was placed underneath, and 3 ins. of the 
same rammed round. 
After passing through this mixture, the roots would 
share in common with Ferns, Begonias (foliage and 
flowering), a border 2 ft. wide, 50 ft. long, and 4 ft. 
deep, composed of various materials from a shaving to 
half a brick, in fact all the rubbish left by the builder 
from that and other houses was collected to fill up, as it 
was not intended at the time to plant anything in it. 
When we planted the Ferns for a trial, we placed some 
of the best mixture from underneath the potting bench 
round the roots of each plant, and have top-dressed 
with the same in the spring. There is no doubt that 
the Stigmaphyllum roots have extended some distance 
into this border, for it covers as much more space as 
it did before it was planted, and its inflorescence has 
proportionately increased. The whole space covered 
by flowering shoots is 12 ft. by 2 ft., with an oc¬ 
casional spray suspending such as the one I forward. 
It appears that the Stigmaphyllum, like many other 
plants, is not particular as to the nature of the compost, 
provided it has plenty of it. Our plant has been in 
flower since the 10th of April, and is tolerably well- 
covered with bloom at the present time.— IV. P. P. 
P.S.—You will notice that some of the flowers have 
dropped from the specimen, four and five are the usual 
number at each joint. [This is one of the most hand¬ 
some of yellow-flowered stove climbers; but though 
introduced from Brazil many years ago, is very little 
grown. We believe it first flowered at Sion House, 
about forty-five years ago.— Ed.] 
-- 
FRUITS, FLOWERS & VEGETABLES. 
♦ _ 
~ . ♦ - 
Wistaria sinensis.— Many dwelling-houses are 
now adorned with this lovely climbing plant, and 
common though it be, it is unequalled when in flower. 
The fine pendulous racemes of pale purplish lilac are 
most delicate in colour and form, and they are produced 
so freely that walls are covered with them, hiding the 
stems, the few fresh young leaves peeping out from 
amongst them. The Wistaria is quite hardy in the 
south of England, except that when we have late frosts 
the flowers are very liable to be injured, and I have a 
plant which has suffered this year from the same cause. 
