694 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
July 3, 1886. 
THE DENBIES, DORKING. 
"Within a mile of tlie pretty and old-fashioned town of 
Dorking, on the crest of a hill commanding a fine pros¬ 
pect in every direction, stands the noble mansion of the 
Eight Hon. Geo. Cubitt, late M.P. for the Epsom divi¬ 
sion of Surrey. Situated in its own vast and naturally 
beautiful grounds, which have been rendered still more 
beautiful by the addition of large numbers of rare conifers 
and other hardy trees, which have now attained gigantic 
proportions, and embellished by many a clever piece of 
landscape gardening, which has, on its borders, merged 
the garden into the seemingly limitless park, with its 
gracefully curved slojres and valleys studded with aged 
Beeches, The Denbies forms a true type of the com¬ 
fortable and substantial homestead of a wealthy English 
gentleman. 
The views from the mansion are very fine, summer or 
winter. Its high elevation commands such a vast area 
at a glance that the beauty of the views presented is 
always ecpially great, and only dependent on the clear¬ 
ness of the atmosphere for extent. Thus on clear days 
in winter or autumn the charm of the views from The 
Denbies are in those seasons as great as that of the 
spring or summer, although at this season, the air 
being clearer, the utmost range of sight is obtained. 
Standing at the front on which the bright little garden 
of bedding plants is arranged, and looking over it down 
the hill and across the valley in which the town of 
Dorking lies, the eye takes in a vast expanse of lovely 
country beyond, ranging far away over the South 
Downs ; and again, on the other side, from the library 
front, the lovely views down the valley in the park, and 
over the fine old Beeches, Beigate and its neighbourhood 
appears, while on the other sides Windsor Castle and 
the Crystal Palace come into view far away through 
a beautiful and varied landscape, and innumerable 
peeps, worthy to be put on canvas, appear at every 
turn. 
The Pleasure Grounds. 
The fine pleasure grounds, which many will be glad 
to know, may be viewed by ticket one day in each 
week, contains some very good examples of gardening 
in every department, and reflect great credit on Mr. 
John Beesley, the head gardener. Here, as in many 
other gardens, bedding plants are not in great favour, 
but are confined to the two or three set designs of beds 
allotted to them, and in these, their bright colours, are 
welcome without being too prominent; for example, 
that charming bit of colour seen from the conservatory 
could not be spared, it also serves as a fine contrast to 
the beautiful hard} r -Fern rockery and the many cool 
shady walks between the tall Beeches and among the 
shrubberies near at hand. Here and there, on the 
smooth green turf, are clumps of Rhododendrons, among 
which R. Thompsoni, R. cinnabarinum, R, Blandford- 
ianum, and other species, are thriving well, and a new 
patch of Himalayan varieties has been planted, which 
have successfully passed through our late severe season. 
Many very handsome and rare trees appear in specimens 
of from 20 ft. to 30 ft. in height, the conifers being 
beautifully even and pyramidal in form. Among these 
we noted some grand examples of Abies Webbiana, 
A. Pindrow, A. eephalonica, A. Douglasii, Picea 
Pinsapo, P. Nordmanniana, Libocedrus decurrens, 
M ellingtonia gigantea, Araucaria imbricata; some 
superbly furnished Cryptomeria japonica and a cpiaint 
looking Larix Griffithii, with angular irregular branches 
■with pendant points. This curious tree comes in well 
in the scene, and it is interesting as being, according to 
Sir Joseph Hooker, the only true specimen in the 
country. 
Many fine trees of most of the varieties of Magnolias 
and other fine flowering trees and shrubs not usually 
met with, here appear in splendid condition, and a 
beautiful and novel feature is introduced by planting 
the purple Acer polymorphum atropurpureum under the 
high banks of Silver Hollies, the contrast of colours being 
very effective. In various parts of the grounds, are 
clumps and borders of Roses, Pseonies, Iris, and other 
showy hardy herbaceous plants, but in no part do they 
appear to greater advantage than in the broad green drive, 
where the Roses, scarlet Papaver bracteatum, and other 
showy things show up well, fronting the tall masses of 
Lilac, Mock Orange, and other trees and shrubs that 
enclose this cool and pleasant glade, which leads to the 
pretty church built on the estate. In the churchyard, 
which is w ell kept, and has some well-formed plants 
of Araucaria imbricata, we noted a novel use of Deutzia 
gracilis, plants of which were thickly planted on two of 
the graves, and were a mass of white bloom with the 
green young shoots extending beyond. The plants are 
clipped over every year, and thus form very handsome 
and suitable plants for such situations. 
The Plant House. 
A great number of glass structures at The Denbies, 
have been planned rather with a view to securing com¬ 
fortable covered-in promenades available for a stroll in 
all weathers, than for the purpose of plant growing, as 
it is now generally interpreted ; hence, a very consider¬ 
able extent of lofty and spacious glass-roofed corridors 
in many divisions has been arranged, running from the 
conservatory adjoining the mansion. In these structures 
a large number of plants, which require age and space 
to bring them to perfection, may always be found in 
bloom, exhibiting in their uncurbed luxuriance, beauties 
which it would be impossible for them to attain in 
ordinary plant houses. This is especially noticeable 
with the climbers which garnish the roof in all direc¬ 
tions, some of these, as for example, the Bignonias are 
now seldom seen, because they are said to be shy 
flowerers, but the marvellous display which each in its 
season makes here, seems to say that patience is amply 
repaid by them, for although some things are difficult 
to flower for the first two or three years, they make 
amends afterwards by the profusion and regularity with 
which they display them. 
The lofty conservatory contains much of interest in 
tropical vegetation, some fine Palms and tree Ferns in 
the centre being very characteristic. Among these we 
noted grand specimens of the silver tree Fern, of Hew 
Zealand (Cyathea dealbata); some equally good ones 
of that Fern popularly called the Scythian Lamb 
(Cibotium Barometz),from the close resemblance which 
its large double crown often bears to the fore-part of a 
lamb. Some good examples of the fine glossy-leaved 
Aspidium coriaceum capense, and equally handsome 
Davallia pyxidata, which latter makes handsome, large 
and tall plants when the rhizomes are trained upwards, 
as they are here. The roof of the conservatory is gay with 
climbers, and the back w T all has a most extraordinary 
clotliingof scarletzonal Pelargoniums, whichisheremade 
to do duty as a climber covering the whole length and 
breadth of the wall, to a height of about 16 ft., and 
making a grand show with their glowing scarlet trusses. 
The best of these, and the tallest, is the old Pelargonium 
Comet, and others found suitable for the work are the 
Rev. F. Atkinson, John Gibbons, and Jean Sisley. 
Lasiandra macrantha, too, is trained to the same purpose, 
and effective^ covers the end of the house, producing 
in great abundance its large violet-coloured flowers ; 
while over the front, outside, a lovely mingling of 
Ampelopsis Veitchii and pale blue Wistaria sinensis 
presents itself. 
Throughout the whole distance of the corridors in¬ 
teresting flowers are to be met with on either hand, and 
overhead are the fine old climbers, the most attractive 
of which at present are Bignonia Chirere, with stems 
as thick as one’s wrist, running overhead in all direc¬ 
tions, the branches covered with innumerable scarlet 
and orange flowers, about the size of Gloxinias ; Tac- 
sonia exoniensis and T. mollissima, the former with 
showers of carmine flowers, and the latter with pint; 
the white flowered Solanum jasminioides, with countless 
graceful sprays of bloom ; the carmine Ipomie Hors- 
falliae, and the delicate mauve Bougainvillea glabra, 
the scarlet and yellow Fuchsia-like Abutilon mega- 
ponticum, and the pure white A. Boule de Neige ; the 
pretty Tecoma jasminioides, and the richly-tinted Big¬ 
nonia grandiflora, whose Fern-like leaves are also 
beautiful; the curious Akebia quinata, and the favourite 
white and red Lapagerias, together with many graceful 
Fuchsias, which are made to do duty as climbers and 
pillar plants as well as the fragrant Heliotropes. Of 
the Fuchsias used for this work, the most elegant are 
the old Venus di Medici, Souvenir de Chiswick, 
Dominiana, and eorymbiflora, and these are very 
fine. 
Among the 'rare bushes in this part of the glass 
garden are some well-fruited Oranges and Lemons in 
the Orangery, an immense and floriferous bush ol 
Luculia gratissima, some very fine Brugmansias, in¬ 
cluding the scarlet and yellow B. sanguinea, the scarlet 
Clianthus, the fragrant Magnolia fuscata, and many 
other fine old greenhouse flowering shrubs. Not the 
least attractive, too, in these corridors are the fine 
specimens of Cape and Cape hybrid Pelargoniums, with 
scented leaves, the favourite, either for bush or wall, 
being P. quercifolium floribundum, which is a gem of 
a plant, with scented Oak-leaf and trusses of pink and 
crimson flowers, perfectly circular in form—in fact, 
resembling a miniature show Pelargonium. 
Branching out of the corridors are the houses for 
plant growing, and these contain excellently cultivated 
stove, greenhouse and decorative plants, each after their 
kind. In one are some grandly flowered Achimenes, 
together with Ferns and foliage plants ; in another some 
finely flowered shrubby Begonias, many specimens of 
white Eucharis, some charming Gloxinias, fine plants of 
the various Maidenhairs, scarlet Ixoras, Clerodendrons, 
&c. In another house we found a well-flowered set of 
tuberous Begonias, and other greenhouse plants, among 
wdiicli was the fine crimson-flowered Canna Ehemanni, 
beautiful in leaf and flower. One of the houses, with 
wall covered with Ficus repens, is fitted up as a Fern 
rockery, with gigantic specimens of Seaforthia elegans 
in the centre ; another contains Crotons, Dracienas, 
and other plants for table decoration ; and the specimen 
house has some noble plants, such as Alocasia Lowii, 
Cycas reyoluta, Clerodendron Balfourianum, Palms, 
Adiantums, and a small lot of Orchids, among which 
the sweet old zErides odoratum, is bearing seven spikes. 
The Fruit Houses 
Consist of a range of four spacious Vineries, all of 
them well cropped in succession, one of them being now 
ripe and in use ; Peach houses, a long unheated Cherry 
house, other covered-in walls with shelves for Straw¬ 
berries, Melon house, well cropped and with plenty of 
ripe fruit, and other houses for Cucumbers, &e., and 
these, as well as the large kitchen garden, both within 
and without the walls, are in the most creditable con¬ 
dition, and well worthy of more notice than space permits 
us to give them. 
-- 
ON THE MANAGEMENT OF THE 
CHRYSANTHEMUM IN VIEW OF 
COMPETITION. 
It is, perhaps, only within the last ten or twelve 
years that this flower has become so universal!}' popular. 
Its natural blooming season being at a dead time of 
the year, when most other flowers are done, gives it 
peculiar attractions ; and I think it is now generally 
admitted that, as an autumn flower, it stands unrivalled. 
It possesses none of the fastidiousness of the Rose, but 
grows fairly well in both town and country with 
ordinary attention. The name Chrysanthemum 
has undoubtedly been conferred on it on account of its 
colour, in its more primitive state ; the word signifying 
gold flower , and it is a fact worthy of notice, that even 
in its present advanced stage of progress, yellow, or 
some shade approaching it, is still the prevailing colour. 
I was very much struck with this on taking a survey 
of the cut blooms and groups of plants staged at last 
year’s show in this town, when it seldom falls to the 
lot of anyone to behold a ' finer collection brought 
together. 
Although the Chrysanthemum will yield fair results 
with ordinary attention, yet with careful culture it is 
surprising how much more may be got out of it, and it 
is with a view to the exhibition table that I wish to 
make a few remarks as to its management. 
To an exhibitor, the most interesting and important • 
period of the plant’s existence is not when they are in 
bloom, but from the time the cuttings are put in up to 
that time. The flowers will come right if the treat¬ 
ment of the plants has been right; nothing can hinder 
this save sheer accident. I do not think there is any 
flower which requires more constant daily attention to 
grow it really well than this one. No amount of 
kindness on a certain day can compensate for neglect 
on days prevjV-s, j n fact, the building up of a plant is 
much tin ihing as the building of a house ; it is 
done b', a Drick at a time and not by shovelfuls. 
In taking cuttings in the autumn to grow as plants 
the following year, the best time is from the beginning 
of November to the end of December ; and it is not 
wisdom to take shoots which are frequently seen 
growing on the lower part of the stem of the old plant, 
but such as spring np from the soil around the base of 
it. It is best to insert one cutting in a pot of 3 ins. 
rather than four or five in a larger size, as the roots of 
the various cuttings often become interwoven the one 
within the other. It is best to strike the cuttings in a 
cold frame or on the stage of a cool greenhouse. I have 
tried both plans, and I find the one as good as the 
other as a rule; but in very severe winters, like last 
