72 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 2, 1886. 
THE DELL, EGHAM. 
Ox high ground on the edge of Windsor Park, stands 
Baron Schroder’s pretty house and garden, which latter 
is one of the richest and best kept in England. In 
every department of the garden neatness and good 
order prevails ; outdoors the walk's are always bright 
and weedless, the verges sharply cut, the grass short 
and smooth, and the rare dwarf-growing Conifers, 
Golden Hollies and flowering shrubs are trimmed and 
tended with as much care as the greenhouse plants; while 
indoors the houses are always comfortable, the paths 
and stages scrupulously clean, the plants in good 
condition, and some or other of them making a fine 
show of bloom every day in the year. Go when one 
will, there is a pleasant day’s work to inspect the rare 
beauties at The Dell, but at special seasons, a glowing 
display of flowers greets the eye. When the Rhodo¬ 
dendrons are in bloom, the gardens are at their 
greatest beauty, for then the scene on the garden side 
of the house is matchless, the whole view being 
bounded on all sides by raised and undulating banks of 
the best and richest-coloured Rhododendrons, with 
here and there, in the fore-ground and space beyond, 
the brilliant colours of large clumps of the same, 
blended with the softer tints of the masses of the white 
Kalmia latifolia, and the white, rose, yellow and salmon- 
coloured varieties of Azalea pontica. It is, indeed, 
impossible to imagine or describe anything so lovely as 
The Dell in the Rhododendron season ; and in the 
houses the Cattlej'a floweribg-time is a very gay one 
also. 
The Drive. 
At the entrance lodge stands a patriarchal Oak, and 
some specimens of Abies Douglasii, mounting into the 
air 60 ft. or 70 ft., tall, thin, and straight, and having 
more the habit of the Larch than of the Douglas Fir. 
They are very beautiful and unlike any other conifers, 
their different habit of growth, it is supposed, being the 
result of grafting—if so, it would be desirable to get 
some grafted Abies Douglasii. The carriage drive 
is planted on both sides with golden Hollies, and such 
conifers as are neat in growth, and which may be always 
kept within the limits allotted to them ; hence a very 
pretty and neat effect is insured, summer and winter, 
by the large oval or conical specimens of golden Yews, 
yellow and variegated Retinosporas, dark-tinted Thujas, 
and golden Arbor Vities—each perfect in shape, and 
standing alone in a manner calculated best to display 
its own beauty, -while harmonising with its fellows for 
general effect. Arrived at the house, a splendid view 
is obtained over the dell, and through 
A Glade of Giant Beeches and Oaks, 
Windsor Castle appearing at the end. This is a grand 
view, and with the bracken-clad grove and graceful 
deer forms a picture not likely to be forgotten by any 
visitor to Baron Schroder’s garden. On the other side 
of the house, which, is fitted with a continuous glass 
front and pretty Fern rockery at the end, the flower 
garden appears. This is restricted to one geometrical 
design, with fountain and basin in the centre, and four 
figures holding aloft baskets in which variegated Agaves 
are planted. A good number of the smaller beds are 
planted in carpet style, and in others the carpet and 
old style bedding is mixed, and altogether a very pretty 
and bright effect is made. For bright and rich 
colours the tuberous Begonias share honours with the 
Pelargoniums, and among the last-named some of the 
oldest are the best, such as Beaton’s Indian Yellow, 
the soft salmon-cerise Lucius, and the old scarlet 
Warrior ; but out of them all, new and old, for good 
trusses of dark blood-red, none come near the now 
general favourite, Henry Jacoby. 
Conifers and Rhododendrons. 
Studded about the smooth lawn beyond the flower 
garden are a large number of grand specimens of Cedars, 
Araucaria imbricata (50 ft.), Libocedrus decurrens, all 
the best varieties of Abies, Cupressus, Retinospora, &c., 
in grand specimens, the whole being bounded by the 
raised banks of Rhododendrons before mentioned. On 
the left of the house is an object of great interest—viz., 
a huge specimen of the old double white Camellia, 
which has grown and flowered magnificently outdoors 
at The Dell for many years. It is planted against an 
old wall, but grows away from it into a dense bush 
some 20 ft. in height and 25 ft. in width. It is now 
covered with prominent buds too numerous even to 
guess at their number. 
The Splendid Block of Glasshouses 
Is reached by means of a tunnel built of white porcelain¬ 
faced bricks. This is an admirable contrivance, as the 
flower garden and pleasure grounds round the house are 
divided from the garden under glass and the kitchen 
and fruit gardens by a road. The houses, which are 
spacious and well built, occupy the centre of a square, 
the 300 ft. range of Peach, Nectarine and Plum houses 
enclosing one side, and the equally fine range of Yineries 
another. The offices and the comfortable bothies for 
the young. men are also within the square, the whole 
being built on a very convenient plan. 
The Orchids. 
Baron Schroder has a very famous collection of 
Orchids, which occupies the principal houses, some of 
the specimens, like the new ivory-white Vanda Dearei 
which has just flowered there, and attracted many 
visitors, being unique. Among them we noticed the 
unbeatable Odontoglossum crispum Veitchianum, the 
superb O. c. Ballantinei, O. c. Sanderianum, O. c. 
apiatum, 0. c. Seliroderianum, 0. Pescatorei Veitchi¬ 
anum, 0. P. Seliroderianum, 0. exeellens, 0. excellens 
Ivnoxii, and other priceless treasures, together with a 
good general collection which steadily improves in 
condition every year. 
In the cool houses there is a great show for bloom on 
the Masdevallias and Odontoglossoms, some of the 
0. crispum, 0. Coradinei, Oncidium varicosum, 0. 
Forbesii, 0. incurvum, &c., being in flower, while 
overhead a very showy and interesting collection of 
chimieroid Masdevallias, with their curious bat-like 
flowers, appear. Among these the most striking are 
M. chimaera, the yellow-ground variety ; M. c. Shields- 
iana, with large upright flowers of bright reddish 
crimson, freckled with white ; and M. c. Winniana, 
with very dark crimson and white flowers with remark¬ 
ably long tails. M. erythrochaete, M. Houtteana, and 
a few other smaller kinds are also very pretty. 
The Cattleya and Lailia Houses 
Are very rich in good things sending up a great profusion 
of flower sheaths and spikes well advanced, the white 
Lselia anceps being marvellously well done. Among 
them are large specimens, with five to seven spikes, of 
L. anceps Dawsoni, which none of the new-comers 
have yet deposed from its place as prime favourite ; 
also showing numerous spikes among the white varieties 
are L. a. alba, L. a. Veitchiana, L. a. Hilli, L. a. rosea, 
L. a. Williamsii, L. a. Percivaliana, L. a. Stella, and 
L. a. Sanderiana ; the distinct-looking L. a. Sehro- 
derian, of which so much is expected, does not 
intend to flower this year. Other notable specimens in 
this house are a fine lot of Messrs. Veitch’s superb 
hybrid Cattleyas and Lnelias, some large C. exoniensis, 
well-sheathed specimens of white C. Mossiie, a grand 
mass of the yellow Sobralia xantholeuca, and Cattleya 
Skinneri alba, which will have a dozen and a half spikes. 
Also in bloom are Cattleya Loddigesii, C. maxima 
Peruviana, a grand variety ; C. calummata, C. Har- 
risonke alba, a lovely white Cattleya ; C. Devoniensis, 
a fine hybrid ; C. Acklandia?, and Ladia elegans. In 
The Aerides House, 
Aerides suavissimum has four very fine spikes of fra¬ 
grant wax-like flowers; two plants of Vanda Sanderiana, 
each bear five spikes of its rich and massive blooms ; 
Dendrobium Phalamopsis is well bloomed ; D. super- 
biens has four long spikes of violet-crimson flowers, 
and Oncidium Lanceanum, 0. Kramerianum, Cypri- 
pedium Arthurianum, C. vexillarium, C. cenanthum 
superbum, C. Spicerianum, C. Godefroyie, C. concolor, 
C. Leeanum, C. Sedeni, C. Dominiana and C. insigne 
Sylhetense are well in flower. In the other houses 
the Plialrenopsis are progressing favourably ; the large 
lot of Calanthes are grown to the highest perfection, and 
the flowers of some good Vandas, Odontoglossum 
Insleayii splendens, Epidendrum xanthinum and other 
things appear. In the large house, the Orchids which 
like such treatment, are grown among grand 
Specimen Foliage Plants. 
One magnificent Alocasia Veitchiana has leaf-blades 
6 ft. in length, and many other things are worthy to 
match with it. In this house, the evergreen Dendrobes 
attain such perfection, that D. thyrsiflorum, D. 
Farmeri, and others of that class make growths 2 ft. or 
3 ft. in length, and flower splendidly. The Bolleas and 
Peseatoreas also do well on the shady side of the house, 
and flower profusely without injury. At present in 
flower, are a large form of the primrose-coloured 
Pescatorea cerina ; the singular and beautiful Peristeria 
pendula, with a massive drooping spike of thirteen 
fleshy french-white flowers dotted with crimson ; the 
spike is broader than long, and the flowers, and the 
manner in which they are produced, are novel and at¬ 
tractive. In the same house, also in bloom or bud, are 
the very rare Oncidium Brunleesianum, the showy 
Calanthe igneo-oculata, C. masuca, C. plerochroma 
major, Dendrobium Brymerianum, and some showy 
Ixoras, Allamandas, Bougainvilleas, and other stove 
plants. Besides the grand collection of Orchids, houses 
are devoted to each of the 
Other Sections of Plants 
Usually met with in gardens, some of the best and most 
useful for cutting or for decoration having each a house 
to itself. Thus the Imantophyllums, Camellias, 
Azaleas, Ferns, Pelargoniums, and other florists’flowers 
have each proper houses allotted to them, and the gor¬ 
geous collection of scarlet. Nerines are now producing 
in their house a grand display ; the white and. crimson 
Lapagerias in their quarters are equally fine; and the 
large and well-budded collection of Chrysanthemums 
are having a very large and ornamental new house built 
for their reception. 
The Fruit Houses, &c. 
These have been heavily cropped this season all 
round, the six large Vineries having still untouched 
one good house of Madresfield Court and two of Muscat 
of Alexandria, and the Pineries, Melon, and other 
fruit houses are up to the best possible in health of 
plant and crop and freeness from insects. In the frame 
ground some pretty dwarf table plants are grown, a 
■whole pit being filled with the white and green Caladium 
argyrites, which is a grand plant for the work when 
grown like these. 
The vegetable and fruit gardens, enlivened by largo 
borders of Zinnias, Asters, and herbaceous perennials, 
are as neatly kept as all the rest of the establishment. 
There has been a very heavy crop of Plums this season, 
and Pears and Apples have been fairly plentiful ; 
indeed, all the crops have been satisfactory, and Peas 
particularly good ; Veitch’s Perfection, Sutton’s 
Emerald Marrow, Premier, and Ne Plus Ultra are still 
in good bearing, and will continue to supply until cut 
off by frost. Sutton’s Mammoth Negro, a late dwarf 
Bean, is also highly prized here ; the rows of it which 
are just turning in are nearly all Beans, and are ex¬ 
cellent in quality. Of Brussel Sprouts, too, there is a 
piece at The Dell which would take some beating. 
Spaces in the kitchen garden, too, are used for planting 
Bouvardias, Carnations, &c., for winter flowering, and 
it may be said that for really successful all-round 
gardening, The Dell can rank with the best. 
Baron Schroder has a great love for his home and his 
gardens, and they are worthy of his love, and Mr. 
Ballantine, his gardener, who has had charge during 
the making and perfecting of it, has his heart bound to 
The Dell by the remembrance of many a success and 
many a difficulty overcome. 
-- 
JOHN LAING. 
Were the question to be asked, Who among the host 
of earnest floricultural workers have done the most 
during the last quarter-of-a-century to bring florists’ 
flowers into popularity 1 few, -we imagine, would have 
a better claim to recognition than the subject of our 
portrait on the opposite page, Mr. John Laing, of the 
Stanstead Park Nursery, Forest Hill. Inseparable as 
is his name from the tuberous-rooted Begonia, it is only 
right, however, to state that it is not yet twenty-five 
years since Mr. Laing took thatflower in hand; indeed, it 
is only about twelve years since he took up the varieties 
then in existence with a view to their further develop¬ 
ment; but during the last twenty-five years Mr. Laing 
has been a sort of champion improver among improvers, 
and there are few popular flowers that he has taken 
in hand, but what he has left very different to the state 
in which he found them. As regards the tuberous 
Begonias in particular, we are sure it will be freely ad¬ 
mitted that the marvellous improvements that he has 
brought about siuce he first raised, exhibited, and 
obtained a First Class Certificate for Royal Standard, 
his first certificated variety, entitle him to all the 
honours that his floricultural brethren can bestow upon 
him. Such being the case then, we feel that many of 
our readers will like to know something of our friend’s 
career from early life to the eminent position he ha 
won for himself in the ranks of horticulturists. 
