October 8, 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
89 
Pyramidal Aster, Harlequin. 
being covered -with red and white Lapagerias, growing 
away vigorously. 
On the other side of the house is another conserva¬ 
tory, which may be described as a shady one, in which 
are some good plants of Tree Ferns, Palms, and 
Camellias. I once saw in this house one of the finest 
pots of Vallota purpurea it was possible to conceive; 
the plant or potful of bulbs had dozens of heads of 
flowers upon it nearly all open at the same time, and 
was a picture when I saw it that could only be made 
appreciable to readers either by a photograph or by 
ocular demonstration. 
Passing from these conservatories and on into the 
pleasure grounds, which are planted with fine Hollies, 
conifers, &c., we came in sight of the whole range of 
plant houses, vineries, &c., which run completely 
round the upper part of the garden, and lays back 
from the house, but is on a higher elevation ; thus the 
whole of the grounds and glass show well from the 
highway road. 
To gain adpaittance to this higher garden we have to 
pass by a long border of Roses, both Tea and hybrid 
perpetual varieties, standards, half-standards, and 
dwarfs, making a complete 
bank. Above these is yet 
another bank, and on this 
are planted a whole host of 
Rhododendrons (many hun¬ 
dreds), hybrids and Pon- 
ticums mixed, and as they 
have now become well 
established in their new 
home, they must, when in 
flower, form a very attrac¬ 
tive feature, both to the 
proprietor, and also to the 
masses of people that may 
look upon them from the 
distant road that passes by. 
Above this bank of Rhodo¬ 
dendrons lays a flat piece of 
ground that used formerly 
to be the kitchen garden, 
but which has lately been 
converted into a flower 
garden laid out on grass; 
part of the beds are devoted 
to carpet bedding, and 
part to the mixed style of 
bedding out, and around 
one side of this garden is 
a border for mixed flowering 
plants. 
To generalise this garden 
it may be described as gay 
and brilliant, for masses of 
colour, blended and toned 
down by the grass sward, 
had a splendid effect. On 
the outer side and the top 
part of this garden are the 
glass erections, which 
follow one another in a 
continuous line graduating 
on rising ground all 
the way round. The first 
structure we entered was at 
the bottom, and in this was 
a gay display of Fuchsias, 
double and single-flowered Pelargoniums, with a few 
good hard-wooded Heaths at one end of the structure. 
Noticeable amongst these were a grand plant of E. 
Eweriana superba, E. Shannoni, nice plants of E. Mar- 
nockiana and other varieties, all appearing in the best of 
health. Several houses are devoted to Tomato growing, 
some very fine fruit hanging at the time I was there. 
One house was devoted to Ferns of various descriptions; 
good standard serviceable species and varieties being 
grown in preference to newer or more costlier kinds. 
One remarkable feature about these houses is that they 
are all lofty, and being built against a high wall, are 
rather detrimental for growing symmetrically-formed 
plants ; but with all this drawback, Mr. James Maltby 
manages to grow some excellent stove and greenhouse 
plants. Another feature about them is, that being 
built on rising ground, it necessitates an occasional flight 
of steps to bring you up to the different houses. 
Leaving the Tomato houses we entered a kind of 
half-circular house, with a very lofty and domed top to 
match the winter-garden top. The sole occupant of 
this house was a grand specimen of Araucaria excelsa, 
planted out in a specially-prepared bed. It evidently 
that pest, red-spider, that has played havoc amongst 
many other things besides Peach trees this droughty 
summer. 
Crossing the way from the gardener’s house is an 
extensive kitchen garden that was newly broken up 
three years ago ; its extent is about three acres, and 
being elevated on the hill side (though the garden is 
flat or nearly so) is yielding some excellent crops this 
season. I have not seen crops anywhere this year 
more free from garden pests, such as caterpillars. The 
whole of the Brassica family were growing as luxuriantly 
as if the season had been a “drippy ” or wet one ; Peas 
and Beans were yielding abundant crops ; Strawberries 
had been excellent; also bush-fruit generally. The 
young Apple trees were becoming well established, and 
were giving a sample of their fruits for inspection. 
Mr. Maltby attributes the success of the same garden 
this year as the result of turning up the trenched turf 
sod that was turned under three years ago, and which 
this last winter and spring was worked up again, and 
thoroughly chopped up with plenty of rotten manure 
incorporated with it at the same time. Undoubtedly 
the new soil and manure together would have a 
very beneficial effect on vege¬ 
tation of this order ; more 
especially if crops were got 
into the ground in good 
time to establish their root- 
hold before the severe 
drought set in. 
The same might be said 
of the summer-planted crops, 
which, when once they have 
established themselves, their 
roots would have plenty of 
good soil of great depth to 
dive into and search for 
moisture. 
A good cart road goes 
the entire length of this 
garden, so that manure or 
anything else that may be 
wanted can be taken within 
a few yards of the place 
where it is required for use, 
thus saving a vast amount 
of labour in wheeling that 
would otherwise have to be 
done but for such a road. 
A road of this description 
through a large kitchen 
garden is not ground wasted, 
but time and money saved. 
Chrysanthemums are 
largely grown here for the 
supply of the large con¬ 
servatories, a portion being 
cultivated for large flowers 
and a part for quantities to 
cut. They have excel¬ 
lent quarters up the sides of 
the wide walk in the kitchen 
garden, and have been 
thoroughly exposed to all 
the bright sunshine this 
season, which has kept them 
more sturdy than usual. 
I could write considerably 
more about this fine place, 
but I have said sufficient to give your readers a fair 
idea of what the place is and what it will yet come to 
in a few years hence, when the whole of the trees 
and shrubs in the various gardens have established 
themselves. 
I am much pleased to say that I was shown great 
courtesy by Mr. Maltby, who conducted me over the 
place, as he had done before when in course of con¬ 
struction. He pointed out to me the various plants 
and structures with evident pride at the successful 
appearance his handiwork is now assuming. 
Some very artistic and massive rockwork has been 
erected in a part of the pleasure grounds, upon which 
are planted numbers of evergreen and deciduous flower¬ 
ing shrubs, and, I may say here, these were the only 
plants about the place that seemed to have been 
affected by the drought. 
Should any of your readers be in this locality at any 
time, I am sure Mr. Maltby would be pleased for those 
interested in gardening or horticultural pursuits of any 
description to pay him a visit, for at all times of the 
year there will always be something of interest to see 
and admire at Cliff Hall.— W. G. 
likes its quarters, as the colour of its foliage and 
vigorous upward growth it is making testifies. To see 
the beauty of this one plant the visitor ought to be 
lifted half-way up into the dome, so that the plant 
might be viewed from the top ; which I have no doubt 
would be a sight worth seeing. 
From here we commenced the upward journey, and 
broke in upon a collection of stove and greenhouse 
plants, arranged in several houses, containing good 
specimens of many varieties of plants suitable for the 
autumnal show at Keighley. Good plants of Dipla- 
denias, Stephanotis, Clerodendron fallax, in large 
masses (and also grown singly for stove decoration); 
Vincas, Allamandas, and Bougainvilleas, with good 
foliaged plants like Alocasias ; very high-coloured and 
clean Crotons ; Marantas, of sorts ; high-coloured 
Dracsenas, and various kinds of Palms and Cycads. 
Amongst the greenhouse plants were good Heaths, as 
previously mentioned, Phcenocomas, Pimelias, Hoya 
carnosa, Lapagerias, &c., with the usual stock of small 
ornamental-foliaged and flowering plants, suitable for 
both temperatures, all looking exceedingly clean and 
healthy. 
Still rising by means of steps we approached the 
Vineries, which are lofty structures, and have, in the 
earlier houses, turned off fair crops, and in the late 
houses good crops still hung. Adjoining to, and open¬ 
ing into the Vineries, is the potting shed, an excellent 
structure of great length, with a good firm substantial 
potting bench the whole length of the front part; at 
the back part of the shed are arranged a whole set of 
cupboard-like boxes for the purpose of stacking pots, 
and the separate divisions are intended for different 
sizes of pots, so that as they are taken away from the 
potting bench, each size is placed in a division set 
apart for it. By adhering to a strict rule, and insisting 
that pots must be kept in their sizes, Mr. Maltby is 
enabled to keep a clean and respectable potting shed at 
all times. 
At the front of the shed, and adjoining the gardener’s 
house, is a small set of low span-roofed houses that are 
used for Melon and Cucumber growing, or for bringing 
along any kind of plants during the winter and spring 
months. Around the wall in this small garden is 
arranged a good Peach house, with some excellent 
thrifty trees well filling it, and extremely free from 
