December 3, 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
217 
CLARE LAWN, EAST SHEEN. 
Great alterations are being carried out in several 
departments of the garden at this place, the beautiful 
residence of F. Wigan, Esq., and which must entail a 
great amount of extra labour on Mr. East, the gardener. 
The mansion itself is an imposing building of consider¬ 
able size and admirable architectural design, with 
stained glass and paintings representing various English 
games in the windows of some of the rooms. 
The Phalrenopsis house, which is newly built and 
has been completed, is a low span-roofed structure, 
occupied with the Phalsenopsids grown in baskets and 
suspended from the roof, while the central stage is 
devoted to Vandas, Aerides, and other Orchids which 
associate with the same in a humid atmosphere and a 
high temperature. A collection of Cypripediums is 
arranged on side staging along the back of the house, 
which stands against a high wall separating the flower 
from the kitchen garden. The front staging and one 
end of the house are done up with ornamental rock- 
work, consisting of brick-burs covered over with cement 
and toned down in colour. A series of pockets are con¬ 
structed in the rockwork at the end, and Ferns and 
other fine-foliaged subjects are being 
planted so as to cover or relieve the 
whole. 
The finest piece of work, as far 
as alterations are concerned, consists 
of a new show house for Orchids, 
the interior of which is made to 
represent a cave of the most elabo* 
rate nature. The work is being 
done by the Messrs. Pullham, of 
London, and it is the first work of 
the kind the} 7 have executed since 
that which they did for Messrs. F. 
Sander & Co., at the Colonial 
Exhibition at South Kensington 
last year. The finishing touches 
were being put to it on the occasion 
of our visit ; everything was done 
with the most scrupulous neatness 
and was both effective and strik¬ 
ingly natural. This will become 
more apparent when the numerous 
pockets are occupied with plants, 
and the newness of the material 
becomes toned down with age. Bold 
and prominent rocks project out on 
each side, forming rugged crags and 
arches, while numerous stalagmites 
and stalactites appear wonderfully 
natural, especially when the two 
meet to form narrow and variously 
ribbed columns. A structure re¬ 
presenting the standing trunk of a 
fossil tree is a very prominent 
object, furnished with roots and 
knots corresponding to the limbs or 
branches of the trunk. Seams of 
rough gravel interpose here and 
there, comparable to what we see 
in chalk cuttings ; and a meander¬ 
ing stream of water runs at the 
bottom in a narrow and apparently 
water-worn channel in the rocks. 
Mirrors, so constructed that visitors 
do not see themselves, are worked 
into the ends of the house, and have the effect of making 
the cavern appear to extend a long way in the distance. 
The whole is full of interest, and bears a great amount 
of inspection and criticism. 
Other work being carried on here by the same firm 
consists of some bold and projecting strata of rocks, 
dipping into the ground at an obtuse angle, and 
intended to be carried to the top of a high wall, with 
the view of hiding the latter, which is near the house. 
The interior of these rugged masses of stone is being 
filled with large quantities of soil, in which shrubs and 
various rock plants will be inserted. The whole 
occupies a site on which a number of hot-houses, 
chiefly Peach houses, formerly stood, but which have 
now been removed elsewhere, and re-erected. 
The conservatory is an octagonal structure of archi¬ 
tectural design to correspond with the mansion, alongside 
of which it is built, rather than as a plant house for the 
cultivation or exhibition of flowering subjects. It runs 
up to a great height, preserving its octagonal outline 
to the narrowly pyramidal top ; and is, moreover, kept 
in a high state of repair both internally and externally. 
The most prominent feature on the roof was a large 
specimen of Cobtea scandens variegata, covering a great 
area, and flowering finely. A group of Chrysanthemums 
occupied the centre of the floor, and side baskets were 
filled with Chrysanthemums, Erica caffra, E. gracilis, 
and covered in front with Selaginella. Camellias 
planted against the wall of the house, and trained in 
loosely, were in fine healthy condition. A house is, 
however, devoted to the cultivation of the latter planted 
out. They have been so for many years, and are now 
large and vigorous specimens, plentifully furnished 
with foliage to the ground, and well set with flower- 
buds. No training of any kind is attempted, and 
great quantities of cut flowers, accompanied by foliage 
and a portion of the shoot, is obtained from them. 
Freely-flowering specimens of Lapageria rosea and its 
variety L. alba are trained over the roof. Amongst the 
varied assortment of Ferns, some of the specimens from 
the Colonial Exhibition of last year have found their 
way here. 
A large collection of Orchids is grown, scattered 
about in various houses. Besides Phalsenopsis, Cypri¬ 
pediums, and Yandas already mentioned, a cool house 
is devoted to the cultivation of Odontoglossums and 
those requiring similar treatment; while a warmer 
China Aster, Pyramidal Bouquet Rose. 
structure is occupied with Cymbidiums, Ccelogynes, 
Miltonia vexillaria, &c. The Cattleya house is filled 
to overflowing with various species, from which a fine 
display may be expected later on. A recently-imported 
piece of Cattleya Bowringiana is at present so far 
established that the flower-spikes are now being thrown 
up ; there are now eight or nine leads or young growths 
upon it, so that in a few years it will make a magnificent 
specimen, Lielia autumnalis has produced splendid 
young pseudo-bulbs, and is about to flower very 
strongly. We also noticed a large and healthy piece 
of L. anceps on a portion of tree stem, pushing ten 
vigorous flower-spikes ; while a number of specimens 
in pots were in equally good condition. A piece of 
Odontoglossum Harryanum, bearing five large buds on 
a spike, was also located in this house. In another 
division of this range were flowering specimens of 
the beautiful Cypripedium Spieerianum and Vanda 
Sanderiana, recently imported, now established and 
about to flower. 
A considerable quantity of flowering specimens were 
arranged in a third division, where our attention was 
drawn to a magnificent much-branched panicle of 
Oncidium tigrinum. 0. varicosum Rogersii and 0. 
ornithorrhynchum were flowering equally free and, 
together with O. tigrinum, filled the house with their 
fragrance. There were also flowering plants of 0. t. 
unguiculatum. Several pieces of Cattleya luteola, 
growing on virgin cork, were pretty and interesting as 
the smallest of all the Cattleyas known ; larger kinds 
were, however, represented by C. speciossisima gigas 
and C. maxima, both of which are valuable as autumn¬ 
flowering kinds. Specimens of C. gigas Sanderiana, 
grown in baskets and hung near the light, were also 
conspicuous by their huge and finely-coloured flowers. 
Cypripedium Lawrencianum was bearing twin flowers. 
The Dendrobiums had finished their growth and had 
mostly shed their leaves ; splendid stems they had 
made, especially D. Wardianum Lowii, represented by 
some very large and many-stemmed specimens. 
-- 
MAIDENHAIR PERNS. 
Some considerable time ago, in one of our horti¬ 
cultural publications, an article appeared on the 
treatment of Maidenhair Ferns, the writer of which 
recommended a method of management that might be 
advantageously adopted by more 
cultivators than seems to be the 
case at the present time. The 
practice is not new, and has been 
followed by some gardeners for 
many years ; but it is not observed 
by all who have the cultivation 
of Maidenhair Ferns under their 
charge. Adiantum cuneatum being 
such a popular plant, and so 
largely grown, I will confine my 
remarks to that alone. Experienced 
cultivators must not expect to hear 
anything new from me on this 
point; but those who admire 
Adiantums, and are not too well 
acquainted with their culture, may 
be interested to know that, as a 
rule, they all become shabby at this 
season of the year, and much 
difficulty is experienced by some in 
knowing how to treat them during 
winter, and in spring particularly. 
In the meantime they may con¬ 
tinue picking out any brown fronds 
that appear on the plauts. But 
early in spring something more 
must be done ; and those who have 
a desire to see their houses stocked 
with beautiful well-formed Adi¬ 
antums, cannot do better than cut 
away every frond from their plants, 
and allow them to break into fresh 
growth again. They should be 
kept rather dry at the roots some 
time prior to this operation, and if 
watered after this and placed in a 
gentle heat they will push away 
again very freely. Re-potting 
should not be proceeded with im¬ 
mediately after cutting away the 
foliage, but in a few weeks’ time, 
when the plants have again started 
into growth, and the young fronds 
have attained a length of about 2 ins. 
When cutting over and re-potting are performed all in 
one day the plants do not start so freely into growth as 
they would when the latter operation is deferred for a 
few weeks. 
It has frequently occurred to me that some growers 
seem to imagine that when an Adiantum once gets a 
beautiful well-furnished head it ought to retain it for 
years without losing a frond ; but this is so absurd 
that those who understand their culture would not 
entertain the idea. The writer of the paragraph 
alluded to submits his plants without mercy to this 
treatment, and says that if everyone would do the same 
none but fresh green plants would be seen anywhere. 
I have heard this mode of culture objected to for two 
reasons. Some think that this annual cutting down 
impedes the growth of the plants, and prevents them 
becoming so large as they would otherwise do ; but 
such is not the case, for plants subjected to this 
treatment will grow as large, and even larger, than 
those not so treated. Secondly, some say that in 
houses where tall Palms, Dracienas, Crotons, &c., are 
grown, with a groundwork of Adiantums, the services 
of the latter cannot well be dispensed with. This is 
quite true; but is the difficulty insurmountable ? 
