August 11, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
789 
be sure and touch nothing. This walk ran parallel 
with the south wall of the kitchen garden, upon which 
were some of the finest of those half-hardy plants that 
we seldom see now. I cannot remember many at this 
distant time (fifty years), but there were the Edwardsia, 
Eriobotrya (Chinese Loquat), Eucalyptus, Melaleuca, 
the old Macartney and Banksian Boses, and many 
others. Also, in the border, were the largest and finest 
plants of Hydrangeas, 8 ft. or 10 ft. high, the flowers 
having the blue colour that some soils produce ; the 
beautiful Buddlea globosa, with its orange flowers in 
round beaded clusters, which I have not seen in flower 
since, and a rare collection of herbaceous plants. On 
the other side of the walk there was a wide breadth of 
fine turf with large beds—not the formal squares, 
angles, stars, and other stencilled patterns and tracery 
of the present day—but beds formed with easy flowing 
curves, and filled with shrubs and flowering plants. 
Though I have assisted to plant the gay parterres of 
some of the first places in England and Scotland, which • 
gave a vivid or brilliant flash of colour to please the 
eye in spring and summer for a few weeks, I should 
prefer the mixed beds to some extent. 
Passing along this walk every morning, before the 
family were about, and during the time the men were 
at breakfast, I used to linger and examine the plants 
and flowers, and often got too late for school, but those 
early researches gave me a love for gardening, which I 
have since followed as a profession. I also had an 
occasional peep within the walls of the kitchen garden, 
entering by one of the doors in the south wall. The 
walk led up to the greenhouse, which was rather of an 
antique pattern. It was a large octagon or hexagon¬ 
shaped house, with a flat roof. The stage was of the 
same shape, rising up from the floor to a large cage in 
which turtle doves were kept. In the angles of each 
section of the stage.some particular sort of plants 
were placed, such as Heaths in one, Pelargoniums in 
another, new Holland plants in a third, and so on. The 
rafters were one mass of creepers, also Fuchsias, large, 
thick branches or stems, spurred in close to the old wood 
in the autumn, causing them to grow stout-jointed wood 
and flower beautifully under each rafter. There was 
some rock-work at each end made of the fine polished 
Scotch pebbles found in the neighbourhood. On one 
side was a plant stove with a tan pit in the centre and a 
path all round. A fine plant, in those days, of Cycas 
revoluta; if still living it must be one of the oldest in the 
country ; the old Strelitzia regina was also a favourite. 
There too were fine shelves of Stapelias, with their 
monkey-looking flowers and disagreeable odour ; shelves 
too of Mammillarias and Cactuses and other strange 
plants. On the other side was a vinery of the same 
size as the stove, then two Pine stoves, in one of which 
was the Cereus grandiflora that I once had the pleasure 
of watching unfold its blossoms at midnight. 
Eising right up behind the gardens is the beautiful 
hill of Moncreiffe, to which visitors to a mineral Spa in 
the neighbourhood used to resort. From the top of 
the hill you can get a view of the Fair City of Perth 
and the river Tay, where, at Kinfauns, begins the 
famous Carse of Gowrie, which for twenty miles is 
bounded by the river. Then on the south side you have 
a view of the Ochil hills, the beautiful river Earn 
winding its way in a serpentine form down the lovely 
Strath past Dupplin Castle and the Birks of Invermay, 
famed in Scottish song and story.— Historicus. 
-—xe*-- 
A PALM NURSERY. 
Besides the hundred-and-one other things to be found 
in the nursery of Mr. W. Iceton, at Putney Park Lane, 
Putney, there can be no doubt on a casual inspection of 
the place that Palms constitute its most important 
feature, particularly as far as numbers are concerned. 
All the biggest specimens are contained in a large 
house, recently constructed, and which for convenience 
sake we shall call the Palm-house. Here is a magnifi¬ 
cent specimen of Kentia Forsteriana—a tree, in fact, 
22 ft. high, well furnished with leaves, and grown in a 
tub, as must necessarily be the case in order that it may 
be taken to different places for furnishing or exhibition. 
Many other specimens of the same Palm are 12 ft. in 
height. There is a variety of this named K. F. robusta, 
which is notable for the dwarfness and comparative 
stoutness of all parts of the plant. The typical form 
has very erect-growing leaves, with broad pinnae, and 
grows more rapidly than K. Belmoreana, which is 
characterised by narrower leaflets and widely arching 
leaves, while the plant itself grows more slowly, and is, 
therefore, less adapted for furnishing. Of these two 
Palms there are about 50,000 seedlings of various 
sizes. K. Mooreana is notable for the bright red 
colour of its young leaves. 
Of Cocos Weddelliana and Geonoma gracilis, two of 
the most graceful Palms we have, whether in a seedling 
state or after they have gained some size, there are 
many thousands in all stages of development. Of the 
former alone there are 8,000, most of them being, of 
course, in low lean-to houses adjoining the Palm-house, 
or in another part of the nursery. Several species of 
Phcenix are grown, but the favourites, judging from the 
number of specimens, are P. rupicoli, of which there are 
many thousand seedlings, and P. Sanderi, a new species 
from Madagascar, of which there are some 7,000 seed¬ 
lings about two years old. It develops its true 
character early, and is,' therefore, a valuable kind for 
Pandanus javanicus variegates. 
furnishing and also for market work. The pinnate 
leaves are already showing themselves. The largest 
specimens of both species are, of course, in the Palm- 
house, where there are some handsome specimens of P. 
rupieola. Cocos plumosa is much valued for its 
enormously long plumy leaves, of which there are but 
few to a plant ; but those reach almost to the top of 
the house, although the trunk of the tree has not yet 
begun to develop. Here, also, are the largest specimens 
of Seaforthia elegans. S. Veitchii is notable for its 
smooth, not scurfy stems, and drooping leaves, which 
exhibit this character more than any other species. 
Cycads are represented by fine specimens of Cycas 
revoluta, in various stages of growth, some of them 
throwing up a fresh tier of leaves. We noticed some 
thriving young specimens of C. neocaladonica, which 
is very handsome, even in a young state, when it 
throws up a number of leaves. 
A house of some size is devoted to the accommodation 
of good-sized specimens of Latania borbonica, whose 
great fan-shaped spreading leaves do not associate so 
well with other Palms on account of the space they 
occupy. Akin to this is Chaimerops Fortunei, of which 
we noticed a large specimen in robust health, with a 
decidedly glaucous tint to its leaves. A handsome 
subject is the Wax Palm, Ceroxylon andicola, in a 
large state, owing to the snowy underside of its huge 
leaves ; but, like the species of Sabal, it is rather 
ungainly in a young state. Such cannot be said of 
Euterpe edulis and Areca lutescens ; the former grows 
quickly and forms serviceable small specimens in 
thumb pots; the latter is represented by a great 
quantity of useful stuff, ranging from 18 ins. to 24 ins. 
in height. Beautiful but slow-growing Palms are the 
species of Ehaphis hailing from China and Japan, 
including E. flabelliformis, E. liumilis, and another, 
named E. Kwanswonsii. 
Dracaenas. 
These are greatly esteemed, but a few are decided 
favourites and grown in quantities more than equalling 
all the rest put together. The most popular is D. 
'Daneli, allied to or a form of D. rubra. Two houses 
are filled with this sort alone, the specimens ranging 
from 12 ins. to 18 ins. in height or more, while they 
are furnished with deep green gracefully arching leaves 
to the very pot. The younger foliage often exhibits a 
paler but very cheerful soft-green tint, and the un¬ 
folding ones are suffused with violet. The persistency 
of the foliage is, however, the leading feature of the 
plant, and its strongest recommendation for general 
decorative purposes. Nowhere have we seen better 
coloured specimens of D. Lindeni than those here, 
especially the larger specimens, which are stood close 
up to the light on the side stages of the Palm house. 
All the top leaves have a broad bright yellow margin, 
which, coupled with the perfect condition of the foliage, 
would constitute a beautiful object for either stove or 
warm conservatory. Mr. Iceton has a fine specimen of 
a new variety, having numerous yellow stripes scattered 
all over the surface of the leaf, instead of being confined 
to the margin. Specially noteworthy are fifty large 
plants of D. lineata, ranging from 8 ft. to 10 ft. in 
height, well furnished with foliage for the greater part 
of their length, and excellent samples of cultivation. 
There is considerable range in the narrowness or 
breadth of the leaves, according to the variety or even 
to special conditions of cultivation. Some have a 
distinct and deep glaucous tint, being very handsome. 
Ornamental-foliaged Plants. 
Besides those already mentioned, we should include a 
different class of plants generally recognised under the 
above heading, although, for the matter of that, few 
kinds are grown especially for their flowers. As many 
as eight large plants of the variegated Pine Apple 
flowered and fruited recently, which will give an idea 
of the size of the subjects. Allied to this are Pandanus 
Yeitchii and P. javanicus variegatus, for which the 
demand is greater than the supply. Fine specimens of 
Cyanophyllum magnificum are dotted about amongst 
other subjects, showing them off to advantage. Great 
quantities of Asparagus plumosus nanus are grown, 
of the lasting qualities of which in a cut state it is 
needless to speak. The spines on the strong radical 
shoots of that planted out in beds are very formidable, 
and being deflected, show that the plant was meant for 
climbing. Handsome specimens of Eurya latifolia 
variegata are grown in another house, together with 
Aralia Sieboldii variegata, ranging from 1 ft. to 2 ft. in 
height. Ehodea japonica variegata is also very highly 
coloured. Ophiopogon jaburan aurea variegata is also 
perfection, being strong, healthy and highly coloured. 
Amongst Ferns, Adiantum cuneatum and A. Farleyense 
are the favourites, the latter grown on the shelves of 
several houses, and beautifully coloured. Seedlings of 
A. macrophyllum are appreciated in autumn for the 
beautiful colouration they assume at that period. 
Gymnogramma 'Wettenhalliana and Nephrolepis daval- 
lioides furcans also obtain a place. 
Flowering Plants. 
Some houses are devoted to Liliums, including L. 
longiflorum, about 1 ft. in height, and L. 1. Harrisi; 
about 7,000 of the latter were grown, but all have 
done flowering or have been sold. A houseful of L. 
speciosum rubrum and L. s. album, better known 
perhaps under the name of L. lancifolium, will be a 
fine sight shortly. Poinsettias in various stages are 
also extensively grown. Large plants of Stephanotis 
floribunda are grown in several houses, but the roof of 
one, about 108 ft. in length, with a width of 18 ft., 
is solely given up to four large plants which have not 
only covered the roof-glass, but are trained down the 
back. They have been exceedingly floriferous, but 
with the exception of the shoots trained on the shaded 
back wall, the bloom is mostly over for a time. 
Latanias are grown beneath the shade of the 
Stephanotis. 
Chrysanthemums are grown in great quantities, 
plunged in pots, and also planted out. Of Elaine 
alone there are 5,000 plants in pots, and 3,000 of 
Princess Teck. The handsome crimson-flowered 
Cullingfordii is also a great favourite, as is the white- 
flowered Mrs. George Bundle. Owen’s Golden Gem, 
Jardin des Plantes, and Source d’Or are now in very 
vigorous health, and mostly grown with three or four 
stems. The most advanced is Ethel, the crown buds 
of which in many cases are now of considerable size. 
The great object here is to get the bulk of the plants 
in very early or very late so as to avoid the glut in the 
market during the general season of flowering. 
