July 30, 1892. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
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IN THE DUKERIES. 
On Thursday, the 14th inst., the Manchester horti¬ 
culturists held their annual picnic, the programme 
on this occasion being a highly attractive one, 
namely, a visit to Welbeck Abbey, gardens, and 
Sherwood Forest; and upwards of fifty members 
and friends, headed by the president and three of 
the four vice-presidents, mustered at the London 
Road Station of the Manchester, Sheffield, and 
Lincolnshire Railway, and in due time reached grimy 
Sheffield. 
From Sheffield, journeying by express, we quickly 
enter the shire famed in story, watered by the noble 
Trent, and which boasts the proud privilege of con¬ 
taining within its bounds a larger proportion of the 
" stately homes of England ” than any other English 
county. We halt at Worksop, a quaint little town, 
and not at all the "busy hive" the illiterate rustic 
must have imagined it who mistook its name for 
“ Workshop.” At the Lion Hotel we lunch, and 
afterwards drive on to Welbeck, passing by hamlets 
whose cottage gardens offer many a bright bit of 
floral beauty : Roses heavy with blossom, Honey¬ 
suckles filling all the air with fragrance, tall 
Delphiniums (Larkspur) of deepest azure, and 
orange Lilies. At noon we enter the princely 
demesne of the Duke of Portland, with its deer park, 
its immense artificial lake, its endless gardens and 
glass ranges, and its vast pleasure grounds. But to 
describe all these in detail were as superfluous as it 
might be tedious in these days of universal travel, 
when to make the "grand tour" occupies fewer 
weeks than it formerly took years. 
Most readers of the City News will have been to 
Welbeck. To him who pays it a first visit perhaps 
the most striking feature will be the frequent recur¬ 
rence of small flattish glass domes, in shape remind¬ 
ing him of a bull's-eye light. These bespeak a vast 
mysterious world underground, undreamt of and un¬ 
imagined, the outcome of a boundless indulgence of 
that eccentric taste of the late Duke of Portland's 
which has given to Welbeck features bizarre indeed 
and unique in this or any other country. Millions 
upon millions—mines of money spent in mining for 
nothing ! Well may our continental friends write 
with caustic pen of the fantastic tastes, the strange 
vagaries, and wild freaks of English noblemen and 
millionaires. Even the lodges, of which there are about 
fifty on the estate, and each of which in the building 
cost no less a sum than two thousand pounds, have 
a part of their rooms underground. 
But our more immediate concern is with the Wel¬ 
beck gardens, over every nook and corner of which 
we were most courteously and kindly shown by the 
Duke’s gardener, Mr. Horton. That this gentleman’s 
position is no sinecure will be evident when we state 
that the kitchen garden alone occupies thirty-two 
acres, while the pleasure grounds cover more than 
fifty ; and large as is the " head's ” staff of assistants, 
that staff might advisedly be increased in view of the 
vast requirements of the place. Welbeck is nothing 
if not “ vast ” in character, indeed its immensity is 
such that the horticultural visitor is overwhelmed, 
and even oppressed, in his vain endeavour to grasp 
the stupendous "whole." It may be said to repre¬ 
sent in itself the “ Gardening World ”—horticulture 
in all its departments. Not that every branch of 
gardening is equally well represented ; on the con¬ 
trary, we hold that in more than one Welbeck is con¬ 
spicuously deficient. The number of glass struc¬ 
tures, extending over a mile in total length, is 
enormous. These are mainly devoted to fruit culture 
and early forcing, and houses filled with the best 
varieties of Apples, Pears, Peaches, Nectarines, 
Grapes, and Figs follow one another in monotonous 
and apparently endless succession. Of Palms there 
is a fine and healthy collection, and the roseries were 
in good order. Ferns did not strike us. In the large 
stoves, among a fair miscellaneous collection, we 
could not but notice a magnificent Allamanda 
Hendersoni, huge as to size, and bearing perhaps a 
thousand of its exquisite yellow blooms. Two large 
specimens of the rich-scented Stephanotis appeared 
less comfortable, and were evidently suffering from 
the "sweating ” process ; this plant, in fact, to be 
flowered successfully, does not require the heat it 
usually receives. 
But the chief floricultural feature—the feature 
par excellence—of the gardens at Welbeck is the 
enormous culture of the Carnation, and particularly 
the Rothschild variety of the delicate-hued Souvenir 
de la Malmaison, which is well known to be the 
favourite flower of the Duchess ; and hence, no 
doubt, its large vogue at the present time, for what 
are English people if not fashionable ? But the 
beautiful La Malmaison may well stand on her own 
merits; here, at any rate, she is constantly in 
evidence, elbowing out, with unnecessary coquetry, 
her less fortunate compeers of the floral world, 
and making ever fresh "conquests." One large 
new glass structure we noticed she had entirely taken 
possession of ; others she greatly monopolized, while 
the courteous " head ” informed us that several big 
houses, presently occupied with fruit trees, were to 
have their tenants ejected and to be placed wholly at 
the Malmaison’s sweet will and pleasure ; and thus 
goes on this triumphant nymph of the garden, 
" conquering and to conquer." 
On the high walls surrounding the offices was 
trained, some in beautiful, others in grotesque form, 
one of the finest collections of ornamental Ivies we 
have seen this many a day, and representing, we 
should suppose, nearly every good variety in cultiva¬ 
tion. But with the herbaceous collection at Welbeck 
we were distinctly disappointed, there being little to 
strike one but a variety of Delphiniums in many 
gorgeous colours. On the other hand, the bedding- 
out within grounds adjacent to the Abbey wore a 
good appearance ; and we noticed that the popular 
floral favourite—the " coming flower ”—we humbly 
beg her grace’s pardon, and the fair Malmaisons 
also—the Begonia, v'as made to fill an important 
part in the general arrangement and effect. 
On the Welbeck shrubberies, did time and space 
permit, we should like to dwell ; but as our run 
through the Welbeck gardens was a hurried one so 
must we hurry over matters here. One avenue 
arrangement—purple Beeches alternating with the 
Horse Chestnut—was singularly effective ; while the 
Conifer Avenue—dark Yews, Cypresses, and Cedars 
—fronted by splendid examples of the golden 
Retinospora—was "immense,” to use an expressive 
vulgarism; but immense in its extent certainly, and 
most imposing in the tout ensemble ; while the 
dividing sward combined the luxurious texture of a 
Turkish carpet with the hue of the emerald. Num¬ 
bers of large conifers we observed had been trans¬ 
planted quite recently with perfect success. Cedars 
of Lebanon near the Abbey were not comfortable for 
obvious reasons. On the whole, conifers? form no 
inconsiderable element of landscape beauty at Wel¬ 
beck. Passing by the borders of the lake, we saw 
gleaming below the surface of the waters the 
beautiful white flowers of Ranunculus aquatilis. 
But we linger too long, and our hurrying companions 
shout to us irom afar. Away, away ! so vast is the 
number of objects claiming attention at Welbeck. 
As before hinted, this splendid demesne of one of 
the richest of our dukes gives more or less evidence 
of a paucity of “ hands ’’ on the staff. But Welbeck, 
strictly taken, what is it but a vast feeding-ground 
and supply-station to the ducal residence in London ? 
And, in fact, as we pass by the offices, an immense 
floral consignment is being prepared for the evening 
dinner party at the capital, including, it is needless 
to state, many hundreds of specimens of the beautiful 
Malmaison; and our kindly "head" himself must 
away to superintend their despatch, while we hasten 
to the woodlands and " merry Sherwood." 
But where is the forest ? The time is indeed 
summer, " shaws be sheen ” and "leaves be large 
and long ; ” but where is the famed forest ? Where 
is " merrie Sherwood ” ? Alas ! it is represented but 
by one or two weather-worn sylvan giants, old and 
decrepit. The glory ot Sherwood has passed ! And 
yet, a forest there is, if not the "definite article," 
and a beautiful one; and through the glorious wood¬ 
lands, under a tranquil sky, we drive for miles and 
miles—by stately Thoresby, catching glimpses of its 
thousand beauties, and on and away past classic Clum¬ 
ber, with its sombre Cedars and its three-mile-long 
Lime avenue—a memorable drive of fifteen miles—a 
glorious panorama, unfolded, bit by bit, of highland, 
lowland, heathland, meadowland, woodland, lakeland, 
in the sweet heart of England—scenes famed in song 
and story—a picture in some of its features unsur¬ 
passed and unsurpassable in these islands. And in¬ 
describable as unsurpassable—to hang up, with all 
other sweet pictures, for ever in the treasure house 
of the memory. Not a drop of rain ; nor any single 
alloy to the enjoyment of one of the pleasantest pic¬ 
nics in our horticultural annals. 
Worksop is regained at five p.m., when, at the 
Lion aforesaid, a sumptuous repast, admirably served, 
awaits the party, and at seven p.m. we are bowling 
homewards.— A . Stansfield, in "Manchester City News." 
SCOTTISH NOTES. 
Midlothian Rose and Pansy Society. 
Jubilee Show at Penicuik. 
This society was instituted in 1842, and has had 
many ups and downs. But this year the committee 
having exerted themselves, and been well supported 
by the public, they were enabled to present an 
attractive schedule to those interested, and which 
brought forward a large number of competitors on 
Saturday last. The Drill Hall, Penicuik, was gay 
with Roses, Pansies, herbaceous and other pls.nts 
and vegetables, and owing to the day being all that 
could be desired, a large number of visitors were 
present. John Cowan, Esq., of Beeslack, opened the 
show at 2.30, and presented the Jubilee cups to the 
several winners. The tables of plants (60 ft.) were 
the best features, and were much admired. Mr. A. 
’Ihoburn, gardener to C. W. Cowan, Esq., Valley- 
field Gardens, was first (a valuable t ; mepiece) for a 
nice lot, comprising nice Palms, Begonias, and 
Gloxinias, one of the latter especially the visitors 
much admired, a cream variety, spotted with ruby ; 
Hydrangeas, Maidenhair Ferns, etc., etc. Mr. A. 
Dougall, gardener to John Cowan, Esq., Beeslack, 
was a good second with two grand Lilium auratums, 
Gloxinias, a beautiful Heath, and Ferns, etc., etc. 
Only one nursery firm was represented, Messrs. 
D. & W. Croll, Dundee, and they took the first prize 
for 36 Roses (Jubilee Cup and a money prize), and 
for 24 Roses, 12 h.p. 12 Teas. Their Roses were not 
large, but they were bright in colour, especially the 
crimson and yellow varieties 
In the gardeners’ and amateurs’ class, Mr. A. 
Bryden, Inverleithen, was deservedly first with 24, 
and won the Jubilee Cup ; he also gained the prize 
for the best Rose bloom in the hall. Mr. Pringle, 
Dalkeith, showed some good Roses, as also did Mr. 
Strachan, and others. The Rose table was greatly 
admired. The table in the centre of the hall with 
plants was well arranged, and the competition in all 
the classes was keen, especially for 4 plants, 2 
flower, 2 foliage. Mr. Badger was 1st; and Mr. 
Strachan 2nd. The table with Pansies was filled, 
and the competition in the nurserymen’s class was 
very close. For 24 fancy Pansies, Mr. J. Smellie, 
Busby, was 1st; Mr J. Sutherland, Lenzie, 2nd; 
and Mr. Campbell, Blantyre, 3rd. For 24 show 
Pansies, Mr. Irvine, Tignabruiach, came in 1st; 
Mr. J. Sutherland, 2nd ; and Mr. Campbell, 3rd. 
In the gardeners’ and amateurs' class the Jubilee 
Cup was won by Mr. Frater, Linlithgow, with 
eighteen fancy Pansies ; Mr. Borrowman being 2nd. 
For the eighteen show Pansies, the Jubilee Cup was 
won by Mr. Borrowman, Mr. Frater being 2nd, and 
Mr. Strachan, 3rd. Pansies in general were good. 
Mr. Strachan got 1st for the best fancy bloom in the 
hall, with a seedling of the Donald Morrison style, 
a grand flower ; and Mr. Irvine was 1st for the best 
show bloom, with a primrose self. The herbaceous 
table was the best we have seen for many years, Mr. 
A. Simpson gaining the 1st prize—a barometer—with 
nine beautiful spikes; the Bouquets, Stocks, Mari¬ 
golds, and Sweet William were largely represented. 
The vegetables were of first quality. Strawberries 
were large and fine coloured. 
Taking the season and other things into consider¬ 
ation, it was the best show that has been held at 
Penicuik for many years.—A'. 
Hathaway’s Excelsior and Vick’s Criterion 
Tomatos.—I have never met with these old and 
well-known varie.ies in such fine form as I did last 
week, at Uffculmbe, Moseley, Birmingham, the new 
residence of R. Cadbury, Esq. The two varieties 
occupy the whole of a fine, span-roofed house, and 
the plants are carrying grand crops. Some of the 
later planted single stems are carrying nine to ten 
bunches each, and averaging quite two pounds per 
bunch. The first-named is a very handsome and 
prolific variety, nearly as round as a cricket ball, and 
delicious in flavour. Vick's Criterion has also a 
good appearance and fine flavour to recommend it, 
and it is likewise a great bearer. Mr. Menzies, the 
gardener, does Tomatos well, as also Melons, of 
which I saw a splendid house of fruit of Lord 
Strathmore and Eastnor Castle. The latter is a fine, 
green fleshed variety, the result of a cross between 
the famous old sorts Beechwood and Victory of 
Bath, of medium size and most delicious flavour.— 
Rusticus. 
