September 28, 1895. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
is 
promise of ripening well, and leaves of large size and 
of a grand depth of green are worth anything at all. 
Although, as has been stated, Roses, Ampelopsis 
and pot vines were growing together in the same 
houses under precisely the same conditions as to 
temperature, atmospheric moisture, etc., the health 
of them all was very noteworthy, for, although we 
looked about very carefully and critically, we could 
discover absolutely no signs of mildew, green fly, or 
any of the other enemies with which the gardener 
has to contend, and which are all the more difficult 
to deal with once they gain a footing amongst a 
heterogeneous collection of subjects. The old saw 
about prevention being better than cure is evidently 
believed in at the High Barnet Nurseries ; and thus 
steps are taken to prevent insects or mildew getting 
a hold, for once a fortnight a little soft soap is 
dissolved in water, and vines aud Roses receive a 
good syringing with the mixture. That this is both 
a simple and efficient, as well as a comparatively 
inexpensive remedy is evident from the cleanliness 
of the plants and their healthy and contented 
appearance throughout. 
—--*•- 
OXFORD BOTANIC GARDENS. 
The Botanic Garden in the city of colleges has the 
honour of being the oldest in the country, being 
older than that of Chelsea. It is situated in a quiet 
nook of Oxford, just off one of the principal thorough¬ 
fares, and on the banks of the slow and winding River 
Cherwell. In this historical spot we found our¬ 
selves some time ago, but since returning, pressure 
upon our space prevented an earlier notice. As far 
as the plants are concerned, only those of a tem¬ 
porary character are yet out of season. 
The Plant Houses. 
The new range of plant houses constitutes a great 
improvement upon the old-fashioned ones which had 
to do duty until comparatively recently. All those 
which were entirely rebuilt are situated clo;e on the 
banks of the Cherwell. In the span-roofed propa¬ 
gating house we noticed some Gesneraceous plants, 
including Streptocarpus Wendlandi, Klugea notoni- 
ana, with dark blue flowers, and a strangely abnor¬ 
mal Achimenes grandiflora, with the flowers 
separated into segments. The large blue flowers of 
Browallia grandiflora were also notably conspicuous. 
The succulent house contains a large collection of 
subjects, some of which are rare and valuable, 
including a noble specimen of Dasylirion robustum, 
with glaucous, serrate leaves of great length. The 
orange flowers of Aloe Commelinii are shaded with 
a glaucous hue, and arranged in dense umbellate 
spikes. 
All the principal houses are connected by means 
of a corridor between them and the wall of the 
garden. The latter is utilised for the training of 
climbers, which are now well established and 
flowering abundantly. Abutilons are represented 
by Golden Queen, with huge, golden-yellow flowers, 
and by the beautiful A. megapotamicum, whose red 
and yellow flowers contrast beautifully with the 
blue ones of Plumbago capensis. The purple 
flowers and lobed leaves of Ipomoea ficifolia mark it 
out as a very distinct and uncommon climber. A 
specimen of Streptosolen Jamesoni, occupying a wall 
space of 8 ft. by 6 ft., was simply loaded with 
hundreds of trusses. Bougainville a glabra, Aristo- 
lochia brasiliensis, and Manettia bicolor (the latter 
io ft. high) are other climbers that have done 
splendidly. Various dwarf-flowering subjects are 
planted in the narrow borders of the corridor, and, 
owing to the well-lighted character of the place, they 
have given every satisfaction. The Gloxinias were 
particularly fine, and the strain excellent. Impatiens 
Sultani, Oxalis ortgiesiana, and others were also 
noteworthy. 
Several Stanhopeas occupy the Orchid house, 
including S. Wardii in various forms, S. oculata and 
S. janischiana. The latter is very rare, and 
flowered the other week. Cypripedium Chamber- 
lainianum and C. vexillarium superbum were also 
flowering at the time of our visit. Other uncommon 
species were Dendrobium glomeratum, Oncidium St. 
legerianum, with brown and yellow flowers, Lycaste 
jugosa and Angraecum articulatum. The popular 
Dendrobium Phalaenopsis schroderianum also finds 
space here. 
The Palm house contains many large specimens of 
various things, and the side-shelves accommodate 
smaller plants. Musa Cavendishii was bearing a 
huge bunch of fruit. Goethea stricta stood 18 ft. 
high; and the tropical tree Psidium cattleyanum 
was borne down with the weight of fruit which had 
the flavour of Strawberries. The fruits of Ficus 
Cooperi were larger than marbles. The useful 
Allamanda Williamsii was flowering freely, as was a 
species of Dipladenia imported on the roots of 
Epidenbrum fournierianum. Smaller plants in¬ 
cluded the beautiful Begonia Gloire de Lorraine, 
Clerodendron fallax, C. fragrans flore pleno and a 
large Crinum with forty to fifty flowers in an umbel. 
Impatiens platyphyllum, Begonia corallina, Scutel¬ 
laria Ventenati and Barleria lupulina are all useful 
ornamental subjects. Very curious is Spathicarpa 
sagittifolia with its green flowers. Hamelia patens, 
orange-scarlet, and the scarlet Russelia juncea, are 
not so often seen as they might be. The latter is 
well grown in a basket. A curious Aroid named 
Nephthytis picturatus has green leaves with silvery 
blotches. 
The Water Lily house has, for maay years, been 
a special feature of the Oxford Botanic Garden, and 
the old tradition is still admirably kept up by Mr. 
Baker, the curator, as a reference to the number of 
species, varieties and hybrids cultivated will 
show. We noted only those in flower at 
the time, and which included the intense blue 
Nymphaea zanzibarensis, N. devoniana, N. dentata, 
N. Sturtevanti with rose flo .vers and blotched leaves, 
N. gigantea, N. scutifolia, N. cyanea, N. Eugenie, 
with flowers the colour of crushed strawberry, N. 
daubenyana, N. Lotus rubra, N. 1 . monstrosa with 
good blooms at times, and on other occasions 
flowerless and viviparous. The beautiful yellow N. 
marliacea chromatella and N. m. rosea have also 
found their way here, notwithstanding the crowded 
nature of the tank. The older N. flava is not 
forgotten, however, nor the pretty N. amazonica, 
nor the richly-coloured N. ortgiesiana. There is no 
space for the giant Victoria regia, with its immense 
leaves that require a tank for themselves; but 
Euryale ferox, as usual, spreads its great, circular, 
spiny leaves over the water. 
Some rare and some choice aquatics occupy the 
bed of soil on one side of the tank or pots are stood 
round the sides. The deep blue flowered Hydrolea 
spinosa, the pale pink Herpestes Monieri, the showy 
yellow Limnocharis Humboldti and the paler but 
rare L. Plumieri are grown in pots dipping into the 
water of the tank. Brachychiton Horsfieldi closely 
resembles a Hedychium. The interior of the fruits 
is orange-coloured, and the seeds are crimson, and 
partly covered with a curiously lacerated aril. The 
great Arrowwort, Sagittaria montevidensis has white 
flowers with three brown blotches, and the huge 
leaves stand six feet high. It is planted out in the 
aquatic bed. 
In the Fern house are some well-grown specimens 
of Adiantum cardiochlaena, Davallia polyantha 
with golden spores, the beautiful D. Thelemanni, 
the bristly leaved Acrostichum crinitum, and the 
beautiful Asplenium formosum. Some interesting 
plants may been seen in the cool house near the 
main entrance including Begonia Davisii, B. 
Froebelli, B. Sutherlandi, Lophospermum scandens, 
Nierembergia gracilis, and a double Fuchsia named 
Extraordinary, which was one of the first doubles 
ever raised, and which first saw the light at Cirences¬ 
ter early in the sixties. The corolla is blue, aDd 
the scarlet calyx has a remarkable “fly away’’ 
appearance about it. 
RICHMOND TERRACE GARDENS. 
Even those who are fairly well acquainted with 
the Thames valley, and the precincts of London in 
particular, if blindfolded and set down in the 
Terrace Gardens at Richmond, would scarcely 
imagine themselves in a London suburb, and far less 
on the very banks of the Thames. The steep 
declivities and undulated character of the grounds in 
these gardens would suggest the midst of some 
mountainous or hilly country; and those features 
together with the close lines and clumps of tall, aged 
Elms and umbrageous Horse Chestnuts, Limes and 
Cedars of Lebanon, really hide the limited extent of 
the grounds ; and were it not for the noise of wheeled 
vehicles on the main roads above and below the 
gardens they would give the visitor a strong im¬ 
pression of seclusion and rural solitude. Richmond 
Hill is really one of the few elevations in the London 
district and consists of old valley gravel that has 
not been washed away by the Thames in ancient 
times. 
A place of this character needs very little adorn¬ 
ment at the hand of art to render it beautiful and enjoy¬ 
able. The grass during the early part of September 
was green, closely shaven and velvety. Some beds 
dotted over it at intervals and in places that do not 
interfere with the breadth and scope of the same, 
serve to enliven and break up the monotony of 
greenery so exclusively predominant owing to the 
size and leafy character of the surrounding trees. 
The golden-rayed Lily of Japan and Mignonette in 
the cool of the morning and evening seem to 
monopolise a hollow in the lower part of the grounds 
by their powerful odour, which is certainly delicious 
when so disseminated through the air at some 
distance away. Higher up are beds of Zinnias, 
Abutilon Thompsoni, Begonias and standard Fuchsias, 
all with their proper surroundings and edgings. In 
fact,the Begonias,together with Heliotrope,generally 
constitute a setting for the Fuchsias and Abutilons. 
Both tuberous Begonias and varieties of B. semper- 
florens have done remarkably well and never look 
better than where they can be seen from some of the 
terraces above .—Fiat lux. 
- 
MESSRS. LEE & SON’S NURSERIES, 
EALING. 
Visitors to the metropolitan and other autumn fruit 
exhibitions have doubtless noticed the fine displays 
of Apples and Pears usually made by this, one of 
the oldest of our nursery firms. A visit made 
recently to see how matters stood, pomologically 
and otherwise, this season at this branch of the firm 
furnished an opportunity for taking a few notes, 
which are herewith appended. The situation of the 
nursery (an extensive one) is exposed, and the heavy, 
loamy soil is well adapted for fruit culture. Apples, 
to which I will first briefly refer, are mostly grown 
as pyramid and bush trees, grafted on the English 
Paradise and Crab stocks. The crop is a good one. 
It was a surprise to see the fruitfulness and vigour of 
the little bush trees only between two and three years 
old. 
Amongst many good dessert varieties noted may 
be mentioned Mr. Gladstone, a very early, good 
flavoured Apple, red striped with yellow ; another 
excellent early sort, although small, is Beauty of 
Bath, flushed with crimson-red, whilst one of the 
best early kinds is Irish Peach, of delicious aromatic 
flavour, but the finest of all dessert Apples, Cox’s 
Orange Pippin is represented by a grand stock 
of trees. A great bearer is King of the Pippins, 
and a well-known Apple. Three splendid Apples, 
valuable either for kitchen or table, are Lane’s 
Prince Albert, Peasgood Nonsuch, which attains a 
large size and is a handsome sort of excellent 
flavour, and the old Gravenstein, an irregular but 
very handsomely coloured fruit of very rich flavour. 
One might refer to many more good dessert kinds 
noted, for all the best and popular are grown, but 
space forbids. Of culinary varieties, Stirling Castle 
is a very large and prolific sort; it bears too freely 
to support itself as a standard, but is fine as a bush 
tree, and is an invaluable kind for small gardens. A 
large, showy, early, and first-class Apple is the 
well-known Lord Suffield. Pott's Seedling is a 
variety that succeeds better in small town gardens 
than any other ; fruit large and good. That fine 
and distinct sort, Bismarck, is a Remarkably free 
bearer and hardy, vigorous grower. 
Pears are grown largely in the best sorts, and in 
forms of trees to suit all requirements. I will not 
particularise varieties, but may say the trees were 
healthy and carrying good crops. 
It would be difficult to find a grander stock 
of trained Peaches and Nectarines of all the best 
sorts, as standards, half standards, dwarf and 
established trees in pots for orchard house culture. 
The collection of Cherries is a fine one, and is grown 
as pyramids and standards for orchards; as dwarf 
and standard trained trees for walls. There is 
always a great demand for Morellos. Plums also 
deserve a strong word of praise. Although, hitherto, 
referring only to fruit trees yet I cannot close these 
very inadequate notes without a necessarily brief 
reference to the large and healthy stock of Roses 
grown, the soil being very favourable to their 
culture. All sections are well grown in all the best 
and popular varieties. A final note may be found in 
recording the fact that the firm is marching with the 
times by growing a good collection of the now 
deservedly popular hardy herbaceous plants.— 
J. Addison. 
