78 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
October 5, 1895, 
make a Passion Flower seem blended star-fish and 
sea-anemone. We must not forget the leaves : these 
range in outlines from oval to elegantly palmate; the 
most curious perhaps are those of the P. vesper- 
tilionis, or Bat-wing, in which the middle lobe of an 
otherwise ternate leaf is omitted ; neither must the 
tendrils be overlooked, these being modified 
peduncles, shown by their now and then bearing 
tiny flowers. Lastly, the fruit is often good to eat, 
as in the case of the Granadillas. But beware ! 
In the West Indies the plant is liable to be infested 
by noxious serpents ! These haunt it for the sake of 
the mice that feed on the berries, and which are the 
favourite prey, in turn, of the immemorially ill-famed 
reptile. 
To the story of the Passion Flower thus pertains 
an ever-varying and most curious interest. It 
reminds one of the Kaleidoscope, a change with 
every turn, unfailingly beautiful and suggestive.— 
Leo Grindon. 
-- 
BECHUANALAND CHIEFS AT 
READING. 
Khama, King of Bamangwato, Batwoen and Sebele, 
two other native kings of the Bechuanaland Protec¬ 
torate, in company with the Rev. W. C. Willoughby, 
who acted as cicerone and interpreter to the dusky 
chiefs, paid a visit to the Royal Seed Establishment 
at Reading on the i8th ult. 
The visitors, with Mr. Willoughby, arrived at 
Reading by express train from Bristol about io a.m. 
on the above date, and were received at the G.W.R. 
station by the Hon. Eustace Fiennes, Mr. Martin 
Hope Sutton (the venerable founder of the great 
seed firm), Mr. Martin John Sutton, and Mr. Arthur 
W. Sutton (members of the firm), Mr. M. H. Foquett 
Sutton, Master Philip Sutton, and Mrs. A. W. Sutton, 
and were driven in the carriages of Mr. Fiennes, 
Mr. M. J. Sutton, and Mr. A. W. Sutton to the busi¬ 
ness premises in the Market Place. Here they 
signed the visitors’ book in the usual form, writing 
their names very clearly in English characters ; and 
were much pleased when shown in another book the 
autographs of the Prince of Wales, the late Duke of 
Clarence, the Duke of Connaught, and the Duke of 
Cambridge. 
The distinguished visitors were then conducted by 
Messrs. M. J. and A. W. Sutton over the various 
departments. In the export office their attention 
was called to a large order which had been received 
that morning, and was being made up for South 
Africa. The immense agricultural seed room (in 
which the Prince of Wales was Masonically enter¬ 
tained four years ago) justly excited their admiration, 
as did the elaborate machinery for cleaning the 
various kinds of seeds, the exhibition of two varieties 
of Potatos indigenous to Africa in the Potato sorting 
room, &c. Unmistakeable delight was evinced at 
the magnificent museum of models of agricultural 
roots and vegetables ; and attention was directed in 
another room to the preparation of grasses, seeds, 
&c., which are presented by the firm to the Royal 
Agricultural College and other similar institutions, 
and to the County Council lecturers throughout the 
kingdom, for “ field lectures” in the promotion of 
technical education. 
Khama has for many years conducted, every 
morning, Divine service in the Royal Kraal, and it 
afforded him the keenest gratification to find that 
Messrs. Sutton have for more than half a century 
followed the same good custom, all the employes of 
the firm who wish to do so meeting together for a 
short service of prayer and the reading of Scripture 
every morning at 10.30. The service on Wednesday 
was attended by several hundred of the men and 
boys in the firm’s employ, and Khama and his 
brother chiefs were much impressed with the short, 
hearty ceremony, which was conducted by the Rev. 
S. H. Soole, Vicar of Greyfriars, and chaplain of the 
establishment. Three verses of the hymn " From 
Greenland’s icy mountains,” were beautifully sung, 
and the Rev. S. H. Soole read and expounded the 
peculiarly applicable 21st chapter of the Proverbs, 
afterwards leading in prayer. Mrs. M. J. Sutton 
and Miss Sutton joined in the prayers at the Abbey 
Hall. 
After the tour of the Market Place premises, 
Messrs. Sutton entertained their guests to break¬ 
fast, which was elegantly served by Messrs. George 
and Co., of King Street, in the firm's private office. 
The visitors then re-entered the carriages, and made 
a careful inspection of the principal features of 
interest at the Portland Place nursery and the Lon¬ 
don Road seed trial grounds, being highly impressed 
with the wonderful state of cultivation and the 
infinite variety of produce to which their attention 
was called. 
-- 
ALDERMASTON COURT. 
This grand old residence and the estate pertaining to 
it has recently passed, through purchase, into the 
hands of C. Keyser, Esq. Distant some eight miles 
from the town of Reading, the Newbury branch of 
the Great Western Railway lands the visitor within 
about two miles of it, in the midst of some of the 
loveliest of the lovely rural scenery for which the 
valley of the Kennet is so justly famed. On an 
eminence overlooking the fertile valley, stands the 
mansion, from the tower of which, upon a clear day, 
some magnificient views of the surrounding country 
can be obtained. One of the stately homes of 
England in very deed, nature has been extremely 
liberal here, and judiciously assisted by the helping 
hand of man, has taken the several features of hill 
and dale, wood and water, long undulating stretches 
of grassy carpet, and extensive brakes of fern and 
heather that abound, and blended them into one 
harmonious whole. Long years of judicious and 
practical forestry have not been wanting, and the 
result is apparent in extensive avenues of Limes, and 
of Horse and Sweet Chestnuts that are surpassed by 
none in the country. The soil hereabouts is 
specially suitable for the growth of the Oak, and one 
stands lost in wonder and amaze at some huge 
monster of the forest with a trunk many feet in 
diameter, hollowed out by the destroying hand of 
time, whilst overhead the gaunt seared branches 
raise their arms to heaven defiant as ever, injured in 
the warfare with time but not defeated, seamed with 
the scars of conflict, but unconquerable still. 
The estate, indeed, is celebrated far and wide for 
the quality of its timber of Oak and of Elm, whilst 
in the numerous plantations, both in the park itself 
and in the immediate environments, Conifers of 
many kinds are to be found. Indeed, the two best 
specimens of the Scotch Fir (Pinus sylvestris), 
which as yet it has been our lot to meet with, are 
growing very close to the eastern front of the 
mansion. The large lake, which is some thirteen 
acres in extent, and dotted with islands at its 
southern extremity, lies in full view of the terrace 
on the west front, and an entrancing sight it is on a 
summer’s day to watch the glitter of the sunlight as 
it plays upon the ripples that agitate its surface. 
From the windows of the southern front the eye 
passes over a long, undulating, grassy plain, flanked 
on either hand by stately trees, until it rests upon the 
heather-clad slopes of the distant hills, which 
sparkle lazily in the subdued gold of the September 
sun. Originally this avenue was bounded at its 
southern end by a plantation of trees, which not 
only obscured the glimpse of the hills from the lower 
windows of the house, but gave an appearance of 
limitation to the park itself: but the artist’s eye 
and the soul of the lover of the beautiful came to 
the aid of nature, and the plantation vanished 
beneath the axe of the woodman, then the gorgeous 
hills shone out from beyond, and the appearance of 
finiteness was no more. 
Since Mr. Keyser has taken possession, the sleepy 
appearance that characterised things generally has 
disappeared, and many improvements, including the 
making of new carriage drives and the enlargement 
of the house itself have been placed on foot and 
carried to a successful issue, and still the work of 
evolution is going on. No wholesale demolition of 
interesting features has taken place, no reckless 
substitution of the garishly new for the venerably 
old has been allowed, but instead, we find a fixed 
determination that an improvement shall be an im¬ 
provement, and not an alteration only. Rhododen¬ 
drons and Kalmias have been planted pretty exten¬ 
sively, and are apparently in a flourishing condition, 
despite the fact that it was very late before they 
were planted. The making of the beds was not 
commenced until March of this year, and the plants 
themselves were not put out before April. Then 
followed the long period of drought, which has been 
so much deplored by horticulturists and agricul¬ 
turists alike. Still, in spite of all this, not one of 
them succumbed. The plants have been allowed 
plenty of room, so as to admit of the induction of 
Liliums of various kinds in the spaces between 
them, a combination which is always productive of 
the best results' and which is such a feature of the 
American Garden at Kew. 
The kitchen and fruit gardens are distant about 
half a mile from the mansion, and here vegetables 
particularly are in a prosperous condition. Some 
splendid rows of Celery are very noticeable, 
Colonel Clarke's Solid Red and Veitch’s Superb 
White being the varieties favoured. Large breadths 
of the curled Scotch and Cottager’s Kales, Savoys, 
Broccoli of various sorts, Spinach, Leeks, and roots 
of all kinds afford ample evidence that it is not in¬ 
tended the supply of esculents should fall short 
during the coming winter. The glass houses 
are not very numerous, and are, to say the least of 
it, wholly inadequate to the demands for under 
glass space. Excellent crops of Grapes, Peaches, 
and Nectarines have, however, been secured. In 
the long orchard house, a three-quarter span 
erection, a heterogenous collection of subjects is 
accommodated, Peaches and Nectarines being 
trained fan-wise along the back wall, standard 
bushes of the same being dotted here and there 
along the front border, whilst the roof is occupied 
with vines. Although the framework of the house 
is of iron, and the temperature during winter 
necessarily lower on that account, and the heating 
apparatus woefully insufficient, consisting of a single 
flow and return of 3 in. piping, some splendid crops 
of Black Hamburgh are obtained. Indeed, for ex¬ 
cellence of flavour and finish the Grapes are as good 
as any we have seen this season, whilst both berries 
and bunches are of fair average size, and the crop a 
decidedly heavy one. Mealy bug does not cause 
any trouble at all. Perhaps the temperature is too 
low to suit its proclivities, for often during the winter 
months it is impossible to exclude the frost entirely. 
Two magnificent specimens of Rose Marechal Niel 
are also t&be found in this house. Although they 
were budded some sixteen or seventeen years ago 
they are as vigorous as ever, and each year produce 
large numbers of grand blooms. The union of bud 
and stock has been perfect, and even now, after so 
many years of growth, the stem is still firm and 
sound at the point of junction. Each spring, after 
flowering, a liberal use is made of the pruning 
knife and the greater part of the wood cut cleanout. 
This encourages the production of young strong 
growths, which, after being subjected to a judicious 
thinning and spurring in the autumn, produce as fine 
flowers next spring as ever were picked from off a 
young tree. 
For hardy fruit the season has been a fair one. 
Small fruits of all kinds were plentiful and of good 
quality. Plums have been a somewhat erratic crop, 
the later varieties, such as Coe's Golden Drop, bear¬ 
ing a fair sprinkling, whilst on other trees the fruit 
has been conspicuous by its absence. Pears, as in 
most parts of the country, are rather thin. The 
large, pyramidally-trained trees have had a holiday, 
although good fruit has been obtained from oblique 
cordons of such sorts as Autumn Bergamot, Berga¬ 
mot d'Esperen, Beurre Diel, Beurre Bachelier, 
Louise Bonne of Jersey, and Beurre d’Amanlis. 
Small birds, however, have been an exceptional pest 
this year, having developed a particularly keen 
desire for tasting the best fruits by picking holes in 
them near to the footstalk. Apples have not been 
such a plentiful crop here as elsewhere. Young 
trees have, however, done well, and such varieties 
as Ecklinville Seedling, Lord Grosvenor, Cellini, 
Warner's King, Lord Suffield, and Cox's Pomona 
have borne heavily. The older trees again have 
had to take a second place, although some cup¬ 
shaped trees of Court Pendu Plat and Norfolk 
Beefing are ripening grand crops of splendid fruit. 
Hardening ||iscellany. 
FUCHSIA ERECTA, 
Many of the ordinary varieties of garden Fuchsias 
are well adapted for bedding purposes, but that 
under notice is notable for its distinctive character 
due to the erect habit of both the branches and 
flowers. The beholder who is unacquainted with the 
variety is puzzled with its appearance at a short 
distance away, as to what it may be. The flowers 
are closely crowded towards the end of the branches,. 
