740 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
July 18, 1896. 
there are over five miles of wide gravel walks, and 
over sixty acres of pleasure grounds, including forty 
acres of lawn, besides wood and water we have given 
some idea of their extent. •* To wander at our idle 
will in summer’s luscious prime,” as the poet puts it, 
amongst these sylvan charms is indeed a pleasurable 
and an instructive experience, particularly as every¬ 
thing is neat and well kept, whilst antiquarian relics 
are carefully preserved and not subjected to the 
tidying up mania. Most of the trees bear labels 
whereon their correct names and habitats are 
inscribed. This is an example that might well be 
followed by other noblemen and gentlemen, for the 
value and interest attaching to collections would 
thereby be greatly enhanced. Cedrus Libani has 
been planted extensively, and there are numbers of 
grand specimens scattered throughout the grounds. 
One veritable old patriarch in particular that stands 
near the mansion is supported by various props and 
stays, most of which are covered with Ivy, whilst 
the huge limbs are held together by ropes of wire. 
Oaks also are largely represented. In all there are 
over forty species and varieties represented, many of 
them by splendidly-grown trees, including a veteran 
Quercus Suber. Some clean-limbed and stately 
specimens of Tilia americana are also well worthy 
of note. Robinia Pseudo-Acacia would appear to 
have been a great favourite at one time. Several of 
the finest trees we have ever seen are to be found on 
the outskirts of the lawn upon the western front. A 
very pretty effect has been obtained by allowing a 
Banksian Rose to clamber up the stem of one gnarled 
old subject, the paucity of whose branches betrays 
the fact that many many summers have passed over 
its devoted head. A large tree of Magnolia 
acuminata attracted our attention as one of the finest 
examples we have yet met with. Cercis Siliquastrum, 
the so-called Judas Tree, is another distinguished 
occupant of the arboretum. 
The growth of wild flowers is encouraged in the 
out lying portions of the grounds, and we were 
charmed with the appearance of some thinly planted 
shrubberies, of which the stately Foxglove had taken 
possession. Clumps of the common Bracken, Pteris 
aquilina, presented a well nigh tropical appearance, 
so tall and vigorous were they. 
The Flower Garden. 
It is somewhat difficult to divide the flower garden 
proper from the pleasure grounds, the one running 
gradually into the other. In front of the large con¬ 
servatory the chief effort is evidently made. Standard 
Roses planted singly are a great feature here, the 
whole of the space being dotted with them. The 
greater part of the beds are occupied by the common 
run of bedding plants, which all looked gay aDd 
effective. Several beds, however, were filled by 
such sub-tropical subjects as Cannas, Coleuses, 
Alternantheras, etc., whilst Grevillea robusta has 
been used as a dot plant with charming effect. 
Leaving this portion of the garden we pass through 
a very pretty hardy fernery, the shade and coolness 
of which is most refreshing upon a hot July day. 
From amongst the fronds of the Ferns which gem 
the banks on either side numbers of faces carved 
upon blocks of stone peer curiously at us, the effect 
being somewhat startling. 
In the great lake which is such a feature of the 
flower garden the dainty Nymphae alba has estab¬ 
lished itself, the whiteness of the flowers showing up 
all the more strongly by contrast with the golden- 
yellow of the flowers of Nuphar luteum growing by 
its side. The lake is crossed by several rustic 
bridges, and the whole scene is delightful beyond 
description to those who love the water and water 
plants. Hereabouts the Old Man's Beard, Clematis 
Vitalba, has taken possession, and many of the trees 
are festooned from the tops downward with the 
restful green of the most beautiful of our native 
climbing plants. 
The Kitchen Garden. 
The vegetable and fruit gardens are, as may well be 
supposed, of considerable extent, and they have need 
to be considering the vast amount of material that 
they are called upon to furnish. Mr. G. Wythes 
since he first came to Syon, some eight years ago, 
has made his name known far and wide as a practical 
gardener, and successful exhibitor of fruits and 
vegetables. The medals alone which have been 
awarded him for collections of vegetables number 
several scores, and among them the magic word 
" gold ” appears not once or twice, bespeaking the 
exhibition of collections of far more than ordinary 
merit. 
Asparagus is a very favourite culture of Mr. 
Wythes, and we were greatly interested in the out¬ 
door beds from which he cuts the large, succulent, 
and well blanched heads so familiar to the frequenters 
of the Westminster Drill Hall. The beds in question 
are all enclosed by walls surmounted with a cap of 
iron. The intervening spaces, which are from 18 in. 
to 24 in. in width, are filled with fermenting material, 
and thus stimulated the roots throw up their heads 
very early in the season. The whole plan is an 
excellent one, and well worthy of being extensively 
copied by other cultivators of the popular esculent. 
Despite the dry weather, vegetables all round were 
looking well, and huge stretches of Brussels Sprouts, 
Cauliflowers, Celery, Saladings, and roots of all kinds 
showed up conspicuously. 
The fruit crop, too, gives promise of being a 
remarkably heavy one. A large slice of what is now 
the kitchen garden was at one time occupied by a 
grower for market, and many trees of the old Manx 
Codlin Apple still remain, and are this year carrying 
heavy loads of fruit. Mr. Wythes is removing these 
trees by degrees and filling their places with other 
varieties possessed of superior keeping qualities. 
Thanks to liberal waterings Raspberries have been 
doing well. Superlative is the favourite here, and 
well it justifies the choice. At the last picking over 
120 lbs. were gathered, and at the time of our visit 
another picking fully as large might have been 
obtained. Strawberries are treated as annuals at 
Syon, that is to say, the plants are grown for one 
year only. Mr. Wythes pins his faith to early 
planting. The runners are put in early, and the 
plantations made from the middle to the end of July. 
Over 6,000 plants are grown for forcing purposes 
alone, and this will give some idea of the extent to 
which forcing is practised at Syon. This year Royal 
Sovereign, having hitherto acquitted itself so well, is 
beiDg grown in very large quantities, supplemented 
by other well-proved sorts, such as Laxton’s Noble, 
Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury, Sir Charles Napier, 
and Auguste Nicaise. 
Generally speaking, hardy fruit is very plentiful. 
Morello Cherries, Apricots, Apples, Pears, Plums, 
and small fruits are all giving a good account of 
themselves, and the late spring frost, which caused 
so much apprehension for the safety of the fruit 
crops in many parts of the country, seem to have 
worked little, if any, damage. 
The Glass Houses. 
The glass department is a great feature of the 
establishment. Under Mr. Wythes’ capable super¬ 
vision the old Pine pits have recently been turned 
into small forcing pits, which not only retain the 
heat of the sun wonderfully well, but are withal 
handy and useful little structures, eminently suitable 
for the culture of Melons, Tomatos, etc. Syon 
House is a noted home for Melons, some six first- 
class varieties having been raised here. Of these, 
Beauty of Syon and Syon House are grown in quan¬ 
tities and give every satisfaction. The chief feature 
of Melon culture here is the small amount of soil 
that is given the plants, dependence being placed 
rather upon liberal and judicious feeding than upon 
a great deal of soil, and the results fully justify this 
method. 
Tomatos are exceptionally well done, and Carter’s 
Duke of York, as grown here, is surely the king of 
Tomatos. Look where we would the plants, whether 
growing in pots or planted out in beds, were heavily 
loaded with huge fruits, some of which have turned 
the scale at fourteen ounces—no mean weight for a 
single Tomato, and a record that will take some 
beating. 
In the larger houses Grapes are extensively grown, 
house after house being filled with grand crops of 
fruit in all stages. Perhaps the most noticeable 
among these was a superbly finished lot of Muscat 
of Alexandria, that was all that a gardener could 
desire. Peaches and Nectarines have yielded heavy 
crops, and the growth is wonderfully clean and 
strong. The pot culture of stone fruit is not largely 
indulged in, but a few Peaches in pots were just 
ripening very fair crops 
Bananas receive special care, and here again our 
attention was arrested by the apparently inadequate 
quantity of soil in which the plants were growing. 
Musa Cavendishii does well under such treatment 
however, as the size and deep green hue of the leaves 
betoken. In roomier houses both Musa sapientum and 
M. paradisiaca receive attention. 
In speaking of the plant houses the size and 
importance amongst horticultural structures of the 
large conservatory naturally claim for it the first 
and chief consideration. Briefly its appearance as 
viewed from its southern front is that of a huge semi¬ 
circle, in the centre of which arises the large domed 
Palm house, high enough to accommodate many 
stately examples of a tropical flora. A roomy 
corridor runs from either side of this central dome, 
and at the horns of the crescent expands into a 
commodious circular structure. In these two wings 
greenhouse plants of all kinds are to be found, and at 
the time of our visit Liliums, Fuchsias, Pelargoniums, 
Coleuses, etc., were much in evidence. This part 
of the conservatory forms a cool and pleasant 
promenade. The tropical section, however, excites 
the chief interest on account of the remarkable 
character of its inmates. The mighty Dendrocalamus 
giganteus appears to be perfectly at home here, and 
is in far more vigorous health than at Kew. A fine 
Arenga saccharifera, the fronds of which are closely 
pressing against the glass, is also well worthy of 
note. Sideroxylon inerme, the Iron-wood tree, is 
represented by a specimen, the stem of which is 
fully 6 in. in diameter. Other interesting plants 
were Bombax ceiba, the silk cotton tree, Ficus 
bengalensis, Dracaena undulata, and Cereus 
hexagonus. 
The remainder of the plant houses, as may well be 
expected, are kept pretty busy in keeping up a supply 
of material for this truly noble conservatory. In 
one stove a grand batch of Hymenocallis speciosum 
in full flower was very conspicuous. 
Orchids are not touched to any extent except for 
supplying cut flower. To this end Mr. Wythes has 
paid a great deal of attention, and since his advent 
the stock of Orchids has been more than quadrupled. 
Cypripedium barbatum does exceptionally well, and 
quantities of well grown plants were carrying a rare 
lot of flowers. 
A word as to the young gardeners at Syon must 
bring our notes to a close. As may be expected by 
those who are acquainted with the inner workings of 
a big private establishment, a good many over hours 
have to be put in during the busy season in order to 
keep things up to the mark, but Mr. Wjthes does all 
that lies in his power to make the lot of those under 
him comfortable. A fortnight's holiday is granted 
to each once a year, and whenever it is possible to 
do so, work is knocked off at 2 p.m. on Saturdays. 
Besides this an occasional day off is readily granted, 
so that in the matter of holidays the young men have 
not much to grumble at. A welcome addition to the 
bothies has recently been made in the shape of a 
a reading room, in which current horticultural 
periodicals, as well as books dealing with the 
profession and kindred sciences are to be obtained. 
This is a grand example which should be followed 
in every garden of any size in the kingdom, for a 
well read gardener is sure to be thoughtful, per¬ 
severing, and successful. 
-« « ■ 
TUNBRIDGE WELLS FLOWER 
SHOW. 
The thirty-eighth annual Flower Show was held in 
the Great Hall and Calverley Hotel grounds on Wed¬ 
nesday, July 8th. Fortunately, the weather was fine, 
without which flower shows are almost bound to be 
a financial failure, for no one cares to go when it is 
wet, no matter how ardent a lover of flowers he 
may be. 
Besides the Great Hall, three large tents were 
requisitioned in which to take the plants, fruit, 
and flowers. 
In the open class for four stove and greenhouse 
plants (Orchids excluded), Mr. J. Mason, gardener 
to H. J. Wood, Esq., Bidborough Court, was first 
with fine pieces of Anthurium Andreanum and 
Allamanda Hendersonii. Mr. W. Turner, gardener 
to J. H. Le Lacheur, Esq., Tunbridge Wells, was a 
close second, whilst Mr. T. Portnell, gardener to Sir 
A. Lamb, Battle, was a good third. For four orna¬ 
mental foliage plants, Mr. S. Pope, gardener to J. J. 
Barrow, Esq., Holmwood, Tunbridge Wells, was 
easily first, and was followed by Messrs. Mason and 
Portnell respectively. For four exotic Ferns, Mr. 
