782 
T HE GARDENING WORLD. 
August 8, 1896. 
does the Ash. At from four to six years' growth it 
is fit for walking sticks, for spade handles at ten 
years, while after that age the uses to which it is 
applied are very numerous and diverse. For the 
Cartwright, the agricultural implement maker, car¬ 
penter, cooper, and turner, it is of special value. 
No timber has been found to equal it for the making 
of oars, pulleys, blocks, ladders, hoops, and crates. 
Owing to its sawing without splintering it is used for 
milkpails, kitchen tables, staircases, and similar 
purposes, while when of large size it is greatly in 
demand for furniture making. 
For smoking herrings Ash wood has a certain local 
demand. Potash is procured from the ashes of the 
branches, and the bark has a special value in the 
tanning of nets.— A. D. Webster, 
-- 
SPANISH FRUITS AND NUTS. 
The climate and soil of Spain favour, to a remark¬ 
able degree, the cultivation of fruits and nuts, which 
are produced and exported in large quantities, and 
by many are considered to be unrivalled in flavour. 
The most valuable product of the Spanish soil is the 
Grape Vine, which furnishes fine fruit, and yields 
many kinds of wine and superior qualities of alcohol, 
vinegar, and tartar. Of all dried fruits, raisins have, 
from the earliest times, been the most popular, and 
have even served as a medium of exchange. The 
United States Consul-general at Barcelona says that 
the best known kinds are the Pasas de Denia, of 
which there are two varieties, and the Pasas de 
Malaga, of which there are three, La Moscatel, La Flor 
and El Sol. There is another variety, called Pasas de 
Legia, which is produced by treating the Grape with 
a liquid composed of water, ashes, and oil. In 1894 
Spain exported 32,425,000 kilogrammes (kilog.= 
2-2 lbs.) of Raisms, and 19,763,000 kilos, of Grapes, 
principally to Great Britain and the United States. 
The best Spanish Oranges are those grown in 
Valencia, Seville, aDd Malaga. In 1894 the ex¬ 
portation of this fruit amounted to 160,340,000 kilos, 
principally to Great Britain, France, Germany, and 
Belgium. Spanish Apples are of many kinds ; they 
are grown principally in Andalusia, Aragon, in the 
Asturias and Provincias Vascongadas. The best 
known varieties are those called the Balbonis, 
Balsain, Oro, Coralin^, Bilbao, Ripanaldas, 
Vizcainas, Romana, Encarnadas, Violadas, Doradas, 
Anis, Paloma, Api, Rosa, Tostada, and Helada. In 
the Asturias and Las Vascongadas and in Santander, 
cider is made in large quantities, but it is chiefly 
consumed where made. It is not of sufficiently good 
quality to export or bring into competition with the 
cider of other countries. The supply of Pears, owing 
to the great variety produced, never fails in Spain 
during the entire year. Various liquids are made 
from Pears by the Spaniards and with successful 
results. These liquids include pear vinegar, brandy, 
and cider, and material to mix with white wines. 
The Melons of Spain merit all the praise they receive, 
and that is great. Some of the best are produced in 
Valencia, and are exported in large numbers. The 
people of Barcelona are well supplied with them 
from September until March, and they may even be 
had later and at very reasonable prices. As regards 
Peaches, Spain acknowledges that the United States, 
France, and Italy, produce better fruit than she does, 
but the Spanish Peaches are nevertheless not only 
good when preserved, but many of them are excellent 
when fresh. The Parviasof Murcia, Andalusia, and 
Almeria are considered the most excellent kind, but 
as a matter of fact they are, in the opinion of the 
Consul, rather hard. Pomegranates were brought 
from Africa and acclimatised in Spain in times too 
remote to be specified with accuracy. The favourite 
varieties are those of Carcogente and Jativa and the 
so-called Cinuelas. They are chiefly cultivated in 
Almeria, Murcia, Orihuela, Valencia, Castellon, and 
Tortosa. In 1894, the exports amounted 109,588,000 
kilogrammes. Figs grow in all parts of Spain, but 
they thrive best in Alicante, Castellon de la Plana, 
Aragon, Catalonia, Malaga, and Valencia. The ex¬ 
portation in 1894 amounted to 4,156,000 kilo¬ 
grammes. France, Denmark, Cuba, and Great 
Britain were the largest consumers. Chestnuts 
abound, principally in Catalonia, Vixcaya, 
Estremadura, and the Asturias, but they are not of 
a superior quality, and are not exported to any great 
extent Walnuts are abundant in Cordova, Malaga, 
Leon, Huesca, Oviedo, and along the whole 
Cantabrian coast. In 1894 the exports amounted 
to Si,000 kilogrammes. Tarragona is the land of 
filberts, and most of them find their way to England. 
Nearly every kind of Almond is grown in Spain. 
The Spaniards divide them into two general classes 
—the sweet (almendras dulces), and the bitter 
(almendras amargas). The former are cultivated, 
especially in Alicante, and are of five varieties— 
Pestaneta, Bale, Blancal, Mollar, and Comun; the 
latter are produced in Tarragona and Malaga. 
Perhaps the best of all the Spanish Almonds are 
those of Malaga, which are almost cylindrical in 
shape, and have a very fine flavour. — The exporta¬ 
tion of Almonds in 1894 was as follows :—In shells, 
1.436,000 kilogrammes ; without shells, 3,475,000 
kilogrammes. The principal markets for Spanish 
Almonds are Great Britain, France, and the United 
States .— Journal of The Society of Arts. 
EYNSFORD NURSERIES. 
The men of Kent are proud, and deservedly so, of 
the huge seed and nursery business established 
amongst them by Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons. Kent, 
the fairest county in England, as her sons are fain 
to consider her, has long been celebrated the country 
over for her rolling acres of orchards and fruit 
gardens, as well as for the quality of the fruit borne 
by those orchards ; but flowers of all kinds are just 
as much at home upon her fertile soil. With happy 
inspiration the Messrs. Cannell have taken advantage 
of this to bestow the name of the “ Home of 
Flowers ” upon their nurseries, and surely never was 
a name more aptly bestowed or more fully justified. 
The Eynsford Nurseries, with which these notes par¬ 
ticularly deal, comprise upwards of three hundred 
acres in extent, and are situated in one of the most 
sweetly rural parts of the southern country. True, 
the iron horse dashes through on its way to the 
fashionable watering-places of the southern coast, 
bearing also a number of pleasure seekers on the first 
stage of their journey towards the metropolis of 
pleasure, Paris, but this is a necessity of modern 
civilisation, and after the blare and smoke of the 
noisy engine have passed, the smiling landscape 
again resumes its sweet serenity. The country 
around Eynsford is charmingly undulated, scarcely 
sufficiently so to be termed hilly, but still there 
are several hills which promise a fairly stiff climb 
before their sides are surmounted. Hill and Sale 
all bear, however, the impress of careful and 
assiduous cultivation, and wherever the visitor 
turns, broad acres of Strawberries, Raspberries, 
Apples, Pears, Plums, etc., meet the eye. 
Nestling by the nooks in the wayside, or upon 
some strip of common ground may be found the last 
remnants of the Strawberry pickers, who, during the 
earlier part of July, are so busily enaged in plucking 
luscious fruit to fill the mouths of London's teeming 
millions. These happy vagrants love to linger on 
amid the golden glory of a Kent summertide, and 
loiter around, on one pretext or another, until the 
shimmering of the Hops in the distant fields 
summons them away. 
The Eynsford Nurseries are really situated in a 
sheltered hollow lying between good-sized hills, the 
breasts of which are ablaze with the hosts of 
brilliant flowers that the Messrs. Cannell grow so 
well. The soil is a loam of medium texture, but of 
varying depth, lying upon the chalk which upon the 
spurs of the hills peeps through the upper stratum. 
This is really of no great depth anywhere, but 
amply sufficient in skilled hands to grow all sorts of 
crops to perfection. As may be expected under 
such conditions the drought has been severely felt, 
although we were agreeably surprised to find that 
things generally were not hanging out such 
unequivocal signs of distress as we should have 
expected. Good cultivation has certainly done a 
deal at Eynsford to minimise the evil effects of the 
dry weather, 
The glass houses at the Eynsford Nurseries are 
comparatively few, there only being some eight or 
nine of them. Several of these are occupied with 
fine crops of Melons, Cucumbers, and Tomatos, all 
of them grown for seed purposes. A fine batch of 
Stocks of various varieties also occupies another 
house. These are grown in pots, also for the pro¬ 
duction of seed. The rest of the houses are at 
present devoted to the drying and cleaning of many 
crops of various seeds, Peas principally. These 
have turned out exceedingly fine and clean samples, 
that should give a good account of themselves 
another season. 
It was the out-door department, however, that most 
keenlyaroused our interest, for here there were many 
pretty things to see and admire ; and although the 
time at our disposal was too limited to admit of a 
thorough examination, we had yet sufficient time to 
note a few of the leading features of the establish¬ 
ment. The wondrously dwarf strain of Antirrhi¬ 
nums is especially worthy of mention. The plants 
run from 4 in. to 6 in. in height, and make neit 
bushy little specimens that flower most profusely. 
Although the plants are so diminutive, however, the 
blooms themselves are of full average size. As bed¬ 
ding plants these Tom Thumb Antirrhinums would 
be difficult to beat, seeing they grow so well, flower 
so freely, and may be had in such a wide range of 
colour. In addition to seifs, comprising fine whites, 
yellows, scarlets, and crimsons, a race of fancy 
varieties striped and flaked in different hues contains 
many charming forms. Passing a break of single 
Petunias we were fain to stay a moment, and admire 
their gorgeous colours. Measuring one of the 
flowers we found it to exceed 5 in. in diameter, and 
this was but a sample of many more that were to be 
seen. A stretch of Salpiglossis sinuata, hard by in 
full glory of flower, seemed trying to outdo the 
Petunias in brilliancy. These showy flowers are 
most useful for cutting, and last and look well in 
water. They are well worth growing on that 
account alone. The great drawback to them is that 
ladies usually complain of their being so sticky to 
handle. 
China Asters are dealt in largely, for over three 
acres in all are devoted exclusively to them. Of 
course we were too soon to see them in their glory, 
but a few of the earliest were just opening their first 
flowers. The plants are all rather dwarfer than 
usual this year owing to the lack of rainfall, but 
vigorous and sturdy withal. Alonsoa Warscewiczii, 
growing right upon the spur of a hill, is as brilliant 
as a soldier’s coat, and fully as rich a scarlet. 
Arnebia comuta also does well on the chalk usually, 
but this season, for some reason or other, it has not 
kept up to the standard of former years. Salvia 
orminum is grown in quantity, and the intense 
blue of the bracts which tip the inflorescence is boih 
wonderful and striking. This is one of the best blue 
Salvias we have. Brachycome iberidifolia is repre¬ 
sented in three distinct shades of blue, all of them 
well worthy attention. The popular name of Swan 
River Daisy which is attached to this charming 
composite will be familiar to many of our readers. 
It is a great pity that the double flowered forms of 
Senecio elegans are not more frequently met with in 
our gardens than they are The deep green foliage 
is highly ornamental, likewise the flowers of which 
some lovely shades of purple, crimson, rose, cream, 
lilac, and heliotrope, with white are forthcoming. 
The plants run from 8 in. to 10 in. in height, although 
they would probably grow somewhat taller than this 
in a damper season. It would be impossible to pass 
by the heliotrope and lilac flowers of Nemesia 
versicolor compacta, for the plants form shapely little 
tufts of colour at once conspicuous and unique. As 
an edging "plant for medium sized subjects this is 
unsurpassed, as it outvies even Lobelia in floriferous- 
ness. 
It would be indeed difficult to over-praise the 
brilliancy of the beds devoted to annuals of all sorts. 
Dianthus Heddewigii and Phlox Drummondi, in all 
th=ir varied hues,more nearly resembled the gorgeous 
combinations of the kaleidoscope than anything 
else, whilst the rich crimson-purple and gold of 
Linaria reticulata aurea purpurea itself claimed due 
attention. Violas have had a sad time of it of late. 
They like plenty of water, aDd this has just been one 
of the things it has been impossible to give them, 
and they certainly appear to have suffered more than 
anything else. 
Passing on to the quarters devoted to the culture 
of vegetables for seed, we were greeted with the sight 
of large stretches of all kinds of roots in flower, 
Brassicas in variety, eto., in an abundance bespeak¬ 
ing the number and magnitude of the orders that 
will presently pour in from all parts of the world for 
supplies of tested Kent seeds, when such extensive 
preparations have to be made to secure a sufficiency 
of stock. Some grand plantations of Onions were a 
chief feature here. The bulbs, which are already of 
colossal size, are evidently intended to grace some 
show table in the near future, and if only they fulfil 
their brilliant promise they will most assuredly give 
an excellent account of themselves. Ailsa Craig, 
