482 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
March 28, 1896. 
the mansion as the principal and main basis of his 
plaD, will exhibit evidences of total incapacity for such 
work. The individual who can grasp and see clearly 
the benefits of a wise consideration of these environs, 
will note objects either proximate or distant that are 
distasteful to the eye from the mansion, and will as 
far as possible hide them by judicious planting; 
while on the other hand, objects and scenes of beauty 
will be blended into his scheme showing bold lines of 
demarcation, that are not distasteful and do not 
abruptly terminate but gracefully fit in, giving the idea 
of scope, and allowing the eye to grasp the most pro¬ 
spective views in the range of vision. In a word, the 
aim is to abolish out of the range of vision that 
which is distasteful, and with an iron grip to grasp 
the beautiful and niche them in as it were, following 
Nature as far as possible. 
Straight lines showing the terminus of a lawn, are, 
to say the least, in very bad taste. The earthworks 
should be in accordance with the design of the 
mansion ; and from the principal windows the eye 
should be able to sweep across the velvet carpet of 
grass, through clumps or single trees, and over 
sunken or invisible fence? to the pasture land 
beyond. If any large trees are in the parks, or a 
river or lake, they should be included in the view; 
and the grazing of cattle and the folding of sheep in 
the pastures are not objectionable, but highly com¬ 
mendable. 
Every practical man knows that such situations 
as the aforesaid chiefly occur surrounding the 
mansions of great and wealthy personages; and 
that a great deal of landscape work is on a 
scale considerably less pretentious. But my 
contention is that the aforesaid views are an ideal 
that may be more or less copied or aimed at ac¬ 
cording to the circumstance of the case. We also 
know that results such as those named cannot be 
attained in many situations, owing to the fact that 
the mansion has been built in the wrong place. I 
may here say that gardeners, as a class, have good 
reasons in many cases for grumbling at the architect’s 
choice of site ; and I believe many of our nobility and 
gentry have increased their expenditure in the 
making and upkeep of their grounds from this cause. 
The gardener's abilities have been taxed to their 
utmost extent in striving to keep the place neat and 
tidy amidst environments which are a bedraggled 
conglomeration of nearly everything distasteful to 
the eye. Although such cases do arise we need not 
mop over it; such conditions of things ought rather 
to form bases of experience, which may in future be 
an advantage. Adverse circumstances and conditions 
in affairs are often powerful levers in developing 
latent powers and forces to unwrap themselves, 
which if never ruffled and rasped up would be 
dormant. 
Hence, the landscape gardener, who has battled 
against adverse environments, wtll have gained 
knowledge of vast importance, which is sure to 
exhibit itself in the future. In landscape work one 
has not only to be prepared to trace lines of beauty 
and hide abominable surroundings as far as lies 
within the range of possibility; but a great achieve¬ 
ment and most commendable is the power and ability 
to utilise to the best advantages the materials and 
things that lie to his hand—the directing his work, 
and selecting hues, &c., suitable. It is not a great 
feat, if vast sums of money, site and suitable trees 
adapted for the purpose lie to hand to produce good 
results and show abilities. But it is very commend¬ 
able, if site is bad, money not flush, &c., to be able 
to make the very best use of everything. It is of 
vital importance for gardeners to cultivate the powers 
of grasping the desires and tastes of employers ; and 
although operations in laying out may occur, that do 
not harmonise with their opinions, to be whimsical 
over them is far wrong. It ought to be done to the 
very best of their po wers, for by doing so, knowledge 
may be gained. It must be borne in mind, that many 
employers have advantages of seeing varied scenes 
of successful landscape work; and many also have 
excellent taste, judging from my own experience of 
employers. 
Gardeners should never be too hasty (if I may so 
to my young friends), on taking charge of a head 
place, to recommend the place to be turned upside 
down; for many employers have suffered severely at 
the hands of incompetent men ; and one need not be 
surprised if employers are careful in making altera¬ 
tions for “burnt bairns dread the fire.” I was 
entrusted to take charge of extensive laying out for a 
rich magnate. In going round the place he desired 
me to make his lawn over again. He said “ it had 
cost him hundreds of pounds ; the turf was brought 
from a distant shire near the sea. It is a failure, 
being nothing but moss and Sea Pinks. My late 
gardener informed me that I would require to get 
sand from the seashore where the turf came from. I 
did so and you see the results." 
I was compelled to smile. I have heard of " many 
ports in a storm ” that gardeners have reached ; but 
I gave the cake to this man. I have wondered if 
such originality had been developed by mature con¬ 
sideration, or if it was simply a sudden rasp by his 
employer on his mental capacity, that caused such 
an outburst of originality in sheer desperation. I 
will not reason it out, but simply say that such 
evolutions of rare originality are not beneficial for 
the development of horticulture. 
Another thing that one has to consider in lawn¬ 
making is soils. We are all aware that soils of every 
description can by the addition of other soils, 
materials, and various methods be made suitable for 
lawns. Stubborn and clayey soils are the most 
difficult to bring to the proper standard required; 
and various systems are adopted, such as draining, 
the adding of coal ashes, sand, shells, chalk, and in 
fact anything that will correct the tenacity and 
adhesiveness of the soil. I have tried a few of these 
methods and have found them very beneficial agents. 
But stiff, rentive and clayey soils, even though 
greatly improved by these methods once laid down in 
grass, do not as a rule (unless well done) in wet weather 
permit the water to percolate sufficiently rapidly ; 
and they are most apt the longer they remain un¬ 
disturbed to again revert to an adhesive state. When 
soils get into a retentive and tenacious state, they 
are bad conductors of the sun's rays, and become 
closed against the ingress of the warmth which is 
absolutely necessary to vegetable life. 
(To be continued.) 
-- 
CLIVIAS AT FOREST HILL. 
Not the least important of spring flowers are the 
Clivias, which annually make their appearance before 
the public to a greater or less extent at this period of 
the year. The display is unusually fine at present in 
the nursery of Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill. 
The very finest of the old varieties for some years 
past have been retained, while the annual increment 
of the best of the seedlings has expanded the collec¬ 
tion till it now occupies the greater part of the large 
conservatory, both central and side stages. 
Both dark and light kinds are well represented ; 
but several very distinct varieties we here pass over 
because we have previously described them. One of 
the richest now in bloom is Mars, with fiery orange- 
scarlet flowers, coloured almost to the base, and the 
best of this colour. Novelty is orange, mottled with 
yellow in the centre of the segments. A'very choice 
flower isW. P. Leach with orange-scarlet, reflexed seg¬ 
ments, and a yellow and white throat; the blooms are 
very widely expanded. Orange Gem is deep orange 
with a bright yellow throat and segments of great 
substance; the trusses are thrown well above the 
foliage. Very handsome and distinct is Advance 
with wide and dark terra-cotta segments. A marked 
contrast is presented by the light orange-red flowers 
of Stanstead Gem. The soft orange-red flowers of 
Mrs. Davidson are a shade or two paler than the 
last named. The soft, rosy-orange flowers of Sunrise 
remind one of the dawn of a rosy morn. The 
distinctly white throat of Delicatissima and its huge 
trusses are characteristic of the variety. The 
throat of Elegantissima is clear yellow and white, 
and like the last named, its real beauty is best seen 
by contrast with the dark kinds. 
The length of the flowers of different sorts varies 
greatly, and Ignescens is marked by the length of its 
flowers, their orange-scarlet hue and the great size 
of the trusses. Another long-flowered variety is 
Mrs. John Laing, and one of the very best of the 
older varieties. Vesuvius has brilliant orange-scarlet 
flowers that are short and widely expanded, forming, 
in fact, a bell-shaped bloom. Stanstead Beauty is 
possessed of huge trusses of flowers with along white 
tube, and more or less evidently tinted with a purple 
shade. A very choice sort is the Right Hon. Joseph 
Chamberlain, with huge trusses of fiery scarlet 
flowers. A strong contrast is presented by Mrs. 
Joseph Broome, with soft, light orange, and widely- 
expanded flowers. The funnel-shaped blooms of 
Scarlet Perfection are bright orange and of great 
length. Another long flower is Her Majesty, which 
is soft orange, shaded with rose. The latter character 
is more decidedly evident in Miss Ellen Terry, which 
is otherwise also a beautifully distinct and pleasing 
variety. The short, bell-shaped flowers of John 
Laing are of great size, and produced in massive 
trusses. It is an oldish variety but still very bright. 
There are some very large bushes or pieces in the 
conservatory ; but, as a rule, the plants are confined 
to single crowns so as to make the most of them. 
Needless to say, all are of great vigour with stout 
necks like one’s wrist. The great, leathery, ever¬ 
green leaves are striking and even ornamental all the 
year round. 
-H-- 
MISTLETO. 
I have read Mr. Sewell's communication (p. 452) on 
this subject with much interest, and, although I 
cannot add materially to what he has already stated, 
he may be pleased to know that “ Nicholson’s 
Dictionary of Gardening” gives some subjects on 
which the Mistleto is parasitic that do not appear in 
his copious list—viz., Larch, Mountain Ash, and 
Cedar of Lebanon. 
I have referred also to “ The English Encyclo¬ 
paedia” and the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” but 
as both these great authorities quote from Loudon’s 
“ Trees and Shrubs of Great Britain,” I herewith 
append some remarks which I have gathered from 
the latter source. He says : “ The trees on which 
the Mistleto grows belong to various natural orders, 
and, indeed, it would be difficult to say on what 
dicotyledonous trees it will not grow. In England it 
is found on Tiliaceae, Aceraceae, Rosaceae, Cupuli- 
ferae, Salicaceae, Oleaceae, and, we believe also on 
Coniferae. It is found on the Oak at Eastnor Castle 
(vide Gardeners' Magazine, V ol. XIII., p. 206), and in 
the neighbourhood of Magdeburg we saw it growing 
in immense quantities on Pinus sylvestris in 1814. 
In France it grows on trees of all the natural orders 
mentioned, but least frequently on the Oak. It 
does not grow on the Olive in France, though it 
abounds on the Almond. In Spain it grows on the 
Olive, as it does in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem, 
and, in the latter locality, is found the variety with 
red fruit, which is perhaps a Loranthus." 
Moreover, Loudon, himself, experimented with 
the berries of Mistleto, and affixed some to " the 
upright trunk of a Cherry tree in our garden at 
Bayswater in March, 1336.” And, as showing the 
slow progress these parasiiic plants make, he writes, 
later, “ Our Mistletos are now from 4 in. to 8 in. in 
length, with four or five pairs of leaves, after having 
been four years sown.” It will thus be seen that the 
common white-fruited Mistleto (Viscum album) has 
a very wide arboreal range, but whether this is due 
to the missel thrush—or any other frugivorous 
bird—wiping its beak against the branches of trees 
to which the viscous seeds adhere, or whether it is 
done in the way suggested by the Latin proverb, 
" turdus malum sibi cacat," i.e., by fouling the tree for 
its own purpose, is, at any rate, an interesting point, 
and would doubtless bear a little more investigation. 
Anyhow, the dispersion of the Mistleto must be 
principally due to birds, and if these birds have a 
penchant for particular trees, then the habitat of the 
parasite will to some extent be explained. — C. B. G., 
Acton, IV, - 
I read with great interest in your recent issue Mr, 
S. A. Sewell's article on the above, and I find, 
according to a very old book in my possession, by 
Richard Bradly, F.R.S., 1727, p. 19, that the Mistleto 
was grown on the Rose, Plum, and Currant, besides 
numerous other trees. I send you the exact quota¬ 
tion, which may interest readers of your valuable 
paper. He says: “The parts of its flowers are 
indeed as apt to generation as those of other plants, 
but I have never seen any variety of this plant, nor 
do I know any other nearly enough related to it to 
engender with it, for whether we find it growing 
upon the Oak, Willow, Lime, or any other tree 
whatever, the leaves, flowers, and fruit, with its 
manner of growth are all alike. 
“ And since I have had occasion to mention it in 
this place, give me leave to take notice of some 
particularities belonging to it, as that it is neither to 
be propagated in earth or water, but upon trees and 
plants only. The ancients made it a superplant, 
peculiar to the Oak, and tell us that altho’ it 
it seemingly produced seed, they did not believe that 
seed could possibly be made to vegetate, because, I 
suppose, they had try'd it in the earth without 
