574 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
May 9, 1896. 
remarkably well. The conservatory contains the 
usual variety of spring-flowering plants and bulbs in 
excellent condition and very tastefully arranged. 
The early Black Hamburg house as well as the late 
vinery, are equally promising. The same remark is 
applicable to the early Peach house, the size of the 
fruit being quite phenomenal. 
The Palm house has a fine show of Ferns, Lyco¬ 
podiums, Kentia belmoreana, Seaforthias, Bam- 
busas, &c., and some very fine specimens of 
Cupressus funebris, Araucaria excelsa, etc. The 
Azalea house is resplendent with magnificent blcoms, 
and with the back well covered with Tea Roses. 
Other houses are devoted to the culture of Figs, early 
Strawberries, Melons, etc., all in a forward condition' 
Strawberry culture being a special feature, A peep at 
the plant stove, containing a general and very vigorous 
collection of stove plants, concludes our rapid survey 
of this magnificent range, which for want of time 
will not allow of details. 
A stroll through the kitchen and flower gardens 
completed our all too rapid inspection. Since Mr. 
Norman's advent a few years ago improvement has 
been steady and increasing. Alloa Park bids fair 
under his enthusiastic management to earn for itself 
a well-deserved reputation for enterprising and en¬ 
lightened application .— Forth Bridge. 
- -*■ - • 
GUNNERSBURY HOUSE. 
The unpleasantly sharp spring frosts that have 
been experienced of late in various parts of the 
country have made all growers of hardy fruit some¬ 
what anxious for the welfare of the crops of blossom 
which have been covering our orchards with a 
mantle of virgin whiteness. At Gunnersbury House 
these frosts, from some reason or other, do not 
appear to have been so sharp or so destructive as we 
should have been led to expect. Undoubtedly the 
fact of everything being fairly dry has conduced in 
a great measure to this happy result. Apples are 
promising particularly well, the crop of bloom being 
exceptionally plentiful and the "set" free. Pears 
are very fair, but the bloom rather more irregular, 
some trees being loaded whilst others have proved 
rather shy of bearing. Peaches and Nectariaes 
on open walls are promising crops. Mr. Hudson has 
got his trees well in hand, and with ordinary luck 
will continue his successes of previous years in the 
treatment of this popular class of fruits on outside 
walls. 
Fruit under glass is one of the special features of 
the establishment. The huge Nectarine tree that is 
the admiration of all those who see it, and who know 
anything about fruit and fruit culture, is looking the 
picture of health. In the two years preceding the 
present one, this tree has ripened a thousand fine 
fruits. This season 375 have been allowed to remain— 
a smaller crop than usual, but still it works out at a 
fruit to the square foot. The old tree bears its 
honours bravely, for the foliage is remarkably large, 
of great substance, and of the deepest dark green. 
Grapes are looking prosperous. The earliest crop, 
a fine little batch of some twenty-seven pot vines, is 
just in the final stages of ripening. On an average 
each cane bears from four to five fair-sized bunches. 
Frontignan varieties are largely grown in this first 
crop as they are special favourites on account of their 
peculiar flavour. A new addition has recently been 
made to the glass department in the shape of a span- 
roofed orchard house, which for lightness and 
general excellence of design leaves little to be 
desired. It is intended for the accommodation of fruit 
trees in pots. The fiouse itself is built after the 
plan recommended by Messrs. T. Rivers & Son, of 
Sawbridgeworth, who have done so much to popu¬ 
larise this system of fruit culture. The side 
ventilators work upon hinges fixed to the bottom 
instead of to the top as in the ordinary way. They 
can thus be opened to admit air without any fear of 
causing cold draughts within the house, for, if the 
air is cold on entering, it is forced to pass over the 
pipes, and as a matter of course becomes warmed in 
the passage. When closed, the ventilators are kept 
securely in place by means of a series of buttons. 
This particular house is filled with some splendid 
young pyramidal Peaches and Nectarines in pots, all 
of them carrying fair crops for such young trees. 
On a shelf close to the roof a row of Strawberry Royal 
Sovereign is just ripening, and the fruit attracted 
attention. Mr. Hudson forced a few of this well- 
known variety as an experiment this season and has 
had every reason to be satisfied with the way they 
have behaved. The fruit is large and of splendid 
shape and colouring, whilst the foliage is stout, clean, 
and vigorous. Really Royal Sovereign has proved 
to be one of the very best all-round Strawberries we 
have, and those who have not yet tried it for forcing 
need have no fear in doing so another season. 
In another small three-quarter span orchard house 
a quantity of Apples, Pears, and Plums in pots had 
just been set well. Last year these self-same p’ants 
did exceptionally well, but the heavy crops of fine 
fruit they then carried does not seem to have im¬ 
paired their vitality in the least. 
Turner's Crimson Rambler Rose in the tall dome¬ 
shaped structure in the centre of the long range of 
fruit houses will, in a week or two, be a sight worth 
seeing. At the time of our visit the huge flower 
trusses were showing themselves in profusion, and 
some of the flowers had in fact commenced to open. 
This plant was consigned to its present quarters in 
the winter of '93. No babe is it now though, for with 
characteristic vigour it has covered the whole of the 
space allotted to it with clean and sturdy growths. 
The flower garden and pleasure grounds are 
singularly inviting with the soft hues of their spring 
garb. The grass is of the greenest, and profiting by 
the mild winter has made rapid growth. Trees and 
shrubs of all kinds are bursting into leaf, whilst here 
and there the Wild Cherry flaunts a sheen of snowy 
whiteness to dazzle the beholder’s gaze. An addition 
to the rockwork on the right of the pond close to the 
road has recently been made, and some fairly large 
trees have been utilised in order to hide the view of 
some objectionable chimneys appearing in the back¬ 
ground. All appear to be doing well, thanks to 
careful planting and not less careful subsequent 
attention. Mention must be made of the superb 
clump of Bambusa Metake growing in the vicinity of 
the lake. The severe winter of 1894-95 does not 
appear to have any permanent effect for evil upon it, 
for at the present time it is the picture of health. 
Certain it is that this clump is one of the finest in the 
country. 
The old proverb that “ mishaps will occur even in 
the best regulated families ” is exemplified even at 
Gunnersbury. A fortnight or so since one of the 
stately Elms that border the lawn on the south front 
of the mansion came to an untimely end, being up¬ 
rooted during a gale of wind and falling into the lake. 
In byegone times the Elm would appear to have been 
a very popular subject, for it has been planted upon 
the estate in considerable numbers. These trees 
seem, as Mr. Hudson puts it, to have got to the end 
of their tether, for rarely a year passes but one of 
them succumbs to the ravages of time, although even 
now there are not a few noble specimens remaining 
within the purlieus of the mansion. 
--®--- 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS FOR EXHIBITION. 
The usual method pursued in the propagation of 
the "Mums" is by cuttings, which is the most 
satisfactory system for the general stock. But now 
that the varieties are increasing at such a prodigious 
rate, and the cost is somewhat heavy, the cultivator 
may wish for some means whereby he may increase 
the number of plants of his new varieties at a 
minimum cost. This can be satisfactorily and 
easily managed by 
Grafting. 
The advantages of this are many, for instance it is 
often March before we receive the cuttings from the 
nurseryman ; these are at once inserted in the cutting 
pots and struck. After the plant is well-rooted and 
has made a fair amount of growth, the top with a 
couple of leaves can be taken off and grafted on to a 
strong free grower ; Baron Hirsch for instance, makes 
an excellent stock. Head back the stock down to moder¬ 
ately firm wood. A plant 8 in. or 10 in. high can be re¬ 
duced to half that amount by a clean cut midway be¬ 
tween two leaves. This will admit of the wood being 
split more easily ancT cleanly than if the cleft runs 
through a joint. The scion should alsohave sufficient 
stem to form the wedge withont touching the base of a 
leaf. The scion is placed in the cleft, taking special 
care that on one side the bark of the scion and 
stock immediately meet. Then take a piece of 
matting (smoothed out) about the middle and give a 
turn round the graft. The advantage of starting in the 
middle of the matting is that equal pressure can be 
put on each end, which will gradually press the two 
parts together. If the tie Was only pulled at one 
end it would be liable to twist the small and tender 
wood. Pass the matting round the graft four or five 
times and gradually work down below the leaf on the 
stock, where it can be made fast. This simple 
arrangement is all that is needed, although some 
growers use damp moss on the top of the tie; but 
by experience I find this is not needed. Place the 
plants in a warm moist atmosphere, such as that cf a 
fernery or vinery or under a handlight in the green¬ 
house ; shade from the sun, and in a few days the 
stock and scion will unite, when they can be gradually 
hardened off and placed with the general stock. 
In some varieties grafting may be the means cf 
increasing the vigour of the plant—Emily Silsbury 
and Miss Maggie Shea are kinds that may be cited 
as to improvement from this system. All varieties 
lend themselves to this procedure, Wm. Tunnington 
being perhaps an exception in striking or grafting; 
and what enhances the difficulty in this case is that 
it is also a very shy grower. 
In grafting, a note should be made on the label of 
the plant as to the stock, and date of grafting, so that 
no mistake may occur the following season in taking 
cuttings. Grafting can be practised up to the end of 
May and often the graft will make abetter plant than 
the original cutting. 
Final Potting. 
This must be a subject for our next article, but pre¬ 
paration can be made for this heavy task. Pots 
should be got in readiness in 8 in or 10 in. sizes for 
exhibition blooms, and 12-in. if in conformity with 
the rules of the show for plants. Loam of a 
moderate texture that has been laid up for a few 
months is the most desirable, that cut from a good 
old sheep-fed pasture being excellent.—IF. 
-- 
THE ORCHIS HOUSES. 
Top-Dressing Orchids.— This system of affording 
fresh rooting material to this beautiful class of plants 
finds very little favour here. To our minds it is like 
putting on a fresh coat of paint without previously 
giving a good cleaning down, and replacing the 
faulty parts with new. I know with valuable speci¬ 
mens that, you know, have cost your employer per¬ 
haps a large sum, it requires a certain amount of 
courage to meddle with them, especially when, to all 
intents and purposes, they are doing well. In such 
cases you will, most likely, top-dress it and coddle it 
up until it becomes weakly and grows beautifully 
less. You will then say it must have a fresh pot, you 
turn it out only to find the roots below the surface 
dead, and the plant a mere wreck of its former self. 
Now, I always argue that when a plant is strong 
and doing well and has plenty of healthy roots it can 
be repotted without giving it the slightest check; 
and if you want to keep it in good condition this is 
the way to do it, and not leave it until it is half dead 
for want of fresh material and nourishment before 
carrying out the operation. There are some kinds 
of Orchids, however, that cannot stand being turned 
out of their baskets with impunity. These will 
include Phalsenopsts, Angraecums, Aerides, Sacco- 
labiums, etc. ; but even with these it is not advisable 
to let them remain until the baskets become rotten, 
as the fleshy roots that they make generally go 
straight to the wood or side of the plant for support 
showing us pretty plainly, I think that but for its 
retaining moisture, which they can absorb at will, 
they could dispense with moss altogether. With 
Cattleyas, Laelias, Odontoglossums, Oncidiums, 
Lycaste Miltonia, Cypripedium, Dendrobiums, &c., 
top-dressing with us is entirely ignored. 
Manure Water. —That Orchids can be and are 
grown successfully without any stimu’aDt, I am well 
aware, yet judiciously given it affords just that some¬ 
thing that the plants require to keep them in robust 
health for years, and which you often find is sadly 
lacking in a great many collections. The advantages 
of ammonia in the atmosphere will be apparent to 
anyone in the habit of putting Dendrobiums in the 
early vinery to make their growth, by the enormous 
amount of roots they make, and the length of the 
new psudo-bulbs. But as we cannot exactly serve 
our Orchid houses as we do the vineries by placing 
a lot of stable manure about (although you find it 
under the stages at some places), you can fill your 
evaporation troughs with manure water. If this is 
done in the evening the unpleasant smell will have 
mostly gone off by the morniDg; or damping the 
floors with it the last thing is a good plan. When 
used in this manner no possible harm can be done, 
