Jan. 3rd, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
279 
are most useful tools, especially to work near the 
trees with, as the work done by them is, if more 
expensive, also more thoroughly performed, and with 
much less liability to injure the roots of the trees. 
Having broken up and cleaned the ground, the 
question arises what will be the most suitable and 
most profitable crop to cultivate between them until 
the trees themselves fill up the intervening spaces. 
In close proximity to large towns or very populous 
districts, or where the carriage is so convenient and 
low in rate as not to act as an obstacle, vegetables 
may generally be grown to advantage, not only 
because they meet with a ready sale at remunerative 
prices, but the quick return of capital from their sale 
is worth careful consideration before deciding whether 
to grow them or invest more capital in the purchase 
of bush and other small fruit-trees, and wait a year or 
two for a return. We now hear of such tempting 
offers to farmers and others occupying land in the 
more rural districts, from the agents of those specula¬ 
tive wholesale purveyors of green food to the cooped- 
up, ill-supplied ever-increasing humanity in London, 
and other large cities. These agents not only offer 
fabulous figures for sweet, country-grown garden 
produce of every kind, but, provided there be sufficient 
of it, will also undertake every risk and responsibility 
in gathering, packing, and carriage at almost any 
distance from London. Cash down before operations 
commence. The latter condition being by no means 
the least tempting and important to the poor distressed 
farmers of modern days, who has not only to sell his 
best wheat at the unremunerative price of 15s. per 
sack in the open market, but who is now in daily fear 
that the most profitable part of his business—the 
dairy—will be jeopardized by the keen, wily Dutchman, 
who threatens to (as the farmers here say) “knock 
into a cocked hat” even this hope, by sending daily 
cargoes of dairy produce to the great central depot, 
and thus tend to still further increase poor John’s 
difficulties. 
Let the farmer first endeavour to obtain broader 
and more liberal conditions of tenancy, and then 
turn his attention more especially to market gardening, 
the dairy, and meat production, for all three of which 
commodities there is an ever-ready, ever-increasing 
demand. These three departments not only work well 
together, but for vegetable growing the orchard on the 
farm is particularly well suited. 
Should vegetable growing eventually cease to pay, 
then if the prophetic utterances of an advanced, 
intelligent, and far-seeing Premier are correct, he may, 
with bright prospects of success, devote his future 
attentions to the growth of the smaller fruits, to the 
method of arrangement and production of which I 
hope to prepare a future paper.— Scribo. 
—— 
JAPANESE ANEMONES. 
Among hardy ^perennials for late summer and 
autumn blooming the Japan Anemones hold a unique 
position. For planting in masses they are most 
desirable; as back-row plants for a border they are 
first-class; for the shrubbery border they are 
unequalled; and for conservatory decoration late 
in summer, if grown in pots with liberal treat¬ 
ment they produce a telling effect, while for providing 
cut flowers which are produced in the greatest 
possible profusion, they are most valuable. Especially 
is this the case with the white-flowered variety 
called Japonica alba, or Honorine Jobert, which 
is much sought after. The other varieties are 
A. japonica elegans, also called japonica hybrida, 
with pleasing rose-coloured flowers, a very desirable 
plant; and the typical form with rosy-red flowers. 
Some years ago, a variety with a duplication of petals 
and bearing the name of A. japonica rubra plena, 
was said to be an improvement, but in point of 
value it is not so useful as elegans. 
These Anemones thrive in any ordinary well- 
enriched soil and deserve every encouragement. 
Those desirous of increasing their stock of these 
plants may do so at once with safety. It is not 
desirable, perhaps, to remove all the plants, for 
example, in large clumps, in which case the plants 
• should be carefully lifted, and after taking off the 
side shoots or stoloniferous growths, be re-planted 
again firmly. In the course of the operation, nume¬ 
rous roots will be broken off, which, on inspection, 
will be seen to be covered with small buds, these 
should be carefully preserved, cut into lengths 
of from 1 in. to 2 ins. and placed either round 
the interior of pots in sandy soil or in shallow boxes, 
just covered with soil and made firm. After watering 
they may be placed under the stage in the greenhouse 
or in a frame, and by the arrival of spring, numerous 
young plants will be the result. These will require 
handling in the same way as seedlings or cuttings at 
that time.— E. J. 
- 0_j ■ "TN , «0» CT" •_c — 
NOTES ON GARDENS. 
Bentley Priory. — Another of the “stately 
homes ” of which Englishmen may well be proud 
is “ Bentley,” or, as it is frequently called, 
“ Stanmore Priory,” for many years the residence 
of the Abercorn family. It is situated on the 
northern elevation of an extensive park studded 
with noble trees, and sheltered from the east and 
north by wide belts of magnificent Scotch Fir. 
Picturesque commons covered with Heather, Gorse, 
and Bracken bound the estate on the north and 
west, the village of Stanmore approaches it on the 
east, and undulating pastures trend away south. 
The view from the principal reception-rooms and 
terrace for extent, richness, and variety is perhaps 
unsurpassed by that of any lordly residence within 
the radius of a dozen miles of the metropolis. 
A conspicuous feature in the middle distance is the 
famous hill and spire of Harrow, engirt with noble 
elms and dotted over with picturesque school buildings. 
It is continually changing in tone and distinctness, 
as the shifting clouds sweep over it, or its shadows 
purple in the western sunlight. Standing some 
470 ft. above the sea, the terrace itself is nearly on a 
level with the tower of Harrow Church. 
I will endeavour briefly to picture the scene in late 
autumn from the broad stone portico in front of the 
drawing-room windows. Immediately beneath is the 
brilliant parterre, glowing with the richness of its 
summer pride. One wonders while gazing at the astound¬ 
ing display of gorgeous colouring of the modem parterre 
what kind of gardens our great-grandfathers had, and 
with what feeling they would regard this terrible 
innovation. The individual beds of the parterre are 
certainly less interesting, intrinsically, but there is, it 
must be admitted, a satisfying delight in rich and 
glowing masses of colour harmoniously arranged, such 
as fills the musical ear when the harmonies of Bach 
and Handel peal through the nave of a cathedral. 
Smooth gravel walks, 2 ft. -wide, surround the centre 
oblong parterre. At equal intervals, standing in the 
centre of large star-shaped beds, are three colossal 
sphinx supported, stone vases filled with flowers, on 
either side of the two outer ones are cones, 12 ft. by 
6 ft., of Clematis Jackmanni trained to bent rods. (I 
remember, years ago, there were similar pyramids of 
Heliotrope and Scarlet Pelargonium so nicely grown 
and covered as to completely conceal the forest of 
stems and sticks within.) A margin, a yard wide, of 
turf borders the gravel path, and along this are 
planted alternately Irish Yews and Yucca gloriosa. 
There is a slope of 4 ft. from the upper path to the 
parterre, and a second gravelled walk of the same 
width is bordered with fourteen grand Portugal laurels 
in square tubs. The outline of the balustrade terrace 
wall makes, in the centre of it, a semicircular sweep in 
which stands a fountain of classical design. Statuary 
is sparingly' employed, and at either end of the front 
path there is a pair of sculptured obelisks. In front 
green slopes, dotted here and there with noble Spruce, 
Oak, and Chestnut, trend away to the margin of a 
lake, on which one sees swans and wild fowl and 
rafts of water-lilies. 
In a summer-house by this lake the author of 
Waverly revised the proofs of “ Marmion,” and in 
another leafy retreat it is said Rogers wrote part of his 
Pleasures of Memory. The foreground of the picture 
has been treated in detail. The park, with a herd 
of fallow dear, is seen stretching a mile to the 
right and left beyond the thickly-wooded margins of 
the lake. Then come groups of trees and vistas, and 
the Hill of Harrow, and away beyond in the hazy 
distance the Surrey Hills, broken in outline by Dorking 
Gap. Glimpses of Highgate and Hampstead appear 
over the tree tops on the left or east of the panorama. 
Such is a brief and imperfect description of the 
scene from the Priory terrace. No wonder then that 
the natural beauties of the place, enhanced by the 
skill of the landscape gardener, the architect, and the 
horticulturist should have drawn together the brilliant 
assemblages of genius, rank, and fashion that so 
frequently thronged the stately apartments, gossipped 
beneath the spreading Cedars, or admired the charms 
of its terraced gardens during the residence of Lord 
Abercorn. The Duke of Wellington, Pitt and Canning, 
Scott and Rogers, and Landseer were not unfrequent 
visitors, and we are told by Mr. Thorne, in his Hand¬ 
book to the Environs of London, that the Prince Regent, 
afterwards George IV., visited Bentley Priory in com¬ 
pany with the King of Prussia to meet the unfortunate 
Louis XVIII. when he left Hartwell for France. 
Little is known of the early history of the Priory 
itself. It came to an untimely end with most of the 
religious houses in the reign of that arch despoiler, 
Henry VIII.; its revenues, however, were assigned to 
the monks of Canterbury. In the year 1543, Cranmer 
gave it to the king in exchange for other lands. 
Under what pressure we know not, Henry, however, 
soon disposed of his Naboth’s vineyard, and, after 
many vicissitudes, it came into the hands of a 
Mr. Duberly, who rebuilt the house. In 1788 it was 
purchased by the first Marquis of Abercorn. He 
made substantial additions to the house, and improved 
and beautified the gardens and grounds. In 1818 the 
present Duke of Abercorn came into possession of the 
Priory, but in 1848 it was leased to the late Queen 
Dowager, widow of William IV. After only a year 
and a half’s residence, however, in a little room now 
called the Queen’s Room, on the ground-floor over¬ 
looking the gardens and park and distant landscape, 
the Queen Dowager breathed her last. She is still 
spoken of by the elderly villagers of Stanmore in 
terms of affection on account of her many acts of 
kindly benevolence to the poor. 
After the death of Queen Adelaide, the Priory 
remained unoccupied until 1852, when it was pur¬ 
chased by Sir John Kelk, the great contractor. The 
house was then greatly enlai'ged and embellished, a 
lofty clock-tower was built, and a fine conservatory. 
The latter forms a western wing to the principal 
faqade: it has marble floors inlaid with encaustic 
tiles, a marble fountain, huge plants of Auracaria 
excelsa, and Orange-trees; one of the latter is a 
noble specimen, drooping just now with hundreds of 
swelling fruit. The conservatory is connected with 
the principal apartments by means of a corridor, in 
which, trained to the lattice walls, are several 
immense Camellias. The back wall of the con¬ 
servatory, which is much shaded by tall shrubs, is 
covered by an elegant Acacia. A large skating-rink 
has been added. 
The park and gardens have an area of 460 odd 
acres, and the miles of walks are so admirably 
arranged that there is a constantly recurring series of 
delightful landscapes. The timber, especially the 
Cedars, which occupy a grove to the north of the 
house, is of grand proportions, evidently much older 
than the house. There are a rosery, fernery, 
hermitage, several prettily-contrived rustic arbours, 
spacious cricket and lawn-tennis grounds. Coniferous 
plants, of which there is a large collection of hand¬ 
some specimens, flourish wonderfully well here, but, 
after the Cedars, the most remarkable conifer is the 
Scotch Fir, which is grown extensively. Here and 
there, where Nature has been left to her own sweet 
will, one might imagine, but from the absence of 
mountains, that we were wandering through the 
indigenous forest of the Perthshire Highlands. There 
is an abundance of game, and feathered life of all 
kinds seems to have been religiously preserved. 
The Priory is now the property of Mr. Gordon, of 
the Holborn Restaurant, and extensive alterations 
and additions are in progress, with a view of opening 
the house as a private hotel. One must confess to a 
tinge of regret at the later fortunes of this fine old 
place ; but it must be borne in mind that such a 
disposition of the property will open up to public use 
and enjoyment picturesque and delightful scenery that 
for a century or more has been inaccessible.— Rover. 
-—- 
Tebb’s Fuhigatob. —We have for several years had 
one of these useful little garden appliances in use, and 
for effectiveness and general handiness can give it a 
high character. It is made in various sizes, but the 
smaller ones will be found the most useful by 
amateurs. 
