July 4th, 1885. 
701 
perfect abandon, the seeming excuse for a crook here 
being that there was a corresponding or a worse crook 
somewhere else. At all points where avenues deviate 
from a direct line there should be close plantations or 
a clump of trees, so that it may appear to be the most 
natural thing in the world that the detour was neces¬ 
sary, even though when understood the matter appears 
to be no plainer than the reason for the pond in some 
public garden—not that the water was especially 
attractive or that the pond itself is either very beauti¬ 
ful or essential, but it made the construction of a 
bridge necessary to cross it, and that is reason enough, 
for which we should always be sufficiently grateful. 
The location of our walks and avenues thus subsides 
into a matter purely of taste, and there we all differ ; 
but their formation is as purely a matter of fact, and 
in that all must agree, for facts are stubborn things. 
In wet ground the labour of making the road is 
increased; but it must commence with the exclusion 
of all vegetable material and the water ; without this 
all attempts to construct a proper road will be in 
vain. Through swamps no rules can be laid down 
beforehand, but the thorough drainage of the ground 
is still the principal thing to be done. If water is 
entirely excluded and the most substantial material 
obtainable is used for the surfacing, there need be no 
trouble or complaint about a road anywhere, and it 
can be depended upon that undue economy, in the 
first instance, in preparing the foundation of roads is 
the dearest policy in the long run; it only entails 
continued expense for repairs. 
Great care should be exercised, in the use of rock- 
work especially, not to undertake too much. A little 
plot of not more than 200 ft. square, by a cottage, 
denominated a lawn, with a pile of rocks, having a 
pipe at the top, with a little drizzle of water, shows a 
demoralized and not a cultivated taste. Drooping 
trees are often planted in the centre of a lawn ; but 
nothing can be more out of place; they should be 
around the edge. Curved lines are very beautiful, 
but walks should be straight, and not curved, when 
there is no reason for departing from straight lines. 
Trees on lawns should be so planted as to be deemed 
an improvement, heightening by their natural beauty 
and at the same time concealing the hand of art. 
—Transactions of the Massachusetts Horticultural 
Society. 
AGECROFT HALL, LANCASHIRE. 
The quiet and picturesque hamlet of Agecroft 
has lately been prominently brought before the public 
in connection with the sad explosion at the Lumb 
pit, Clifton, where upwards of 180 lives were lost. 
Agecroft is a very ancient village or hamlet, most 
romantically situated, and, if we are to believe the old 
writers, must have possessed exquisite beauties before 
the roads were raised for the convenience of traffic 
and trade. At what age the Hall was built, is un¬ 
certain, but in the reign of Edward III., one “ Richard 
de Longley, paid fine to one 'William Longley, parson 
of Myddilton, for the Manor of Pennybury ” (the 
Pendlebury of the present day), and early in the 
lGth century was born at Agecroft Hall the Thomas 
Langley who became famous as a scholar, diplo¬ 
matist, judge, commissioner, cardinal, archbishop, 
a great writer, and an eloquent preacher. Leyland, 
writing during the reign of Henry VIII., says Agecroft 
Hall was the residence of Mr. Langford (Langley), 
“ and there is a Bridge veri hy and great Tymbre on 
Irwel, and thereby is Pilketon Park, and thereon is 
a stone house of the Pylketons attaynted by King 
Henry VII. and given to the Lorde of Darby, and 
within a ii miles or morle on the left Hand, not far of 
a place of Master Worsly of the Bouthe.” 
It will thus be seen that the place has a most 
interesting history. It is situated in the hundred of 
Salford—or Salfordshire, according to the old deeds 
—and about three miles from Salford. After passing 
Irlams-o’-th’-Height, on the main road to Bolton, 
before climbing the hill to Pendlebury, a road dips 
down a hill on the right hand leading to Prestwich 
and Bury. On the other side of this hill we come to 
an old-fashioned lodge within a high stone wall, 
overhung with Elms, in which is a large colony of rooks. 
On the right-hand side is Agecroft Colliery, and within 
the wall is the fine old hall, the residence of a kind- 
hearted English gentleman, beloved by all who know 
him, Robert Dauntery, Esq., a lineal descendant of 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
the ancient Langleys and Longleys. The house is of 
the “magpie” type, black beams and plaster, and on 
a lower level is a fine valley, with a sheet of water. 
In the centre of the edifice is a grand specimen of the 
old courtyard, entered by a covered archway; the 
windows are numerous, and ornamented with stained- 
glass, exhibiting the arms and crest of the Langley 
family, an armorial bearing of John of Gaunt, and 
the emblems of Henry II. The wainscoating and 
partitions are of carved oak, Ac. The furniture is 
antique carved oak, and the present library was 
formerly a domestic chapel. There is also a fine 
collection of pictures here. 
In the pleasure grounds, notwithstanding the 
smoke-charged atmosphere, many things grow and 
flower freely. There is a nice lawn and a small 
ornamental piece of water. Unfortunately, the 
series of severe frosts experienced during the last 
few years have killed some grand old Oaks of two or 
three centuries’ growth. The gardens have been for 
some years in charge of Mr. John Ramsbottom, who 
kindly took us through the houses, some of which 
are in the pleasure grounds. The first we entered was 
the conservatory, in which were some good Camellias, 
and overhead a pleasing sight in the form of a plant 
of the Gloire de Dijon Rose, allowed to grow at its 
own sweet will, and hanging in long festoons were 
such glorious blooms, of the true colour, and large, 
bold, well-shaped cups. My companion, a nursery¬ 
man, was considerably surprised at the sight, for he 
belonged to the pessimist class, and did not think it 
was right for such flowers to be seen -so near the 
smoke. There is also here a nice collection of stove 
plants, Ferns and Orchids, including a specimen of 
Angnecum sesquipedale just going out of flower, with 
thirty leaves. Every house was interesting and full 
of flowers. In the kitchen garden, which is walled in, 
are more glass houses, including a Pine stove. In 
one house, climbing the wall, and covering over 100 
square feet, is a fine specimen of Cactus speciosa, 
and in some pi... ,va were delighted to note some fine 
Auriculas, not named kinds, but seedings raised on 
the place, and in the borders were many hundreds in 
bloom, having, with large masses of Gold-laced Poly¬ 
anthus, a pretty effect. This is the way to enjoy 
spring gardening, when they are in masses. 
The wall trees are bearing good crops of Plums, 
Cherries, &c., for the garden being sheltered escaped 
the punishing May frosts. 
Taking Agecroft as a whole, it is a most interesting 
place, though little known ; and we shall not soon 
forget the Roses, Auriculas, and Polyanthuses which 
we saw there. We believe the latter flowers are a 
hobby of Mr. Ramsbottom’s son, a youth who bids 
fair to become a genuine florist.— N. J. D. 
- g—■ ' — 0 —■ 
MAGNOLIAS. 
Mk. S. Parsons, in The American Garden, classifies 
hardy Magnolias suited for lawn planting into those 
which bloom before the leaves are formed, and those 
that bloom in June when the foliage is in full panoply. 
Of the latter, two Japanese varieties, M. hypoleuca 
and M. parviflora, are the finest for both leaf and 
flower. The foliage of hypoleuca is large, silvery 
underneath, and red-veined; that of its companion, 
parviflora, is less striking, though rich and effective 
in texture and hue, but in odour it surpasses all other 
hardy Magnolias, being strongly and delightfully spicy. 
The flower of parviflora is also remarkably beautiful, 
consisting of a milk-white cup-shaped form, suggesting 
remotely the bloom of M. glauca, and a magnificent 
crimson centre of curiously-arranged pistil and 
stamens. The odour of hypoleuca is also strong 
and pleasant. These late Magnolias do not bloom as 
abundantly as the early-flowering species and varieties, 
but their general effect on the lawn as large trees, 
whether in bloom or out of bloom, is always 
fine. Unfortunately they are, as yet, comparatively 
rare. 
Magnolia acuminata, tripetela, and cordata, all 
native species, are excellent late-blooming fine- 
foliaged trees for the lawn ; but of all American kinds, 
Magnolia macrophylla is the most effective, with its 
green leaves, 18 ins. to 2 ft. long, giving it the effect of 
some great tropical Palm astray in the north. It is 
strange that this large-growing splendid tree is not 
planted more, for it is quite as hardy as other 
Magnolias. 
AC^ENAS. 
These plants are, for the most part, of little use in 
the decoration of our gardens, but there are one or 
two of them which possess a certain quaint beauty 
which invests them with considerable charms when 
seen in a position calculated to display them to the 
best advantage, viz , a cool and slightly moist situation 
on a roekwork, where they can run at will amongst 
the stones, and droop over the ledges in association 
with Polygonum vaccinifolium, Mentha Requieni, 
Arenaria valearica, and similar plants. Their culture 
is of the simplest, as they only require to be divided, 
planted in the position chosen, and occasionally 
watered until they commence growing, when they may 
be safely left to take care of themselves. 
A. nova zealandica.— This is probably the most gener¬ 
ally cultivated species, and, like all the others, it is a 
native of the Southern Hemisphere, the specific name 
indicating the locality. It is one of the dwarfest o 
plants, with small pinnate leaves of a yellowish-green 
colour, occasionally shading to dark green, giving its 
foliage a curious appearance. The flowers are incon¬ 
spicuous, borne in close heads, which are furnished 
with prickles, giving it the appearance of a globe of 
rich crimson-coloured spines. 
A. myriophylla. —A native of Chili, introduced into 
this country in 1828, much stronger in growth under 
cultitivation than the preceding, and hardly worth 
cultivating except on some of the perpendicular parts 
of a large rock garden, where the long shoots, when 
moved by the wind, produce a very pretty effect by 
the greyish under-surface of the leaves mingling with 
the dark green of the upper. 
A. adscendens.— A native of the country adjoining 
the Straits of Magellan, very similar to the last-named 
plant, but more upright in habit and occasionally 
useful for insertion between two blocks of stone to 
break the monotony of a rocky surface.— Cymro. 
— g— - —■ 
THE BEST TEA ROSES. 
At the last spring exhibition at Bath, Tea Roses, 
both in pots and in a cut state, were shown in goed 
numbers and in remarkably fine condition. As might 
be expected in a district where Roses of all kinds are 
extremely popular, Teas were greatly admired, and 
not a few visitors were to be seen taking notes of the 
best represented sorts. I also, says a correspondent 
of The Field, jotted down the names of the majority 
of the prize-winning blooms, and, as I happen to be 
fairly well acquainted with the different varieties, will 
supplement the list with a few remarks upon the 
qualities of each. Certainly the premier blooms were 
of Catherine Mermet, and this grand sort is invaluable 
alike for exhibition and ordinary purposes. It grows 
and blooms freely, either in pots or when planted out; 
the majority of the flowers are perfect in shape, of a 
pleasing flesh colour; the scent is strong, and the 
blooms keep well. It is best on its own roots, and 
should be encouraged to throw up strong suckers, 
as it is these that will produce the very best blooms. 
Souvenir d’un Ami is equally robust, blooms freely 
either under glass or in the open, and the full, cup¬ 
shaped flowers are good in substance and sweetly 
scented; colour, salmon and rose. Hiplretos is 
scarcely so vigorous as I should like to see it, but 
is the most perfect white Rose with which I am 
acquainted. 
Madame Lambard is a very distinct sort, very free 
growing and floriferous. The blooms, which are of a 
bright coppery-red, are good in size and form, but 
must be cut early, as they quickly become loose and 
useless. It is a very serviceable sort, either for house 
or open-air culture, and ought to be more generally 
grown than it is. Souvenir d’Elise I consider a 
charming variety, and fairly robust; blooms medium 
in size ; colour, white, tinted with rose. Etoile de 
Lyon is a strong grower under glass, but when tried 
in the open air it has proved a failure. With us it 
produces fairly large, good-shaped, pale yellow blooms, 
but not so freely as was expected. Perle de Lyon is 
also a vigorous grower, and the blooms are of a 
richer yellow than those of the last named. Madame 
Guinoisseau and Amazone, both good growers, are 
worthy of cultivation where rich yellow buds are in 
demand. Perle des Jardins was well represented at 
Bath, but I have not yet grown it. It produces a 
medium-sized bloom, colour pale yellow, and scent 
