October 23,1897. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
123 
Asclepias curassavica was flowering and fruiting. 
Bougainvillea Sanderi flowers even in very small 
pots. The propagating pit was filled to repletion 
with a host of subjects, including thousands of Palms 
in the earlier stages of germination beneath the 
benches. Here also were Crotons, Dracaena san- 
deriana and other types, Asparagus plumosus nanus, 
and the usual cuttings and small plants in the pro¬ 
pagating cases. 
Passing into the Palm house we noted a fine batch 
of Livistona rotundifolia in plants of small size, and 
a magnificent specimen of Phoenix Roebelini, one of 
the finest, if not the finest in Britain. Ceroxylon 
niveum (the Wax Palm) is very scarce in the country. 
Very unique in its way is Kentia forsteriana varie- 
gata, for which two guineas were paid when it was 
in a thumb pot. It is now 5 ft. high, with a well 
developed yellow variegation. Here also was a large 
batch of Bambusa falcata variegata, which proves 
very useful for decorative purposes. Chamaedorea 
Hartwegi, a Palm of most graceful habit, was 5 ft. 
high and flowering freely. Very ornamental but very 
spiny was a species of Calamus. Saddle boilers are 
used in these houses, the heating arrangements of 
which are perfect. There are water bars in the 
furnaces, and the pipes are all fixed with a steady 
rise of \ in. in every 9 ft. 
Meadow Park Nursery. 
Immediately to the south of the above ranges of 
houses are ten acres of ground known as the Meadow 
Park Nursery. It is principally under fruit trees, 
Roses, Rhododendrons, Gooseberries, and small fruits 
generally. The soil is rich and well adapted for the 
cultivation of this class of nursery stock. A wall 
runs through several areas of ground providing a 
southern aspect for the cultivation of fruit trees. It 
is fully a mile in length, and must prove very service¬ 
able. A portion of it is built of bricks, the rest is 
stone. Young trees are being trained upon it. 
Pinkhill Nursery. 
This is the old original nucleus of the present 
extensive area of nursery land, and was taken in 
1850. It is situated on the rather steep side of the 
hill above the main road already referred to, and 
overlooks the new ranges of glass on the south side 
of the road. This, therefore, is Pinkhill proper, and 
from its elevated site the visitor gets a grand view of 
the Pentland Hills, stretching away to the the south¬ 
west of Edinburgh through Midlothian into the 
counties of Peebles and Lanark. Numerous hills in 
this range rise to various elevations from 500 ft. to 
1,898 ft. The situation overlooks the valley of the 
Water of Leith, which runs through Edinburgh ; a'so 
5,000 acres of the finest alluvial land in Scotland, 
and which was a bog or morass over 100 years ago, 
when it was drained and brought into cultivation. 
An open stank or ditch, three miles long, still drains 
the land and runs into the Water of Leith. 
The Pinkhill Nursery only extends to six acres, but 
it contains the old ranges of houses, as well as a col¬ 
lection of all that is choicest in the way of orna¬ 
mental shrubs and Conifers, and collections of the 
more useful florists’ flowers. The latter were what 
made the name of the firm famous all over the 
country about a quarter of a century ago. The 
collections of Dahlias and Hollyhocks have been 
grown on the same brake of ground for nearly 
forty-five consecutive years, and yet the soil shows 
no sign of exhaustion. It is a well-known fact that 
good Scotch gardeners grow Onions and Carrots 
on the same ground year after year for indefinite 
periods of time. Negundo aceroides variegata 
thrives splendidly and is highly coloured. The 
same may be said of the Silver and Golden Elms, 
the latter being known as Ulmus Dampieri aurea. 
Two wide borders are filled with the choicest of 
Conifers and shrubs, including the Go'den Box, and 
tde broad-leaved golden Privet. Lawson's Cypress 
is represented by Cupressus lawsoniana lutea, C. 1 . 
argentea picta; the handsome C. 1 . Allumii; fine 
specimens of C. 1 . Fraseri, of erect and bsautiful 
habit, the best of the type ; and C. 1 . caerulea, with 
nice habit and bluish hue. Other handsome subjects 
are Retinospora plumosa aurea and other varieties ; 
Thuyas, Golden Yews, Cedrus atlantica glauca, the 
Colorado variety of the Douglas Fir, having blue 
foliage; the frosted-silver Abies pungens argentea, 
2 ft. high ; Salisburia adiantifolia (the Maidenhair 
Tree), and many others too numerous to mention. 
Close by we noted a brake of Araucaria imbrica in 
fine condition, while near Mr. David P. Laird's 
private residence in the nursery is a specimen of the 
tree, 30 ft. high, and feathered to the ground. 
Elsewhere we came upon twelve long beds of two 
years’ old seedling Larches in the finest of healthy 
vigour, and numbering about half a million. A col¬ 
lection of the best Ivies is grown in pots. Larix 
leptolepis grows more strongly than the European 
species, but has not yet been sufficiently tested as to 
its hardiness in Scotland. There is a fine plantation 
of it here, the trees having made 24 in. of growth 
during the season, and they were still lengthening 
when we saw them. Spiraea crispa and S. Bumalda 
were flowering freely, though only 3 in. to 6 in. high. 
The neatly trimmed Beech hedges traversing the 
nursery in every direction, and furnishing shelter, 
are a characteristic feature of Pinkhill. Mr. Laird’s 
private residence is admirably situated, commanding 
a wide prospect of mountain and agricultural land,yet 
is well sheltered from the north and east winds, as is 
the nursery generally. The house is fitted with a 
private telephone commanding all parts of the place. 
The front of the house is completely covered with 
climbers similar to those we see in the south. 
Florists’ flowers are not neglected, for in the 
course of our peregrinations we came across fine 
plantations of Carnations and Dahlias in all the 
leading show, fancy, and single types. The dwarf 
and sturdy habit of the plants is a characteristic 
feature of this class of plants in the latitude of 
Scotland. Violas, Pansies, and other florists’ 
flowers are still extensively propagated. A planta¬ 
tion of summer-flowering Chrysanthemums was gay, 
as were brakes of Pansies, Antirrhinums, and Pent- 
stemons grown for the purpose of seed-collecting and 
stock, all being very dwarf and floriferous. 
Glasshouses. 
The Rose house in the Pinkhill Nursery is filled with 
a collection of Tea and other Roses in pots, while 
others, including Niphetos, are planted out and 
trained up under the roof. Tomatos are also grown 
here. Frames in convenient situations are filled 
with seedlings, cuttings of Conifers, etc. Two houses 
are filled with Vines and Figs in pots, the latter 
fruiting although the plants were small. The next 
house was monopolised by a collection of the finest 
varieties of Ivies in pots, including Madeirensis, the 
best variegated sort, and Mrs. Pollock, a beautiful 
sort showing three colours Euonymus japonicus in 
many varieties is also popular. Palms of all sizes for 
decorative work are grown by the thousand, there 
being seven houses devoted to them alone. The 
hardy plant house is a roomy structure 200 ft. long, 
30 ft. wide, and span-roofed. In the early part of 
the year it is occupied with flowering Rhododendrons. 
At present it contains Japanese Maples, 
Camellias, Ampelopsis Veitchii, Clematis in great 
variety, Chrysanthemums, standard specimens of 
Hydrangea paniculata grandiflora, &c. One vinery 
filled with young pot Vines will now be occupied with 
Chrysanthemums. The bothies and the foreman's 
house are situated close to the other houses; and are 
beautifully draped with Ampelopsis, Fuchsias, Ivies, 
Jasmine, &c. Passing on, we entered a house con¬ 
taining a fine strain of Amaryllis. In another was a 
collection of Coelogyne cristata, grown for the sake 
of cut flowers. A healthy collection of Clivias of 
the best varieties fills another house. Seedling 
Amaryllis appeared in another cool house, the back 
wall of which was covered with Roses in bloom and 
filling the place with their fragrance. The large old 
stock plants of Araucaria excelsa from which the 
cuttings are obtained are staged here, as well as tall 
and useful specimens of Cordyline australis. As in 
the case of the new ranges of houses on the south 
side of the road, so, likewise, the whole of the old 
houses are heated from one stokehole. The whole 
of the hotwater piping is thereby easily regulated 
and kept under control. The management of the 
whole of these nurseries, we may add, is up-to-date, 
and in keeping with modern requirements. 
- -*• - 
Tunbridge Wells Gardeners.—Mr. W. Berwick pre¬ 
sided at a full meeting of Tunbridge Wells Gardeners 
on September 2ist. Messrs. Bridger, May, and 
Goodwin were awarded the prizes for flowers and 
Ferns. Mr. Greengoe, of Ferndale, also showed 
some fine Ferns, and some capital Chrysanthemums 
came from Mr. Goacher, of the Tunbridge Wells 
Recreation Ground.. Mr. T. Palmer was highly 
commended for Orchids, and Messrs. W. Berwick 
and R. J. Booth for Dahlias. 
THE PROGRESS IN VEGETABLE 
CULTIVATION DURING QUEEN 
VICTORIA S REIGN. 
(1 Continued from p. 107 ) 
Broad Beans. 
In the early days of the Queen’s Reign lovers of this 
vegetable were relatively better off than those who 
preferred Peas, and there already existed such kinds 
as Mazagan, Dwarf Fan, Early Longpod, and the 
White and Green Windsor. These have, of course, 
been greatly improved upon, but they all remain in 
use, though it is somewhat surprising that the 
Mazagan should be grown at the present time, as in 
every point it is surpassed by other greatly superior 
types. 
The fact, however, that Beans in use sixty years 
ago are still grown seems to show that the advance 
has been less rapid than in the case of many other 
vegetables. The improvement that has been made 
is almost entirely the result of selection, although 
the crossing of Seville Longpod and White Windsor 
has produced a variety sent out by my house as 
Giant Windsor, which, as its name implies, is a 
much larger type of the V/indsor section than 
previously existed. 
During the fifties the Seville and the Aquadulce 
Longpods (very similar sorts) were introduced from 
the Continent, and on account of their earliness and 
length of pod have been and still are largely grown, 
although the constitution of the plant is not nearly 
so vigorous as our English sorts. 
Beck’s Green Gem, a sport from the Dwarf White 
Fan, was introduced in 1858, and some years after¬ 
wards the market gardeners in the neighbourhood of 
Harlington, Middlesex, set to work to improve the 
Windsor by selection, and as a result of their efforts 
we have the Harlington White and Green Windsors. 
Painstaking selection has done much in the 
improvement of the Longpod section, the several 
strains known as Exhibition being fine and profitable 
types, the best selections of which both white and 
green-seeded sometimes contain as many as eight or 
nine beans in a pod, contrasting roost favourably 
with the two or three beans found in the pods of the 
older kinds. The Broad Bean is not only greatly 
prized in private gardens, but is also an important 
article of food with the poorer classes, and the efforts 
made to increase its productiveness have been duly 
appreciated by all classes of Society. 
Dwarf French or Kidney Beans. 
There were several sorts in use when the Queen 
ascended the throne, but the difference chiefly lay in 
the colour of the seed, a feature of little importance 
except to those who keep a collection of these 
diversely coloured and pretty seeds. In fact, they 
were in the main named after the colour of or mark¬ 
ings on the seeds, to wit the Zebra, Light and Dark 
Dun, Red and Purple Speckled, Negro, etc., the 
chief exception being Fulmer’s Forcing, which was 
also in use in 1837. The scope for improvement is 
limited to size of pod, earliness, and productiveness, 
and in the former respect Canadian Wonder as soon 
as introduced by us became very popular, while Ne 
Plus Ultra, an introduction of more recent date, 
fairly lays claim to being a marked advance over 
most sorts for earliness and also productiveness. 
Besides these such excellent varieties as Triumph, 
White-seeded, Forcing, Green Gem, Monster Negro, 
have appeared, and undoubtedly it may be said that 
they have come to stay. It was thought that the 
crossing of this section with the Scarlet Runner 
might produce useful results ; but although many 
hybrids combining the broad massive pods of the 
Scarlet Runner, with the habit of the Dwaif Bean, 
are in the hands of one or two experts, little if any 
advance upon such favourites as Canadian Wonder 
and Ne Plus Ultra has been made. 
Climbing French Beans. 
One of the most notable improvements made in 
vegetables during Her Majesty's reign has been the 
creation of an entirely new race of French or Kidney 
Beans, with a climbing habit of growth. There are 
several distinct types before the public, differing 
essentially in the tize and colour of the seed, shape 
and size of pod, and in earliness also. Notable 
amongst these are Tender and True and Veitch’s 
Climbing, both attaining a height of 4 ft. to 7 ft., 
according to cultivation; and more recently intro¬ 
duced is our own Excelsior—a Bean combining the 
delicacy and tenderness of the Canadian Worder 
with the vigorous growth of the Scarlet Runner. 
