76 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
October 1, 1898. 
the mansion, and even against the walls and under 
the windows various plants weie bedded out. 
Particularly noticeable were some clumps of the 
night scented Tobacco, 6 ft. high and much 
branched. For some time past Mr. Bain has been 
selecting the tallest seed bearers, and this must 
account for the exceptional vigour of the plants. 
Most charming was a bed of Begonia martiana, 
edged with the dwarf and free-flowering B. Bavaria. 
The former is most often seen as a pot plant in 
greenhouse^ during autumn, but it makes a capital 
bedder. Even more uncommon and pretty is B. 
Bavaria, growing only 4 in. to 6 in. high, and pro¬ 
ducing a profusion of large, carmine flowers. A 
wealthy collection of Cannas was also flowering 
freely under the walls of the mansion. A fine effect 
was produced by such grasses as Eulalia japonica 
variegata and E. j. zebrina. 
The stone tank about the middle of the lawn is an 
interesting object, the stones being partly hidden by 
small flowered tuberous Begonias, that were most 
floriferous on the occasion of our visit. The water 
is covered with numerous fine varieties of Nympbaea, 
conspicuous amongst which were the intense red 
flowers of N. robinsoniana. The silvery-pink 
flowers of N. odorata rosacea resting upon the water 
were lovely. N. chromatella and N. sulphurea are 
rival yellow varieties with large flowers, the former 
having broad, blunt petals, and the latter pointed 
ones, resembling a Cactus Dahlia. N. stellata is 
grown in a tank outside one of the houses in the gar¬ 
den proper, and the intention is to winter it here. 
The large blue flowers are very handsome. 
Orchids. 
The doyen of this department is Mr. W. H. White, 
who naturally holds that there is nothing like Orchids, 
and he substantiates his view by the fine examples 
of cultivation which he places before the public 
from time to time. The centre of attraction on the 
occasion of our visit was Dendrobium sanguineum, 
or the scarlet Dendrobe, the deep crimson-scarlet 
sepals and petals of which justify the title. The 
small lip is twisted like a corkscrew. In a warm 
stove was a grand batch of Calanthes, finishing up 
remarkably vigorous growths, the pseudobulbs of 
many being about 1 ft. long. Some of the leaves 
measured 1 ft. 9 in. in length, by 7J in. in width. 
The little rosy Aerides Hendersoni, with a lip re¬ 
duced almost to the spur, is one of Mr. White’s pets 
of the collection, and he flowers it every year. 
Though not an Orchid the Lattice Leaf Plant is 
located here, and both the old plants and seedlings 
are wonderfully healthy, happy, and vigorous. 
A cool house we passed through contained a fine 
lot of Thunias, Catasetums and Dendrobiums ripen¬ 
ing off the fine growths they have made. The young 
stems of D. Clio were twice as long as the old ones, 
and in one case we measured them 3 fi. in length. 
To the cultivator such vigour gives infinite pleasure. 
Other plants were still growing vigorously in a 
high temperature with a moist atmosphere. A won¬ 
derfully singular flower is Cycnoches maculata, 
thickly spotted with purple-brown on a pale yellow 
ground. The upper half of the lip is white and 
deeply lacerated; while the long, slender column is 
curved like a swan's neck. Dendrobium Euterpe 
had made growths 3 ft. long, and was still growing. 
A very singular species of Catasetum carried 
globular flowers, with green sepals and petals, and a 
pale yellow lip. The large, golden lip of C. Bunger- 
othii aurea was very handsome; and Epidendrum 
radicans always makes a bright bit of colour. The 
flowering of Sobralia Cattleya forms a record, as far 
as we know, for Europe. The flower was produced 
on a side shoot about 18 in. below the top of stems 
about 10 ft. high. The white groundwork was 
suffused with alternatin rosy bands. Another 
handsome subject was Eulophia guineensis, the large 
lip being large and white, tinted with lilac, and the 
purple sepals and petals tinted with green. Many 
of these plants are labelled with xylonite labels 
which look neat, clean, and efficient. 
Underneath the stages of one of the houses we 
noted what must surely be a record in the matter of 
Eucharis culture. The bulbs were planted over 
twenty years ago, and have never been disturbed. 
No fresh soil has ever been given, yet the plants are 
vigorous and continue to flower freely every year. 
They do not seem ever to have heard of the 
Eucharis mite. 
One large house is divided down the middle with 
tiffany so that one side of it is always shaded for the 
benefit of certain plants. The Phalaenopses sus¬ 
pended in baskets close to the glass have made hand¬ 
some leaves. They like plenty of light but not 
direct sunshine; and the baskets are all tipped on 
One side, so that drops of moisture can never lie upon 
the foliage. The broad and vigorous leaves of P. 
Sanderi are a delight to see. The green-leaved 
types like P. violacea do best in shade at some 
distance from the glass. A rare plant is Angraecum 
Kotschyi. It was curious to note A. citratum 
flowering out of season. There is a fine piece of A. 
pellucidum, and A. bilobum has been here for over 
twenty years. There are also fine pieces of Cirr- 
hopetalum Cummingii.and the strange Bulbophyllum 
grandiflorum. All the best varieties of Cypripedium 
in commerce are to be seen here. Vanda sanderiana 
on a raft is throwing up its spikes. A long spike of 
Renanthera Lowii had just been cut. 
The Cattleyas were all healthy,and Laelia anceps 
was throwing up its flowers. A grand piece of L. 
gouldiana, in a basket 19 in. square, has been here 
for the last ten years. Renanthera matutina and 
Dendrobium Dearei were in bloom. Some plants of 
D. brymerianum were formerly located in a cool 
house, but were degenerating, and in the endeavour 
to arrest this they were transferred to a cool 
structure with excellent results. 
There is a fine collection of Miltonias at Burford 
Lodge, including M. spectabilis, M. bleuana, M. 
Phalaenopsis, M. s. moreliana, M. Roezli, and M. 
vexillaria Leopoldi, the two latter being in bloom. 
The last-named variety is naturally late in flowering. 
The pure white flowers of Coelogyne Veitchii are 
pendent and pretty. Another late summer flowering 
subject is Cattleya blessensis with the lamina of a 
rich violet, the colour extending in a band to the 
base. Platyclivis filiformis, a pet plant here, is 
always done well in a cool house. Very interesting 
were Sobralia xantholeuca, Laelia monophylla, with 
scarlet flowers, and the richly spotted Epidendrum 
sceptrum. 
Cypripedium Charlesworthii was plentiful in 
flower and bud, while healthy pieces of C. spicer- 
ianum, C. leeanum, and C. fairieanum, kept it com¬ 
pany. The latter is now a very rare species in this 
country, but is well managed at Burford Lodge. 
Even during the heat of August there was a good 
sprinkling of Odontoglossum crispum in bloom, in¬ 
cluding several handsome varieties. O. coronarium 
is a plant that requires special handling to doit well. 
The flowers of Masdevallia racemosa are orange, 
veined with carmine, and produced in racemes. It 
is by no means common in cultivation. Here also 
we noted Oncidium trulliferum and O. loxense, both 
having curiously formed flowers. The sepals and 
petals of the latter are brown, barred with yellow, 
while the lip is wholly yellow. The whole place is 
well worthy of inspection at any time of the year. 
-- 
THE LOWFIELD NURSERIES, 
CRAWLEY. 
Horticulture has, indeed, advanced with giant 
strides, during the last two decades, but perhaps the 
greatest improvement is manifest in the great light 
that has been thrown upon the culture of hardy fruit, 
and the beautifying of parks and gardens by the 
planting of hardy ornamental trees and shrubs. In 
both these classes of plants Messrs. J. Cheal & Sons 
are specialists, and no firm has done more for the 
improvement and advancement of these two 
branches of gardening than they. Their nurseries 
at Crawley must be known by repute to every 
gardener in the country, although, perhaps, but a 
comparative few have paid a visit thither. That 
the visit must have been great gain to those 
who have taken the chance of making it can¬ 
not be doubted for a moment, and, speaking for our¬ 
selves, we can only say that a look round the estab¬ 
lishment with one of the courteous heads of the firm 
as guide is one of the greatest horticultural treats we 
have yet experienced. The nurseries, which are up¬ 
wards of 100 acres in extent, are situated in one of 
the most rural parts of Sussex, far from the din and 
bustle of the town, although they are not isolated 
from a communication point of view, seeing they are 
but two miles from the station of Crawley, and three 
from that of Three Bridges, both on the Brighton 
and South Coast Line. 
Every nursery has an individuality and features of 
its own, and the Crawley establishment is not the 
exception. Perhaps the special feature that most 
impresses the visitor when he first makes acquain¬ 
tance with the nursery is the grand shelter hedges of 
Hornbeam, some 12 ft. or 13 ft. in height, with which 
the nursery is supplied. These are to be seen on 
every hand running in all directions, separating the 
various quarters of fruit trees, Dahlias, and orna¬ 
mental and forest trees from each other, and pro¬ 
tecting their occupants from too rude winds by a 
wall of living green during the summer, or russet- 
brown during the autumn, winter, and early spring. 
It is found that by pruning early in the season 
quantities of leaves are made that will hang on all 
through the winter, thus increasing the effectiveness 
of the shelter the hedges give. This early pruning 
also prevents the plants from presenting that bare 
and shorn appearance that they would do if they 
were pruned later. These hedges are in magnificent 
condition, being clothed right to the ground with 
living branches, and we question very much if 
their equals are to be found in any other part of the 
country. 
A straight path, about a third of a mile long, runs 
through the nurseries, tunnelling through the 
hedges which cross it at right angles, until the end of 
its course is lost in the distance, but the vista thus 
afforded is a charming, and probably a unique, one. 
Much as we admired the hedges, however, we 
were not less deeply impressed with the wonderful 
air of neatness and order that pervaded everything. 
It must be a stupendous task even to keep this large 
area of land free from weeds, and yet it is done, and, 
such is the thoroughness of the system, with appar¬ 
ently the greatest of ease. " We never use manual 
where horse labour can be employed,” said Mr. 
Alexander Cheal to us in reply to the question, and 
this is probably the secret of the whole thing. 
Nothing at Crawley is done in a slipshod manner, 
but everything is as smart as the proverbial ” new 
pin.” " Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it 
with thy might,” [might well be the motto of the 
firm, judging from results. 
Hardy Fruit. 
A large portion of the nurseries is devoted to the 
culture of fruit trees, which, despite the trying sea¬ 
son, are, both young and old, in the best possible 
condition. Speaking generally, rank growth is not 
sought for, but instead firm, properly ripened wood, 
well set with fruit buds, is the object of attainment. 
The Messrs. Cheal never lose sight of the fact that 
the prime end and aim of a fruit tree’s existence are 
to produce fruit—an apparent truism that we may be 
pardoned for uttering when the style of fruit trees 
that are too often seen in gardens is taken into con¬ 
sideration. 
The young trees are planted in rows in such a way 
that the surface of the soil can be kept constantly 
stirred by means of horse power. The beneficial 
effects of this constant loosening of the surface soil 
were apparent upon examination, for despite the 
drought, we found that the soil, a few inches from 
the surface, was quite moist, and this not in one part 
but in all parts of the nursery. 
While speaking of the actual cultivation of the 
soil we may make mention of subsoil ploughing, 
which we here saw practised for the first time. 
After the furrow has been turned over by the plough¬ 
share the subsoil plough with an arrowhead shaped 
“ share ” is put to work in it. Upon each side of the 
head of the "share ” a stout pin a few inches long 
is fastened vertically, and as the " share ” is drawn 
through the soil the latter is thus broken up, but not 
turned over as in ordinary ploughing—it is in fact 
double digging by machinery. The beneficial effects 
of this breaking-up of the subsoil will be apparent 
to all who give the idea a moment’s thought. 
Apples are an exceedingly fine crop at Crawley 
this year, and it was most instructive to look through 
a large break of bush trees of different varieties upon 
the Paradise stock. Most of the leading varieties 
have done well. Lane’s Prince Albert is one of the 
most notable examples. Mr. Joseph Cheal avers 
that if he were limited to a choice of six varieties 
only, " Lane's ” should be one of the six. Peas- 
good's Nonsuch, Worcester Pearmain, distinct by 
reason of the brilliant colour of the hanging fruits, 
Grenadier, Annie Elizabeth The Queen, Duchess of 
Oldenburgh, Golden Spire, Hormead Pearmain, 
Colonel Vaughan, Stirling Castle, Pott's Seedling, 
Bismarck, and Cox’s Orange Pippin are a few of the 
sorts that have done especially well. All of them 
are well known to our readers. 
The comparatively new variety Atalanta, which 
