THE GARDENING WORLD 
March 11, 1899. 
444 
the right time, that is, when roots are pushing forth 
from the partially made-up growths. 
Oncidium tigrinum.— After a good spell of rest 
they are showing signs of activity, and will require 
attention. We pot ours every season, for, resting as 
they do so long, the moss dies, and unless afforded 
fresh material they would go back.—C. 
HARDINESS OF INSECTS. 
The experience of my friend Mr. Brewer (p. 391) 
is interesting in that it shows that some insects, 
including mealy bug and scale, will live and thrive 
under various conditions, and under a wide range 
of temperature ; a much wider range than many of 
the plants they prey upon. It would not be safe to 
assume, however, that the mealy bug, withstood 15 0 
or 20 0 of frost, for the bracken covering which pro¬ 
tected the Figs, protected the bug also. It is possible 
that little or no frost—even at the low temperature 
recorded—penetrated the bracken covering, especially 
on the face of a wall. Wasps become very weak and 
feeble with the approach of autumn frosts. The 
queen wasp, however, passes the winter under wbat 
appears a very slight protection. I have found 
numbers in winter under dry leaves in shrubberies, 
and banks, and such like places. Red spider will 
pass a winter very well in a Violet frame, as some 
growers find to their cost; examination of the under 
side of sickly looking leaves, even in mid-winter, will 
reveal abundance of live stock sometimes. Thrip 
again will stand a deal of cool treatment. A writer 
in a contemporary the other day, in commenting 
upon the rainfall, said “ one result hoped for is that 
the wet time we are having will destroy a good many 
insects." It appears to me that Nature provides all 
her creatures with a certain amount of protection 
and assistance, in the struggle for existence, even 
going as far as to provide frost proof jackets and life 
belts when needed.— A. P. 
- -*• - 
BICTON, DEVON. 
(Concluded from p. 394 ). 
The Orangery. 
On modern establishments orangeries are usually 
only such in name ; but the orangery on the fine old 
estate at Bicton is one in reality. It is situated close 
to the mansion, and is a large, rectangular glass 
building of good height, and well lighted for a struc¬ 
ture of its kind. The billiard room is a similar 
building that exactly matches the orangery in out¬ 
ward appearance, though inwardly it is very different. 
During the dying days of ’98, we walked through the 
orangery when the various occupants, including the 
climbers, were being trimmed and put in order. 
A fine standard tree of the Citron (Citrus medica) 
was in bud, flower and fruit contemporaneously as 
is frequently the case with members of the Orange 
tribe. A small tree of the same species was also in 
fruit. Here we may remark that the permanent 
occupants of the house are all planted out. A tall, 
obtusely pyramidal tree of the sweet Orange (C. 
Aurantium) was laden with richly coloured fruits. 
The common or Seville Orange is named C. vulgaris, 
but is also known under the name of C. Bigaradia. A 
round headed tree of it was very fruitful, the round 
fruits being dark in colour, and having a very rugged 
rind. The Blood Red or Malta Orange was in full 
bloom ; and a standard of C. chinensis was in fruit. 
The Myrtle-leaved Orange (C. myrtifolia) is notable 
for the small size of all its parts, the leaves being 
scarcely larger than those of the common Myrtle. 
The fruits, as seen here, varied from the size of a 
marble to that of a pigeon's egg. It was flowering 
at the same time. The smallest of all common in 
gardens is the Otaheite Orange (C. chinensis) already 
mentioned. 
Several other subjects were flowering in the same 
building, so that it well merits being termed a winter 
garden. Luculia gratissima is cut hard back in 
spring, and during the course of the summer makes 
growths about 2 ft. to 3 ft. long, and flowers freely 
for some considerable period at mid-winter. Rather 
a rare Tea Rose is Madame Pauline Labonte, sent 
out in 1852, but neglected, we consider, when its 
beauty and utility is taken into account. The flowers 
are of beautiful conical shape when in bud, and are 
of a pleasing salmon-rose, or soft pink, shaded with 
salmon in winter; for "it flowers both summer 
and winter, and is much prized here for cut flower 
purposes. 
The climbers are quite a feature of the orangery. 
Several of the upright pillars are draped with 
Habrothamnus facicularis and H. elegans, the flower 
having lanceolate leaves and rosy flowers, and the 
latter with ovate-leaves and large branches of rich 
rosy flowers produced in great abundance during the 
winter months. A pleasing contrast was afforded 
by the gray foliage and the panicles of golden yellow 
blossom of Acacia dealbata. A very tall plant of 
Jasminum azoricum in bud will now be giving an 
account of itself. Lapageria rosea upon the roof and 
pillars was also flowering freely. 
On a rockery situated in a sheltered angle of the 
mansion, but outside we noted some uncommon 
plants for open air planting such as Mesembryan- 
themumedule.Linum monogynum, Primula obconica, 
and various other things usually reckoned half hardy. 
Self-sown seedlings of Cyclamen neapolitanum were 
coming up abundantly. The Banksian Rose upon 
the walls of the mansion had attained a great height. 
The trunk of Magnolia grandiflora was over 1 ft. in 
diameter. 
Away in another direction we came upon the 
fernery, built originally as an aviary. The building 
is unheated and is merely kept tidy as a pleasant 
quiet resort at times. Self-sown seedlings of Pteiis 
tremula have come up in the borders all over the 
house, many of them having already developed 
into large and handsome plants. Vases of various 
kinds, including several large ones made out of the 
trunks of trees, have been planted with Fuchsia 
procumbens, which fruited freely, retaining its red 
berries for months. We next passed through her 
ladyship's garden, where Veronica salicifolia and 
other species were flowering. Large old Pelar¬ 
goniums were flowering against a wall, and ha$ been 
out all the previous winter. Lady Rolle spends 
much time gardening here in summer. 
The Kitchen Garden. 
The kitchen garden is of considerable size, 
surrounded by good walls, and situated at some 
distance from the mansion. There are borders out¬ 
side the walls in which fruit trees, vegetables, 
Violets, &c.,are grown, while both sides of the walls 
are covered with fruit trees. The latter are 
furnished with large lead labels so that the names 
cannot be lost. 
Violets are highly appreciated here and grown in 
great quantities. The Czar, Comte de Brazza 
(double white), Princess of Wales, California, and 
Princess Beatrice were planted and flowering in 
considerable quantity. Twelve lights were filled 
with Violets being forced, and which are always well 
done here. The beds beneath them were used for 
Cucumber growing in summer. The weather being 
mild at the time of our visit, the lights were drawn 
entirely off during the day. Marie Louise and 
Comte de Brazza are the favourites for this kind of 
work, for they never fail. 
Two plantations of Cabbages of different ages 
were making satisfactory progress, including Ellam’s 
Early, Cocoanut and others, which had their stems 
earthed up. Old Cabbages that had been cut were 
forming small second heads in great abundance. 
They are much appreciated for table use. Broccoli, 
Brussels Sprouts, Parsley, Celery, Lettuces, young 
Carrots, and Turnips were in considerable abun¬ 
dance and in good condition. Onions and Spinach 
had come up well. 
Fruit trees upon the walls were trained in the usual 
fashion, but an uncommon method of training may 
be noted here in iron vase-shaped frames, round 
which the branches of Apple trees are trained in a 
spiral fashion. Stone fruits of all kinds are grown 
upon the walls, and already give an excellent 
promise of blossom. Apricots are opening their 
flowers, and Peaches will be in the course of a few 
days, to be followed by Pears and Plums, &c. 
An unheated range of glasshouses is largely devoted 
to Peaches and Cherries. The former include such 
well known varieties as Walburton’s Admirable, 
Royal George, Sea Eagle, Violette Hative and 
Crimson Galande. On the back wails are fine trees 
of such Cherries as Black Tartarian, Frogmore 
Bigarreau, Black Eagle, Early Rivers, and Bigarreau 
Napoleon. The Fig house is also unheated, and 
contains fine trees trained up the back wall, tbeD 
over the pathway of the house. The floor is paved 
with smooth pebbles from the sea beach. The front 
of the house is used for Tomatos in summer. 
In another Peach house the front trees are trained 
upon wires about 2 ft. from the glass. Cherries on 
the back walls are trained to the top, then downwards 
beneath the glass roof, and are in excellent condition. 
The Cape Gooseberry (Physalis edulis) trained on 
the end of this house was full of flowers and fruits 
in all stages of development. Elsewhere Asparagus 
was being forced upon beds of fermenting dung and 
leaves. The spawn had just commenced to run in 
the Mushroom house, so that supplies will now be 
plentiful. Seakale and Rhubarb were being forced 
in the same house. Mr. J. Mayne, the gardener, is 
an ardent plantsman, and fruit grower. Outside the 
kitchen garden and surrounding the mansion is an 
extensive park in which about 100 head of deer roam 
at large. Scattered about all over the place are 
huge Beech, Sweet Chestnut, Oak, Elm and other trees 
which give an air of antiquity to the place and other¬ 
wise render it attractive and interesting. The ex¬ 
tensive arboretum is replete with all kinds of exotic 
trees, both deciduous and evergreen. 
These extensive and beautiful grounds and gardens 
are open to the public by ticket on Tuesdays and 
Fridays, 2 to 5 p m., from April to October inclusive ; 
and many visitors have reason to be thankful for the 
thoughtful generosity of the Hon. Mark Rolle, for 
the privilege accorded. 
--*»- 
POOR GARDENER!! 
It i? interesting cow and again, to hear or to read 
the opinions that are expressed about the gardener 
by people who apparently believe that they know all 
about it, but the latest opinion is such a wonderful 
mixture of scorn and pity that even those of us who 
are used to this kind of thing are given pause. We 
have read with attention a critique of a book entitled 
“ Wood and Garden ” by Miss Jekyll, that appeared 
last week in The Daily Telegraph, and although the 
reviewer had then either not sufficient knowledge or 
courage to do other than accept Miss Jekyll's very 
sweeping statements, we must take a little exception 
to some of them. 
Gardeners are spoken of as being generally very 
worthy individuals " perfectly comprehending the 
ordinary routine of garden work, but with no under¬ 
standing of the new order of things. Their general 
education is not very wide to begin with, and their 
training is usually all in one groove, and the many 
who possess a full share of vanity get to think that, 
because they have exhausted the obvious sources of 
experience that have occurred within their reach 
there is nothing more to learn, or to know, or to see, 
or to feel, or to enjoy.” Again, the Authoress goes 
on to lay a measure of condemnation to the charge 
of those societies which glorify the show table at the 
cost of the garden proper, and induce gardeners to 
hold the “ bloated magnificence ’’ of a few prize 
blooms better than the quiet charm of humble flowers, 
to quote the reviewers own words. 
Now this is a serious indictment—at least it would 
be if it were true. Miss Jekyll, whatever her artistic 
horticultural, and literary attainments, has been 
unfortunate in her experience. A few moth-eaten, 
prejudice-begrimed old fossils there may be but these 
are gradually leaving this world—let us hope for a 
better. " The new order of things ” has called into 
existence a new race of gardeners, as superior to the 
old race of men as the “ new order ” is to the old. 
Charlatans there may be and are, and will be—like 
the poor they are always with us—but horticulture 
has not a monoply, or even a preponderance of 
charlatans. 
To say that the general education of the gardener 
is not wide is " bunkum " ; the gardener is fully the 
equal of the city clerk, or the man who fiddles laces 
and ribbons behind a counter to the tune of an old 
woman’s grumblings, or the autocratic shop-walker’s 
frown. Moreover he follows up his initial education 
by a life-long study in the school of nature, whose 
books he who runs may read but only he who studies 
can understand. 
Does Miss Jekyll expect the man behind the 
barrow to bow like a well trained flunkey, to answer 
in the fluent and polished English that is beyond the 
reach of many of the so-called educated classes, to 
be a walking encyclopaedia of all things living, to 
perform the most menial services and to rest con¬ 
tented upon a wage lower than that given to those 
who sweep the streets of our mighty metropolis ? 
because that is what many people seem to expect. 
It is all very well to complain of the gardener’s lack 
