May 27. Ib99. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
613 
“ Gardening is the purest of human plfasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man."— Bacon. 
1|Nm. 
Edited by J. FRASER. F.L.S. 
SATURDAY , MAY 27 th, 1899. 
NEXT WEEK'S ENGAGEMENTS. 
Wednesday, May 31st.—R.H.S. Great Flower Show at Inner 
Temple Gardens, London, 12.30 to 7 p.m. 
Thursoay. June 1st.—R.H.S. Show, 10 a.m. to 7p.m. 
Friday, June 2nd. —R.H.S. Show, to a.m to 6 p m, 
J^RADFIELD, CULLOMPTON, DEVON. -About 
two and a half miles from the old market 
town of Cullompton, and in the parish of 
UfFculme, stands the well built stone 
mansion, the country residence of Sir 
William Walrond, Bart., M.P., the chief 
whip of the party in power and member 
for the Cullompton division of Devonshire. 
The mansion covers a large area of ground 
and dates back to the end of the 15th cen¬ 
tury, rather the south-east wing, while the 
south-west, which comprises the entrance, 
was added just one hundred years later, 
The dates being given on each wing ; and 
the surroundings at once convince you that 
the place was laid out in the Tudor times 
or in the early reign of Queen Elizabeth, 
by the immense specimens of clipped 
Yews, tier after tier being trimmed flat, with 
a large top, round or acorn shape, as does 
also the huge Box hedge close by ; two sub¬ 
jects seldom met with now-a-days, with our 
up-to-date gardening, with which I must 
confess I am more in love than with the 
former, which to most eyes is a trifle too stiff 
and formal. 
The flower garden adjoining the mansion 
is also enclosed with a stone wall about five 
feet high, and the flower beds are edged 
with ornamental stone, and gravel walks 
between, with just a few narrow strips of 
turf here and there ; while the largest beds 
and several of the smaller corner ones have 
closely trimmed golden Yews, of conical 
shape, varying from 2J to 3J ft. in height, 
which later on must look a picture of gold, 
and must certainly handicap the gardener a 
bit when bedding out comes round, as to 
how he is to blend the colours to the best 
advantage.^ On the east of the flower 
garden there is a large square lake planted 
all round with golden Salix or Willows, 
which contrast well with the huge, dark, 
English, trimmed Yews before mentioned. 
The gardener (Mr. C. Bennett) next took 
us towards the plant houses, first entering 
the Palm house, a large span-roof, whose 
rafters were draped with Roses, Rhyn- 
cospermum jasminoides, Luculia gratis- 
sima, etc. The centre bed contained grand 
specimens of Chamaerops excelsa and C. 
humilis, Seaforthia elegans, Latania bor- 
• bonica, Phoenix dactylifera (Date Palm) 
Thrinax elegans ; and the following Ferns 
were also noticeable for their large size :— 
fBlechnum corcovadense, Lastreas, Lorn- 
aria gibba, Pteris cretica albo-lineata, 
Woodwardias, etc. At one end is a large 
glass case let into the wall, containing 
Todeas of sorts, Trichomanes, Hymeno- 
phyllum. Taken altogether it is a most 
interesting house. 
The next move was made into the stove, 
which looked very bright with good speci¬ 
mens of Croton Weismannii, majesticum, 
and others Dracaena Cooperi, D. terminalis, 
D. hybrida, Pandanus Veitchii nicely 
coloured, Gardenias, Marantas, etc. Over¬ 
head was Stephanotis floribunda, which 
fruited last year, and underneath on the 
shingle was quite a crop of young seedlings. 
Other notable things were Dendrobium 
nobile, D. wardianum, D. chrysanthum and 
good pans of Coelogyne cristata, all growing 
freely, all clean and healthy. Passing 
through a door we entered the greenhouse 
gay with the usual occupants at this season, 
Cinerarias single and double, Cyclamen, 
double Primulas, zonal Pelargoniums, 
Azaleas, Genistas, etc. These two houses 
are also span-roofed, and evidently suited 
the requirements of the plants combined 
with cultural details attended to. 
The pleasure grounds, though not exten¬ 
sive. contain some noble Conifers, the late 
Sir John Walrond being a great connoisseur 
amongst them. Varied and beautiful were 
Abies concolor, A. webbiana, A. Douglasii, 
A. nordmanniana, A.canadense, A. cepha- 
lonica, Thuya Lobbii, Picea Pinsapo, 
Cupressus lawsoniana, C. nutkaensis, C.n. 
argenteo-variegata, Cedrus Deodara, C. 
atlantica and the variety C. a glauca, and 
Taxodium (Sequoia) sempervirens (Cali¬ 
fornian Redwood), which were among the 
finest specimens. I should have liked to 
have taken the measurement of these, but 
time would not permit, my visit being a 
hurried one. Bamboos stand out and thrive 
here, notabiy aurea, nigra and violascens ; 
and huge trees of Rhododendrons, dotted 
in among the Coniferae add a brightness 
to the surroundings at this time of the year. 
Wending our way to the kitchen garden we 
pass the little church or chapel of ease, 
standing within the grounds. We found 
Apples, Pears, and Plums laden with 
blossom which it is hoped will yield good 
crops later on. There is a grand lot of 
pyramid Apples in the two orchards, out¬ 
side the garden walls, long keeping kinds 
for dessert, as well as the kitchen. The 
soil is of a heavy nature resting on clay, 
evidently suiting the Apples, judging by 
the firm specimens the gardener showed us 
in the fruit room. 
There are two Peach cases, the early 
house containing one tree of Waterloo, on 
the point of ripening (May 8th), Royal 
George, and Nectarine Pitmaston Orange 
to follow, the crops in both instances being 
good, both front and back trees looking 
well. The earliest vinery was heavily 
cropped and beginning to colour ; Muscats 
were in flower, half a dozen young 
Vines planted two years ago having 
some grand bunches on them. Another 
house contained a mixed lot of Alnwick 
Seedling (which sets well here), Mrs. 
Pince (this I learnt did not colour as 
well as could be wished), Mrs. Pearson, 
and Lady Downes. These were in bloom 
and looking very promising. We noticed 
a nice batch of Royal Sovereign Straw¬ 
berry on a shelf, just ripe. The Melon 
house, or pit rather, is a three-quarter 
span, and contained some nice fruits, fast 
swelling to maturity, all in i2-in. pots, 
plunged in manure and leaves. Sutton’s 
Ai Mr. Bennett likes the best. At one 
end an excellent variety of Veitch’s 
Telegraph Cucumber was loaded with 
fruit. 
The crops in the kitchen garden were 
well on, early Pea Chelsea Gem coming 
into flower on a south border, with William 
the First close on the track. Cabbage 
and Broccoli in abundance, Carrots, 
Turnips, Onions, Parsnips and Potatos 
had all come through well. The place was 
in good order, and shows that what Mr. 
Bennett learnt while at Strathfieldsaye, 
Madresfield, and at Bicton is being carried 
out at Bradfield.— J. Mayne. 
Mr. Nelson, late foreman in the rock garden, Kew, 
has been appointed as assistant to Mr. Maclndoe, 
The Gardens, Hutton Hall, Guisborough, Yorks. 
Hurst&Son Cricket Club.—This club have now started 
their season and have played the following matches:— 
St. Stephens, won by H. & S., by 38 runs; Wadham 
Lodge, won by H & S., by 36 runs; Mr. Moss's 
team, lost by H. & S., by 35 runs. 
Irritation caused by Primula obconica.—No one 
seems to know how Primula obconica should be 
such an irritant. Mr. Wright, of the R.H.S. Chis¬ 
wick Gardens, told our representative that one of 
his assistants had been incapacitated for work 
owing to the blistering of his hands and arms, 
caused by contact with this plant. 
R.H.S. Temple Show.—As previously announced in 
our columns, the great annual flower show of the 
R.H.S. will be held in the Inner Temple Gardens, 
on May 31st, June 1st and 2nd. The space at liberty 
for the society is absolutely limited, so that for every 
accepted entry for a new exhibitor the space allotted 
to previous supporters must necessarily be curtailed. 
A catalogue of the show is given to each visitor, and 
will contain a notice of new and rare plants entered 
on or before May 23rd. It will also contain a pro¬ 
gramme of the music for each day. The judges 
meet at the secretary's tent at 10.30 a.m., on May 
31st, at which hour the tents must be vacated by 
exhibitors and their assistants. The Fruit, Floral, 
and Orchid Committees assemble at the Secretary’s 
tent at 11 a.m. sharp, and the show will be opened 
at 12.30 p.m. on the first show day. All plants for 
certificate must be entered on or before Friday, 
May 26th. Address: The Secretary, R.H.S., 117, 
Victoria Street, S.W. 
Experiments at Dalmeny Park.—Though the 
manurial experiments made at Lord Rosebery's 
Home Farm, Dalmeny, Linlithgowshire, are mainly 
valuable to the farmer, there is yet a note or two for 
the gardener. These experiments have for their first 
object the needs of the aerobics and other soil 
organisms which are the real manufacturers of our 
soil foods, or, at least, the nitrate producers, and 
require among other things a supply of suitable food 
or chemical elements. From results we learn that 
the best artificials to add to land in good condition 
are:— 4 cwts of lime per acre; 3 cwts. of super¬ 
phosphate ; and 1 cwt. of sulphate of ammonia. 
But where the land is not in high condition these 
dressings should be supplemented by an application 
of kainit. A small dressing of lime, and potash and 
magnesia told a wonderful tale in the feeding 
properties of herbage. Lime or composts with lime 
greatly helped the Potato crops. Of course, the 
rich soils and other conditions at Dalmeny must be 
considered in making deductions or plans for trying 
the value of these facts in other quarters. 
Tyntesfield Orchids—A sale of the duplicates of 
Orchids belonging to the noted collection of F. 
Hardy, Esq., Tyntesfield, Ashton-on-Mersey, took 
place on Tuesday and Wednesday, the 16th and 
17th of May. Growers or buyers from the south 
were there in strength, and they were the chief 
purchasers, taking off the cream of the stock. The 
prices realised were good, one Cypripedium cal'osum 
Sanderae fetching 130 guineas. The total realised for 
the two days, was £1,800. Messrs. James Veitch & 
Sons, Ltd., Chelsea; Messrs. Low & Co., Bush Hill 
Park, Enfield ; Messrs. F. Sander & Co., St. Albans ; 
Mr. Alfred Outram, and Mr. Tracy were the prin¬ 
cipal parties in the purchases. Among Cattleyas we 
hear of C. Mendelii, The Quorn House var., 42 and 
45gs. ; C. Mossiae Hardyae bringing 19 guineas ; C. 
Trianaei leeana, 9 guineas ; C. Skinnerii, 9 guineas ; 
C. reineckiana superba, 18 guineas; C. Mossiae 
Wagneri, 20 and 21 guineas; Laeliocattleya, 
Laelias, and Sobralias also had some high bids. 
Laelia anceps Amesiae brought 14 guineas; L. 
purpurata hardyana, 18 guineas; L. eximea, 16 
guineas; Lc. Macfarlanei, 22 guineas; Lc. Pallas 
superba, 40 guineas; L. Stella, 10 guineas; Lc. 
canhamiana superba, 18 guineas; and Lc. bella, 45 
guineas. Cypripeaiums went at a premium. Besides 
the variety already noticed we find C. irisigne 
Sanderae reaching 25 guineas; C.James H.Veitcb.so 
and 80 guineas; and C. Fred Hardy 50guineas. Of 
course all the higher priced plants were in the pink 
of condition and some of them very rare. Miltonias 
had some fairly high priced specimens, one M. 
Schroderae alba topping 16 guineas. 
