124 
October 24, 1896. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
santhemum world were en evidence, and all were full 
of promise. As to the later vineries at present in 
bearing, these contained well-finished examples of 
such varieties as Gros Colmar, Gros Marcc, Madres- 
field Court, Mrs Pearson, Foster's Seedling, and 
other Grapes that would not be put to the blush at 
any exhibition in the kingdom. The modesty of my 
chaperon was such that he was quite mute in going 
through the various revelations of his skilful work 
with me, but I was soon convinced that the art of 
doing Grapes well was known to Mr. Graham. He, 
however, did point out to me the result of working 
Gros Colmar on the Muscat, and the outcome was 
improved flavour, stronger growth, and luxuriant 
foliage, the latter indeed being most striking in the 
extreme richness of its colourings at this season, 
together with the enormous size of the leaves. 
And now came the most effective training of 
Lapageria rosea and L. r. alba in an adjoining 
massive house of ornate structure that ever it has 
been my lot to see. The plants that were plunged 
in the border, had made extraordinary growth, 
especially the white variety, and were with perfect 
neatness trained to a wire trellis which formed aflat 
roof overhead, the mass of blooms just protruding 
through the meshes of the trellis, forming such a 
charming floral canopy that one could not easily 
forget. Of course the collection of stove and new 
and rare plants of every description is legion at this 
charming place, a description of which might become 
monotonous to many of your readers, who probably 
might lack the convenience of growing such. I 
would, however, fain conclude with a reference to the 
Orchard House trees which were still in partial 
bearing, and looked the picture of health and 
scientific treatment. The Peach houses were per¬ 
force passed over hurriedly, but I was assured both 
from Mr. Graham and my personal observation that 
they had borne heavy crops. I may add that there 
is one grievance to contend against at Coltness, and 
that is the difficulty to keep some of the houses 
sufficiently cool in the summer, most of which are 
built of iron by the same constructor as at Kew. It 
occured to me that extremely picturesque as such 
houses are, there are other considerations from the 
practical grower’s point of view. Having been so 
courteously escorted through the glass, I was suffered 
to depart not without regret, although the rain, but 
not the wind, had by this time partially subsided. 
In passing through a side walk, I noticed some 
diagonal beds just going over, in some of which were 
to be seen that gem of Marigolds, “ Legion of 
Honour,” to which Mr. Graham paid a high tribute 
for bedding purposes.— Albert F. Upstone. 
-- 
FRUIT AND VEGETABLES IN 
DERBYSHIRE. 
The crops in this part have not been very good this 
year. Strawberries were the lightest crop we have 
had for years. The sorts grown were Noble, Royal 
Sovereign, President, James Veitch, Latest of All, 
and Waterloo. The first and last bore the best 
crops. Waterloo is a great favourite here. Apples 
were under average; the best sorts were Bismarck, 
Lane's Prince Albert, Hawthornden, Mank’s Codlin, 
and Lord Suffield. Of Pears, there were none; 
although the trees were covered with bloom, very 
little fruit set and birds damaged it all in a young 
state. Gooseberries, and Red, White, and Black 
Currants were very poor crops. Morello Cherries 
have been a very heavy crop, likewise Plums. 
Early Peas were very good. The first to come into 
use being Lightning (Carters'). I gathered the first 
dish June gth. Chelsea Gem and American Wonder 
sown on the same date came into use ten days later, 
closely followed by Carter’s Daisy. This Pea I 
consider to be the finest dwarf variety grown, and 
one that I shall grow largely another year. With 
me it grows about 2 ft. high and the pods hang in 
pairs from top to bottom, with an average of nine 
peas to the pod. Mid-season Peas were a failure ; 
they never grew after they were rodded. Late Peas 
are very good. Dwarf beans have been very good; 
Runner and Broad Beans have been very poor. The 
only kind of Spinach I grow is Perpetual; it is what 
I call the poor gardener’s friend, as anyone short of 
room need only sow once a year. From a sowing 
made last April I hope to be able to pick from it 
until next May. The only Lettuce that did not run 
to seed with me this dry season was All the Year 
Round. 
Cauliflowers have been very fine ; Cabbages have 
likewise done well. Ellam’s Early, Little Pixie, and 
Sutton’s Little Gem (the latter is truly a little Gem, 
it can be planted 6 in. apart) are the sorts that I find 
do the best. Onions are a good crop, but I am 
afraid they will not keep well. Carrots are very 
poor ; Beet and Parsnips good. 
Potatos have been a splendid crop. I commenced 
lifting Sharpe's Victor outside in May. Myatt's, 
Ringleader, and Snowdrop followed in rotation. 
Windsor Castle was a very good crop, but fully half 
of the tubers were diseased. Schoolmaster was good, 
and very little deseased. The more I see of Holborn 
Abundance the more I like it. Another splendid 
Potato sent by the same firm is The Cannon 
(Carter's); it is a splendid Potat), being disease- 
resisting, a good cooker and a heavy cropper. 
Prime Minister is another grand variety. Supreme 
is a very fine Potato, and good cropper, but always 
keeps badly after it is lifted with me. Magnum 
Bonum I have grown for three years, but it has 
never paid for planting, so I have discarded it. This 
year I got 7 lbs. of Satisfaction (Sutton’s), and I 
have lifted 179 lbs. from it, very few being diseased. 
Edgecote Purple is another grand variety, being very 
free from disease and a capital keeper.— Thos. 
Cockerill , Wirhsworth, Derbyshire. 
-- 
THE CHANNEL ISLANDS REVISITED. 
{Continued from p. 86.) 
The Caves at Le Corbiere. 
The Great Western Hotel, at which I usually make 
Mr. T. B. Bacon. 
my headquarters during my rambles in and around 
Jersey, is conveniently situated, overlooking the 
Jubilee Gardens at the head of Esplanade, and from 
thence one fine day a merry party was organised for 
a trip to the Corbiere. Needless to say we were 
indebted to mine host’s thoughtful organisation 
for much of the day’s pleasure. The annexed 
photograph is an excellent portrait of my good 
friend to whom I refer, viz., Mr. T. B. Bacon, the 
Maitre d'Hotel. 
The gardens, by-the-bye, in verdure clad, form a 
restful object for the eye amongst a crowd of stone 
and granite buildings, within easy reach of the 
terminus of the Western Railway Company. Now 
the Jersey railways are an institution, and although 
to some of us who are accustomed to the precision of 
the main lines of Great Britain the appointment of 
the Jersey railways may appear prehistoric, yet the 
lines distinctly serve a public service, and without them 
locomotion would be far less easy. Away round St. 
Aubin's Bay runs our train, and at Port Marque, 
with its quaint little signal box we get a glimpse of 
the Quenvais Golf Club ground, and further in the 
distance Blanche Banques. As the train ascends 
the steep incline beyond St. Aubin’s town, curving 
to the right and to the left, the rugged beauty of the 
scenery on either side of the line is magnificent. The 
hill side is dotted with tethered herds of the smooth- 
coated Jersey cattle, tended by the veritable Jersey 
milkmaid familiar to us in the pictorial posters 
around grimy London. With the changing autumn 
foliage, rich in gold and purple tints, we have 
before us an ideal picture, such as Millais—and 
we are near his birthplace now—was wont to 
admire and appreciate. Another important land 
mark is St. Peter's Barracks ; and finally we reach Le 
Corbiere. Descending the rugged face of the cliffs 
and rocks, we reach below the entrance to the 
main cave, which is some 260 ft. in length, and 
its lowest elevation about 12 ft., whilst parts of 
the roof are 60 ft. overhead. This is known as 
“ The Pirates’ Cave.” Another chamber has 
recently been discovered running inland to an 
indefinite extent, for as yet this latter subterranean 
passage has been unexplored. The precise situa¬ 
tion of these caves is in the charming and 
rugged bay of La Rosier, and Mr. Geo. 
Misson, of the Corbiere Hotel, who acted as guide, 
philosopher, and friend, deserves the thanks of 
the public for his enterprise in making the caves 
accessible to the tourist. The caverns were formally 
thrown open on the anniversary of Her Majesty’s 
birthday in 1894, and the National Anthem, for the 
first time in history, was sung in “The Pirates’ Cave.” 
As mentioned above, the principal attraction is the 
pirates’ cave. Tradition has it that from here the 
captain and his band would go forth with huge 
beacons, which would lure to destruction craft that 
might be threading their way through the rock- 
bound channels which surround the coast. It is 
refreshing to learn that the captain of this precious 
crew was put to death two centuries ago at St. 
Aubin’s, the then capital of the island, and our 
authority for this is La Petite Journal, of Paris. Mr. 
Misson tells a stiring narrative of the way in which 
he discovered this cave. It was a mere chance that 
brought him there, and, struck with the grandeur of 
the spot he, with the native love of adventure, con¬ 
templated crossing the intervening water by swim¬ 
ming ; but that was a trifle too cool, and returning to 
the charge on another day our modern Crusoe built 
himself a raft, and probably for the first time 
after an interval of two centuries the human foot 
once more trod the rocky floor of the pirates' cave. 
The walls consist of numerous segments of rock 
snd stone of a red-brown colour, whilst the main 
support of the roof is naturally formed by a pillar 
of massive solidity ; the roof is rugged with basalt 
and reflects in phantom-fashion the improvised line of 
lamps with which Mr. Misson lights the caves. In 
the sides there is a curious mollusk formation, and the 
rich colouring of these curious caves is remarkable. 
A pair of swallows have found a home in the cleft of 
the centre pillar already referred to and their annual 
broods are an object of interest to our guide. 
The “ smugglers'cave ” lies rather more to the west 
in the direction of the light-house, and this up to within 
a few years ago was used for purposes of defrauding 
the revenue. Spirits silks, and tea are said to be the 
articles mostly smuggled, and in order to remove them 
under cover of night, most extraordinary means were 
adopted by the daring contrabandists. A coffin was 
requisitioned, and the nightly prowls of these erring 
sons of the sea gave rise to the superstition that the 
neighbourhood was haunted by spirits of another 
kind. Be that as it may, however, the existence of 
these caves, the picturesque surroundings, and the 
history which belongs to them forms an interesting 
diversion for the tired and jaded worker who seeks 
these climes for rest and recreation. 
One thing remains to be said and that is a word of 
commendation to Mr. and Mrs. Misson for their 
catering at Le Corbiere Hotel at which the party 
were entertained to tea. With a cheery good-night, 
and good-luck to the caves, we returned to our train 
en route for St. Helier once more.— Gyp. 
-- 
THE LATE MR. WHITTON. 
No doubt the article in your obituary by Mr. Temple 
regarding the late Mr. Peter Whitton will be read by 
many of his old people with regret. As one who 
served under him, I can speak from experience, and 
I am sure that many as well as the writer have lost in 
him a kind and warm-hearted friend. He was 
always delighted to do anything for those he found 
diligent and anxious. Being a thorough all-round 
grand old gardener, he could not bear to see any¬ 
thing done except in a workman-like manner. This 
quality in any man is a good one, and its impression 
has not failed to leave its mark on many of those who 
had the lot to serve under him at Methven. The 
