July 27, 1901. 
Fancy Yellow Ground Carnation Mrs 
Charles Baring. 
must be tremendous for it fills the whole house and 
the stem is like the trunk of a tree. The vinery is 
not heated but the crops that are gathered in it 
annually are astonishing. This year there are 250 
large bunches of fruit which have received the 
second and final thinning. It is a Black Hamburgh, 
but the berries are somewhat differently shaped to 
the majority of this old variety, being long and 
Plum-like. 
Running across the garden, and over a hundred 
yards loog, is the most picturesque covered walk we 
have had the pleasure of seeing. It is composed 
entirely of cordon fruit trees, and to judge from 
their gnarled appearance, they must have been there 
for a great number of years. 
The glass is close to the house, and although not 
extensive ranges they contain some very fine stuff. 
The stove is devoted almost entirely to plants to be 
utilised for house decorating. One thing we noticed 
as especially good was a batch of Begonia Gloire de 
Lorraine in 6o’s and 48’s. The vineries, of which 
there are three,have some very good crops hanging 
in them, the bunches in the early vinery beiDg 
exceptionally fine, and produced on youDg Vines 
which have only been planted a few years. New 
borders have been put in the Peach houses so the 
crop there this year will be light. 
There is a long lean-to Rose house and to judge 
from the healthy and clean appearance of the trees 
they must have made a fine display early in the 
year. 
Mr. Last is not a man to waste an inch of room, 
and in all directions where there is a little space 
to spare he puts in a Tomato plant or something 
equally profitab'e. The beds on the lawn are look- 
Yellow Ground Picotee Glee Maiden. 
ng very gay and show a very good taste in the 
harmonising of colours. In the pleasure ground is 
another covered walk made by Roses in variety, 
Lonicera, Clematis and that pretty bramble, Rubus 
fruticosus fiore pleno. There was also a very tiny 
flowered Rose, much resembling a small Rubus 
flower, bearing the name of white cluster. 
Adjoining the pleasure ground is another kitchen 
garden and some well kept flower borders, of the 
good old style, consisting of all the most handsome 
of the old fashioned flowers as well as many of the 
newer introductions. The Delphiniums at the present 
are the most conspicuous feature. 
The conservatory is arranged in a very artistic 
manner, everything being planted out on rock work. 
Yellow Ground Picotee Daniel Defoe. 
Palms, Ferns and ornamental Begonias are the 
chief subjects used. 
One of the chief crops in the frames is Cyclamen, 
and of the batch of young plants Mr. Last and his 
assistants ought to be proud. Many people throw 
away their old corns, but the old ones are not thrown 
away here; they are well ripened off in the sun and 
then placed in a cool frame with about half an inch 
of finely sifted leaf soil over them. Treated thus 
they soon break into leaf again and Mr. Last assured 
us that they well repaid the trouble bestowed on 
them. 
- . - 
CARNATIONS AT EDENSIDE. 
Those who love Carnations, and those who do not, 
should make a journey to Edenside, Great Book- 
ham, Surrey, where Mr. James Douglas, of Carnation 
and Auricula fame, has got together a magnificent 
collection of Carnations in all the sections, such as 
self and fancy border Carnations, yellow ground 
Picotees, white ground Picotees, show Carnations 
(seifs, bizarres, and flakes), Malmaison Carnations, 
Tree Carnations, and Pinks. The latter, however, 
are not Carnations, though all the others may be 
Pinks (Dianthus). 
Having resolved to see what the Carnations were 
like this year, we journeyed to Bookham by rail on 
Saturday last in such broiling sunshine as London 
had been enjoying all the week. The journey was 
well rewarded, for we never saw the Carnations 
looking finer in their wealth of splendid colours in 
endless variety, and profusion of flowers. Here we 
may state that all of the selected and named 
varieties are grown in pots and flowered under 
glass. This treatment is necessary for the saving 
Yellow Ground Picotee Argosy 
of seed with which Mr. Douglas enables gardeners 
throughout the country to have splendid beds of 
seedlings from his grand strain. There is a planta¬ 
tion of seedlings at Edenside, from seed sown as 
soon as it ripened last year. About 85 to 90 per 
cent, have come double, in all colours, and in great 
profusion as seedlings are wont to be. Many of the 
varieties are quite equal to named ones. 
The collection includes the many grand Carna¬ 
tions belonging to various sections raised either by 
Martin R. Smith, Esq , the celebrated specialist and 
raiser of Carnations at Hayes, or by Mr. Douglas 
himself. Such vigour has been imparted to the 
yellow ground Picotees that they may be grown in 
the open ground, and many growers treat them suc¬ 
cessfully this way. In order to assist our reiders in 
selecting varieties belonging to diflerent sections, we 
shall speak of them separately, though all may be 
looked upon as hardy, and producing such fine and 
vigorous grass for layering as was unknown to Car¬ 
nations before the recent revival of them and the 
production of what are known as 
Border Carnations. 
New Self’s.— The white varieties have a 
tendency to be early flowering, so that most of them 
were over before our visit. The best white, how¬ 
ever, was still in perfection, namely, Ensign, which 
for form, size, perfect calyx, and the rich perfume of 
its flowers beats all of those hitherto produced at 
are several varieties, from the stock of Messrs. 
Carter & Co., High Holborn, London, are a picture, 
being loaded with berries of a wonderfully large size 
and of a good flavour. 
Strawberries were well nigh over, except that 
excellent cropper, Laxton's Latest of All, which bids 
fair to provide a supply for several more weeks. 
As in many other gardens, the Apple crop, taken 
generally, will be below the average, although the 
trees of Blenheims are loaded, and the trees being 
of a great size, there ought not to be a scarcity of 
that fruit for a long time. Along the side of a walk 
are several young trees of an Apple bearing the name 
of Belle de Boskop. Over the good qualities of this 
variety Mr. Last waxed enthusiastic, and says he 
intends to obtain some more of it, for the fruit is a 
a good shape, a good colour, has a good flavour, and 
remains firm until Easter. 
Currants, especially the Reds, are breaking down 
their bushes with the weight of the crop; the same 
thing is happening with the gooseberries. A very 
good way Mr. Last has adopted with this latter 
fruit is growing them as cordons, and a long row 
grown in this manner, although only in the second 
year from cuttings, are laden with fine berries. 
The sweet Cherry crop has been a heavy one and 
to judge from a row of trees on the wall the Morello 
crop will also be heavy. 
In the centre of this garden is a curious old vinery 
but one that contains a very fruitful Vine. Its age 
