December 12, 1903. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
102? 
in the same size of pot if possible. Nectarine Cardinal is 
the first to ripen its fruits, and these are followed ten days 
later by Early Rivers. 
The early Fig house was closed on November 1st, and ripe* 
fruits are expected in February. The variety employed for 
this purpose is St. John, as it is the most used to force. Other 
houses keep up a supply in succession, so that from December 
to February is the only period of the year when fresh ripe Figs 
are not obtainable at Gunnersbury House. Cucumber’s are 
grown on the front of the early house. 
The old Nectarine, Lord Napier, is still in splendid form, 
and produces about 400 fruits annually. This it has done for 
the last six or seven years. The tree is twenty-five years old, 
and very worthily occiqriesi the whole of a house of moderate 
size. Bananas in what used to be the conservatory have made 
splendid growth, fruiting well. Late Grapes in the vinery 
close by consist of Lady Downes, Appley Towers', and Alicante. 
Wall Gardening.—During the past few years a very interest¬ 
ing piece of wall gardening has been instituted at Gunners¬ 
bury House, and, although we were too late to see it in its best 
form, we may still refer to the general features. The wall is 
built hollow, and contains soil in the interior-, with numerous 
niches on the side and top for the growth of plants. A spiral 
staircase in a tower enables the visitor to ascend, so that he 
can look down on the top of the wall. Many of the thino-s 
were growing very luxuriantly, and interesting were such as 
Wallflowers, Snapdragons., Ivy-leaved Toad Flax, Cistus in- 
canus, and other rock Roses, as well as Convolvulus maurita- 
nicus. The latter may not be quite hardy, but all the previous 
ones are wall plants in the truest sense. Other plants that do 
well in the summer are Aloes, Portulaccas, Mesembryanthe- 
mum roseum, which was still in full bloom, and M. edule, which 
lives outside in this situation. The very pretty Pelargonium 
endlicherianum has been out here for eighteen months. Several 
Roses, including R. wichuriana, make splendid growth when 
planted on the top of the wall. Another excellent wall plant 
is Androsace Leichtlinii, which has larger flowers than A. 
lanuginosa. 
Bamboo Garden.—This is situated near the largest pond in 
the grounds, and contains some splendid specimens of Bamboos. 
Lilies were a great feature of it in October, including Lilium 
tigrinum Fortunei, about 5 ft. or 6 ft. high, and flowering 
splendidly. Another handsome type was L. auratum Tashiroi, 
something in the style of L. a. pl||yphyllum, but much more 
conspicuously spotted, being, in fact, a, dwarf and very 
vigorous growing form of the typical L. auratum, with a won¬ 
derfully strong constitution. A splendid Bamboo, at present 
but little known, is Arundinaria fastuosa., which is going to 
beat the better known A. Sirnoni, a.s it. is sturdier and much 
more leafy, making a graceful and magnificent plant. Phyl- 
lostachys Castillonis has also done splendidly here. 
In the Japanese garden, recently made', were splendidly 
grown bushes of Bamboo., including Phyllostachys Heoonis, 
the dwarf and spreading P. flexuosa. and Arundinaria Sirnoni. 
In another part of the garden Lobelia Carmine Gem had 
made splendid growth. Japanese Maples were notable for their 
shades of crimson, red, yellow, and bronze, the darker colours 
being even more intensified than in spring. A fine bush of 
Phyllostachys nigra, by the big pond, with its plumy light 
green leaves, made a beautiful contrast against, a Cedar and 
Araucaria imbricata. 
In one of the flower gardens we noted Gladiolus Canary Bird, 
with pale yellow flowers, still flowering freely. In some of the 
beds Lilium longiflorum Harrisi, from retarded bulbs, served 
to keep up an autumn display in company with Lilium auratum, 
of which something like a thousand bulbs are grown. Besides 
the foams which we have already mentioned, a. very fine lot. 
of L. auratum platyphyllum bloomed in the Japanese garden. 
Our illustration represents a plant of this fine variety in bloom 
then. The characteristic features of it are the very broad 
leaves, the large flowers, with broad segments of a pale creamy- 
white, with a golden ray, and finely spotted with crimson. 
Chrysanthemums with large blooms are chiefly grown for the 
Japanese garden, and a display was kept up for seven weeks. 
Soled d’Octobre was still in splendid condition on October 
24th, notwithstanding the rough weather we had had. 
Some very fine shrubby Veronicas., varieties of V. speciosa, 
were grown here, including V. La Seduisante, rich purple, and 
grown in the form of standards ; Diamant and La Merveilleuse, 
light purple, and flowering veiy profusely, like the rest. 
Roof Gardening.—The first of our illustrations represents a 
wing of Gunnersbury House, the front of which is completely 
draped with the flowering stems of Tropaeolum Ball of Fire, 
hanging more than half-way down over the windows, while the 
roof itself was completely covered with Salvia splendens nana. 
Both of these subjects were in full bloom on October 24th, and 
for some time afterwards, so that the effect of the brilliant 
scarlet all over the side and top of the house at that period of 
the year can be better imagined t.lian described. The second 
view only shows the Tropa.eolum hanging down the sides, with 
a little of the roof flowers at one corner. This is a phase of 
gardening which is seldom seen, and is here carried out. very 
Lilium auratum platyphyllum. 
handsomely. We feel we cannot do justice to all these types 
of gardening in the space .at command, but they serve to show 
how- Mr. Leopold de Rothschild encourages gardening in every 
conceivable form, both at that, and other of his seats. 
We intend illustrating another uncommon phase of garden¬ 
ing here on some future occasion. 
On the north front of the house was a collection of all lead¬ 
ing varieties of Cactus Dahlias wdiich bloom till a late period. 
The herbaceous border in this neighbourhood contained a great 
variety of useful subjects grown in masses of a colour. 
Amongst other things is a fine collection of varieties of 
Anemone japqnica, one of the best, of which was A. j. Queen 
Charlotte, with semi-double rosy flowers of great substance. 
The dying leaves of Kochia, scoparia were as red as those of a 
Celosia. 
The Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution.— We are 
pleased to announce that the annual festival dinner in aid of 
the funds of this institution will be held at the Hotel Metropole, 
London, in June next, when Harry J. Veitch, Esq., the 
treasurer, will preside, and the exact date will be announced 
shortly. 
