1040 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
December 24, 1904. 
which it has been the writer ’s privilege to see. Then we must 
not omit a truly deserved passing reference to Knebwortli 
House (originally built in 1563), the seat of the Earl of Lytton, 
famous for its extensive gardens and noble deer park of 156 
acres. It would, indeed, be a gross omission in these preliminary 
remarks not to allude to what will always make Hertfordshire 
famous—historic Hatfield House—where is still to be seen the 
fine old Oak—now fenced in—under which Queen Elizabeth is 
said to have been when the news of her accession was brought 
to her in 1558. As is universally known, this is Lord Salis¬ 
bury’s magnificent abode, and the largest seat in the shire, 
with its beautifully undulating park of 1,300 acres in extent, 
with a circumference of some 7 miles, finely wooded and well 
stocked with deer. It has been my great pleasure, in days 
gone by, to visit this notable establishment, guided by its well- 
known and capable horticultural chief, Mr. George Norman, 
Y.M.H. To return to my subject. 
Cassiobury. 
This, which adjoins Lord Clarendon's fine place, is said to 
have been the residence of the Kings of Mercia, was the 
property of the Morrisons, from whom it passed by marriage to 
Arthur Capell, created, August 6th, 1641, Baron Capell of Little 
Hadham in this county, and beheaded in Old Palace Yard 
March 9th, 1648, for his adherence to Charles I. His son, 
first Earl of Essex, imprisoned in the Tower on a charge of 
complicity in the Eye House Plot, was found dead in his cell. 
The mansion, now the seat of his descendant, the Earl of Essex, 
is an embattled Gothic building of red brick erected in 1800 
from the design of James Wyatt ; it surrounds a square court- 
yard, and contains some exquisite carvings by Giinling 
Gibbons, a collection of fine pictures and an extensive library. 
Among the relics preserved here is the handkerchief, still 
stained with blood, with which Thoma^ Coningsby, Esq. (an 
ancestor of the present earl), and afterwards created Baron 
Coningsby, staunched the wound of William III. at the Battle 
of the Boyne, July 1st, 1690. There are also memorials of 
Charles I. 
The park and grounds, containing about 670 acres, are 
watered by the River Gade, and adorned with a wealth of 
fine Fir trees and immense Beeches. The estate, too, is noted 
for its fine Cedars and Elms. The well-planted pleasure 
grounds are some 20 acres in extent. Here Cedars of Lebanon 
are a fine feature. A Bay tree some 40 ft. in height on the 
lawn derives interest from the fact that it is from a cutting 
brought from Rome, and on some stonework surrounding it is 
an inscription giving all particulars as to this interesting and 
thriving tree. Another most interesting feature is the Swiss 
cottage, an old-fashioned structure where a former Earl of 
Essex kept many rare curios. 
Coming to the gardens proper—of course, a week’s frost 
previous to my visit had put an end to the lingering colours of 
a late autumn—the kitchen garden, some 3 acres in extent, is 
well tended, containing the crops usually to be found at this 
season of the year in such an establishment, the Potatos being 
grown on the home farm. Apples from bush trees have been 
a good average crop. Pears under average. A general col¬ 
lection of the golden flower—the Chrysanthemum—for de¬ 
corative purposes was well grown. 
The conservatory is devoted to the culture of fine Palms and 
stove plants. A fine lot of Malmaison Carnations was noted. 
Tree Carnation Mrs. Leo. de Rothschild well deserves a passing 
note. 
A good batch of the old but useful Richardia africana is 
worthy of mention, as also is a fine lot of Lily of the Valley, 
Some fine Muscat of Alexandria Grapes—the sort principally 
relied on—must not be omitted. 
Peaches, Nectarines and Figs have produced good crops. 
Melons, Cucumbers and Tomatos are largely in request, the 
favourite Tomato grown being that named Up-to-Date. A 
Mushroom house furnishes a note on this delicious esculent. 
Well worth mentioning are some splendid specimens, over 8 ft, 
high, in tubs, of Lippia citriodora. On the front lawn, by the 
side of the lake, the surface of which is all aglow with Water 
Lilies when in flower in their season, is a sundial with Roman 
letters in Box edging. 
It now only remains for me to add—and that with much 
pleasure—a well-merited word of praise to Mr. Deane, the 
capable head gardener, for his courtesy to me on a brief visit 
to this truly historic and famous establishment. J. B. 
Letters to the Editor. 
Autumn and Winter Tints in America. 
To the Editor of The Gardening World. 
Sir,—I was much interested in your article, “ Autumn and 
Winter Tints,” in the issue of November 19th, as this subject 
does not receive the attention it merits from gardeners in 
England. No lover of nature who visits North America in 
October can leave without a desire to produce around our own 
homes in England some of the brilliant autumn effects seen in 
the forests and parks of that country. To see that this can be 
done to some extent, even under the dull skies of England, one 
has but to walk through the arboretum.at Kew, where early 
in the autumn of 1903 I saw some beautiful foliage effects, 
notably in a clump of Ribes. One of the most beautiful of 
North American trees, and one but little brown in Britain, is 
the Tupelo or Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica). The Tupelo will 
grow either in wet or dry situations, but the best specimens I 
have yet seen were growing on high grounds near Evansville, 
Indiana, In October the female trees were hanging thicklv 
with their pendant bluish-black fruits, which in addition to 
the dark crimson leaves gave the tree a highly ornamental 
appearance. The Black Gum, like the Sweet Gum (Liquid- 
ambar styraciflua) is somewhat difficult to transplant, which 
may account for its scarcity in cultivation. 
Another very beautiful tree at this season is the common 
Sassafras, remarkable alike for the brilliance and variety of 
colour (ranging from bright red to yellow) and diverse shapes 
of the leaves. It is of easy cultivation, and may be propagated 
either by seeds or suckers. The scent of the Sassafras is said 
to have been the first sign which Columbus had of his approach 
to land on his first visit to America. Thos. W. Brown. 
Pure Cane Sugar Jams and Preseives. 
To the Editor of The Gardening World. 
Sir,—We beg to thank you for the notice of our exhibit at 
the Royal Horticultural Show of jams, but have to request 
the favour of making a small correction,'but which, by reason 
of special circumstances, is quite vital to us. 
In the notice page 1030 of yours of this date the name is 
given as T. C. “Shaw” instead of T. C. Shore. In the 
ordinary way this would be a matter of small moment, but 
it happens that our nearest neighbour is a “Shaw,” and the 
similarity has given rise to some friction, to prevent which, 
as far as possible, we ask the insertion of this note. Thanking 
you in anticipation, T. C. Shore. 
Fruit for Port Arthur. —It is well known that John 
Chinaman proves a good gardener in various parts of the world 
in competition with the colonists of other nations. He is also 
a fearless sailor and fisherman, and during the present war 
he lias found it sufficiently tempting to run the blockade with 
cargoes of fresh provisions, vegetables, and fruit. This he is 
able to do owing to his sailing junk being built very low in the 
water. 
Mistletoe and Holly. —It is said that these Christmas and 
winter decorations will be plentiful and cheap this year. For¬ 
merly a considerable quantity of Mistletoe was obtained from 
Hereford, but the growers of’ fruit trees there seem to think 
that good fruit pays better than Mistletoe. At present the 
supplies come mostly from France, where it is still plentiful. 
For some years past considerable quantities of it in the orchards 
of Normandy have been destroyed, as the demand was not equal 
to the produce. 
