tSiipplem  nt  to 
216 
JOUEXAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  15,  1900. 
«:rown  in  the  Orchid  house  proper  or  in  a  structure  devoted  to  stove  or 
greenhouse  plants  or  Ferns.  Cleanliness  of  the  plants  is  of  first 
importance,  and  in  all  cases  it  is  safer  to  keep  them  rather  under  than 
over-potted.  Water  liberally  through  the  medium  of  the  atmosphere, 
but  do  not  overwater  the  roots.  Use  all  composts  of  the  very  best 
description;  it  pays  in  the  end  even  if  the  first  cost  is  higher,  as  it 
is  so  much  better  for  the  plants  and  more  lasting.  Remember  that 
it  is  always  easy  to  retard  a  plant  that  seems  likely  to  be  too  early, 
but  it  is  impossible  to  force  a  cool  house  Orchid  with  any  likelihood  of 
success. — H.  R.  R. 
London  Gardens  over  Fifty  Years. — No.  20. 
Travelling  along  the  Uxbridge  Road,  after  passing  Bayswater 
and  Nottina  Hill,  we  come  to  Shepherd’s  Bush,  and  the  name  makes 
ns  smile.  The  locality  in  1900  does  not  help  us  to  picture  a  shepherd 
sitting  under  a  big  bush  or  tree,  having  a  rest,  perhaps  a  read  or  smoke, 
his  dog  by  his  side,  and  his  flock  quietly  grazing  around.  It  seems  a 
fancy,  yet  something  like  it  was  a  fact  not  so  very  long  ago.  About 
this  district  of  the  suburbs  there  used  to  be  extensive  pasture  lands, 
and  it  had  its  shepherds,  even  as  Netting  Hill  could  show  its  Nut 
copses,  which  suggested  the  idea  that  it  took  its  name  from  them;  but, 
more  probably,  authorities  trace  it  to  the  old  manor  of  Knotting-barnes. 
This  was  standing  at  the  beginning  of  the  century,  being  occupied  as 
a  farm ;  the  public  road  to  Kensal  Green  ran  through  the  farmyard. 
Along  the  meadows  to  the  north  cattle  and  sheep  were  numerous; 
though  scarcely  three  miles  from  London,  says  one,  you  might  have 
fancied  yourself  in  a  sequestered  part  of  the  country.  Few  sounds 
were  to  be  heard  except  the  tinkle  of  the  sheep  bell,  or  the  songs  of  the 
lark,  linnet,  and  nightingale.  But  fifty  years  ago  people  had  discovered 
it  was  more  profitable  to  grow  vegetables  than  to  have  the  land  in 
grass,  and  some  of  it,  too,  began  to  be  built  over.  Wormholt  Scrubs, 
incorrectly  called  “  Wormwood,”  is  an  outlying  portion  of  the  estate, 
still  a  somewhat  wild  tract  of  nearly  200  acres.  Part  has  lor  a  con¬ 
siderable  period  been  devoted  to  State  or  military  purposes ;  a  smaller 
portion  is,  I  believe,  to  be  laid  out  as  a  gaiden  by  the  London  County 
Council. 
Upon  a  plot  of  land  at  Notting  Hill,  which  was  parish  property, 
and  bore  the  name  of  Charecroft,  there  existed  an  old  nursery  which 
I  can  just  remember.  Its  last  occupier,  I  believe,  was  a  Mr.  Middle- 
mist,  and  it  then  bore  the  title  of  “  Cape  Nursery.”  This  was  one 
amongst  others  so-called,  at  a  time  when  South  African  plants  were 
much  sought  after,  and  travellers  wandered  in  quest  of  them  through 
regions  which  now  resound  with  the  tumult  of  war.  From  what  we 
read  descriptive  of  home  life  in  the  districts  colonised  chiefly  by  the 
Dutch,  it  does  not  seem  that  the  modern  Boers  have  inherited  the 
love  of  florists’  flowers  which  was  conspicuous  amongst  their  ancestors 
m  Holland,  and,  indeed,  still  exists  there.  But  there  never  has  bean 
much  about  Notting  Hill  to  interest  gardeners,  excepting,  indecAv 
some  of  the  squares,  which  have  trees  and  shrubs  judiciously 
arranged. 
About  1850  many  were  desirous  of  getting  a  peep  at  the  gardens 
of  Campden  Hill  House ;  so  much  had  been  done  there  within  the  small 
space  of  4  acres  by  the  gardener  to  the  Dowager  Duchess  of  Bedford. 
As  a  matter  of  course,  Holland  House,  on  the  Kensington  side  of  the 
hill,  has  always  had  its  horticultural  memories.  No  longer  can  it  boast 
the  “deep  seclusion,”  which  so  charmed  Walter  Scott.  Part  of  the 
grounds  has  been  cut  off  for  the  erection  of  villas ;  the  residence,  long 
associated  with  the  Holland  family,  is  now  occupied  by  Lady  Ilchester. 
Through  many  years  the  garden  has  been  in  the  charge  of  Mr.  0. 
Dixon. 
Nothing  beyond  a  passing  mention  can  be  made  of  this  historic 
mansion  and  grounds,  which  some  years  ago  served  as  subject  for  a 
spier  didly  illustrated  volume.  There  are  fine  Elms  and  Limes,  also  a 
few  good  Cedars,  but  many  trees  and  shrubs  have  suffered  from  the  fogs 
of  London,  which  often  seem  to  settle  thickly  about  the  locality.  The 
square  used  to  make  a  show  in  summer  with  Oranges  and  other  tender 
trees  which  were  brought  out  of  the  houses  at  that  season.  In  the 
large  conservatory,  which  has  a  banqueting  room  attached,  there  has 
always  been  a  choice  assortment  of  plants ;  the  Orchid  house,  90  feet 
long,  and  the  series  of  forcing-houses  were  indicative  of  wise  selection 
and  skilled  management.  Box  was,  and  is,  much  in  evidence — 
scattered  trees  of  it,  hedges,  edgings;  some  of  the  latter  are  said  to 
have  been  growing  nearly  a  century.  Several  years  ago  it  was  the 
fashion,  along  the  greater  number  of  the  flower  beds,  to  have  the 
plants  all  of  a  dwarf  character,  to  preserve  the  outline.  Now,  however, 
modern  styles  are  mostly  followed.  It  would  indeed  astonish  the 
eighteenth  century  worthies  who  wandered  amid  its  shady  walks  to 
see  tlie  display  of  summer  flowers  at  Holland  House.  The  Dutch 
garden  is  a  choice  r.  lie  of  the  past,  with  its  intricate  pattern  of 
beds,  and  walks  occasionally  loo  narrow  to  be  trodden  separate  some  of 
these.  Letters,  animals,  and  scrolls  come  into  the  design,  while 
angles  exhibit  balls  of  Box  or  Evergreen  Oak.  Many  rare  shrubs  were 
planted  by  Charles  Hamilton,  of  Pain’s  Hill,  who  may  have  been  the 
planner  of  the  circular  rosery. 
Old  Oak  Farm,  lying  north  of  the  road  to  Acton,  seems  to  have 
gone  the  way  of  most  suburban  farms.  Oak  hedges  really  did  bound 
some  of  its  fields,  which  are  rather  unusual  near  London.  The  name 
of  Oaklands  still  remains  attached  to  some  residences.  Evidently 
woods  or  copses  of  Oak  were  common  hereabout,  spurs  thrown  our 
from  the  great  forest  of  Middlesex.  Some  assert,  indeed,  that  Aetjn 
was  originally  “Oak-town.”  Willows  and  Poplars  also  flourish  in 
this  district,  which  was  formerly  crossed  by  various  streamlets 
running  towards  the  Thames.  Even  the  Rose  appears  at  one 
time  to  have  been  freely  grown  on  a  spot  to  the  south  of  the  Acton 
Road,  for  there  was  a  nursery  called  Rose  Gardens  existing  thirty 
years  ago.  Perhaps  Acton  itself  has  its  Roses,  for  there  is  a  Rose- 
mont  Road  there,  in  which  is  the  nursery  of  Mr.  Capper. 
But  this  suburb  has  never  been  so  notable  as  some  are  for  its 
nurseries  and  market  gardens.  One  firm  of  repute  was  that  of  Reeves, 
who  formerly  had  offices  in  Notting  Hill ;  they  were  large  importers 
and  growers  of  bulbs,  Tulips  especially,  their  grounds  being  at  Acton. 
It  is  said  they  sent  out  in  some  years  more  than  150,000  Tulips  alone, 
but  the  business  has  ceased  to  exist.  Reeves’  garden  now  forms  part 
of  Acton  Park  or  recreation  ground,  towards  the  purchase  of  which 
£5000  was  given  by  the  Goldsmiths’  Company.  Laundries  now 
occupy  the  site  of  the  nursery  once  belonging  to  Mr.  Puttick,  and  that 
of  Mr.  Day,  in  Acton  Lane,  towards  Chiswick,  also  that  of  Mr. 
Jennings,  Acton  Green,  while  the  orchards  and  gardens  to  be  seen  at 
South  Acton  twenty  years  ago  have  been  cleared  for  the  builders. 
Towards  Gunnersbury  there  yet  remain  two  or  three  small  nurseries, 
and  Mr.  Morris  still  has,  in  Church  Road,  an  establishment  well  known 
locally.  i 
Probably  in  a  short  time  the  remaining  market  gardens  on  the 
Rothschild  estate  will  disappear,  and  the  few  fields  left  about  Strand- 
on-the-Green  be  covered  with  houses.  To  many  living  at  the  W(  st 
of  London  this  little  suburb  on  the  Thames  is  quite  unknown. 
Gunnersbury  Pf.rk  may  he  considered  secure  from  the  builder;  its 
Oichids  were  oittn  talked  of  at  a  time  when  that  group  had  few 
cultivators.  Visitors  have  also  sought  it  to  see  Kent’s  handiwork, 
who  laid  out  the  pleasure  grounds  in  the  leign  of  George  II.  Then 
its  orangery  was  censidejed  one  of  the  best  in  Britain.  It  had 
besides  a  remarkable  Tulip  Tree,  a  very  large  Magnolia  grandiflora, 
and  two  Tree  Ferns  (I  forgpt  the  species)  of  exceptional  size.  Ttie 
stoves  and  forcing  houses  have  for  almost  a  century  had  a  high  repute. 
Amongst  those  who  represent  horticulture  at  Ealing,  we  are 
tempted  to  put  first  the  name  o'  Mr.  R.  Dean,  V.M.H.,  of  Ranelagh 
Road,  though  we  cannot  ascertain  that  his  is  the  oldest  of  the 
nurseries  in  the  district,  which  are  not  numerous.  About  twenty 
years  ago  somebody  sad  Ranelagh  Road  was  famous  for  Pansies, 
Polyanthuses,  Primulas,  and  choice  Potatoes ;  but  Mr.  Dean  certainly 
takes  a  range  beyond  that  letter  of  the  alphabet !  He  takes  much 
interest  in  the  Dablia  aid  the  Chrysanthemum.  Just  now  he  is 
actively  assisting  the  proiiotion  of  the  Sweet  Pea  bicentenary. 
Concerning  the  Sweet  Pea,  I  note  the  fact  as  singular  that 
Loudon,  in  his  “  Encyclopaedia,”  simply  gives  it  a  place  under  the 
index,  saying  nothing  about  its  culture  or  varieties,  perhaps  thinking 
it  needless.  But  it  has  long  been  a  popular  flower  with  the  Londoner, 
though  now  he  frequently  has  higher  aspirations,  and  seeks  showier 
or  costlier  plants.  In  stme  places  the  Everlasting  Pea  is  the  favourite, 
because  it  flourishes  a:d  spreads  from  year  to  year.  Strolling  with 
a  friend  in  a  rather  populous  suburb  he  called  my  attentioiT  to  a 
shop  window  which  hae  a  bill,  “  Pea  sticks  sold  here.”  “  Whatever 
can  they  want  with  Pa  sticks  hereabout  ?  ”  said  he,  laughing.  Then 
I  explained  that  the  fobs  of  that  district  did  not,  of  course,  grow  the 
edible  Pea,  but  had  a  iride  in  getting  rows  of  Sweet  Peas  along  their 
back  gardens.  Mindfd  of  the  partiality  of  sparrows  for  the  seeds  they 
often  took  the  troube  of  sowing  them  in  pots,  keeping  them  indoors 
till  the  young  plants  tou’d  be  transplanted. 
The  long-standinf  film  of  Messrs.  C.  Lee  &  Son  has  still  a  branch 
at  Ealing,  but  the  'Xtent  of  ground  has  been  diminished  of  late. 
Ealing  Dean  used  todrav  visitors  to  the  grounds  of  Mr.  Smith,  noted 
for  his  Cyclamens,  d  wh  ch  he  sent  out  above  10,000  some  seasons. 
He  had  a  large  horse  devoted  to  Poinsettias,  and  Solanums  were  a 
specialty  ;  he  also  hid  miny  thousands  of  Begonia  weltoniensis,  and 
various  Cinerarias.  Fuchsias,  too,  occupied  an  important  place, 
having  a  large  salt  This  nursery  has,  I  believe,  ceased  to  exist) 
thouoh  a  Mrs.  Smiti  carrhs  on  a  florists’  business  in  Ealing  Broadway. 
In  Matlock  Lane  ve  finl  the  nursery  of  Mr.  Cannon;  and  that  of 
Messrs.  Hart  Brotfirs  is  ir  the  Grove.  Ealing  Park,  well  known  forty 
or  filty  years  ago  on  acount  of  its  extensive  collection  of  plants, 
which  Mrs.  Lawreice,  the  iccupier,  allowed  the  public  to  inspect  once 
a  week  during  the  summe,  has  undergone  changes  since  that  time. 
Its  extent  has  beer  reduced  but  the  market  gardens  and  orchards  of 
the  locality  have  a  yet  resited  the  builder.— J.  R.  S.  C. 
