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JOURNAL  OF  EORTTOULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
February  4,  1897. 
sent  to  us  to'  be  forwarded.  We  quite  anticipated  the  objection  to  our 
proposal,  which  is  valid,  but  if  it  earned  a  guinea  to  the  charity  few  will 
complain.  It  would  seem  that  oar  friend’s  supplementary  proposal 
does  not  differ  very  materially.  He  had  better  send  bis  guinea,  lest, 
peradventure,  he  should  become  a  medallist  and  then  object  to  pay — 
“  on  principle.”") 
LLANGEDWYN. 
“  Far  from  the  madding  crowd  ”  is  literally  true  of  Llangedwyn, 
one  of  the  Welsh  seats  of  that  illastrious  family — the  Wynns  o*  Wynn- 
stay.  It  is  best  appioached  by  road  from  Oswestry,  a  distance  of  about 
twelve  miles,  and  given  summer  weather  it  is  a  most  enjoyable  drive  ; 
not  so,  however,  in  dry  windy  weather,  for  the  limestone  dust  from  the 
roads  and  the  lime  itself  from  the  numerous  lime  kilns  en  route  combine 
to  prevent  any  undue  gazing  at  the  scenery. 
If  we  digress  slightly  through  a  valley  running  nearly  parallel  with 
the  Vale  of  Llangedwyn  we  are  repaid  by  a  beautiful  panorama  of 
mountain  scenery,  and  whilst  almost  lost  in  admiration  we  come  upon  a 
site  of  an  old  habitation  of  which  hardly  anything  besides  a  mound  and 
a  moat  remain,  denoting  the  once  stronghold  of  the  wise  and  brave  leader 
of  the  “  Cymry  ”  in  the  troublous  times  of  Henry  the  Fourth,  who  him¬ 
self  is  supposed  to  have  set  fire  to  the  above  stronghold  during  the  tem¬ 
porary  absence  of  the  chieftain,  “  O wain  Glyndwr.”  Leaving  “  Lycharth  ” 
and  its  remains  we  cross  the  hill  into  the  Vale  of  Llangedwyn,  and 
quickly  find  ourselves  within  the  beautifully  kept  grounds  of  the  mansion. 
The  Dowager  Lady  Williams-Wynn,  an  enthusiast  in  gardening, 
has  done  great  things  during  her  residence  in  transforming  the  strictly 
formal  garden  into  one  of  the  most  interesting  to  be  found  in-  the 
country,  and  Her  Ladyship’s  good  taste  and  enthusiasm  are  creditably 
reflected  in  the  head  gardener,  Mr.  Squibbs.  who  served  formerly  in  the 
capacity  of  foreman  at  Wynnstav. 
The  fijst  objects  of  admiration  on  approaching  the  grand  entrance 
are  the  stately  Limes,  which  form  an  avenue  leading  to  the  mansion, 
its  only  drawback  being  that  it  is  a  wee  bit  short.  The  church  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  main  road  faces  the  entrance,  and  forms  a  pretty 
picture  as  seen  from  the  house  through  the  avenue.  To  the  left  of  the 
avenue  is  an  extensive  kitchen  garden,  divided  diagonally  by  grass  paths, 
■and  devoted  to  lots  of  choice  flowers,  besides  the  culinary  necessaries.  Roses 
in  abundance,  gems  of  the  herbaceous  families,  of  which  Her  Ladyship 
is  particularly  fond,  Dahlias,  Gladioli,  and  most  other  kinds.  We  noticed 
a  fine  plant  of  Romneya  Coulteri,  the  picture  of  well-doing,  which 
flowers  abundantly  ;  and  the  cream  of  florists’  flowers  might  be  seen 
here  in  all  kinds  of  happy  nooks. 
A  peep  into  the  glass  department  within  the  walls  in  the  summer 
reveals  a  state  of  high-clas9  gardening,  and  if  anything  must  be  specially 
mentioned  it  is  the  splendid  collection  of  tuberous  Begonias,  which 
include  the  most  up-to-date  doubles  and  singles.  We  pass  with  the  bare 
mention  Vines  and  Peaches  with  a  general  verdict  of  excellent,  and 
come  to  a  cool  lean-to  house  devoted  to  Roses — Teas  and  Hybrid  Teas — 
which  are  a  remarkable  success,  and,  as  can  readily  be  imagined,  of 
considerable  value  during  early  spring.  Indeed,  the  Roses  in  and  out¬ 
doors  seem  to  thrive  admirably,  and  whilst  still  under  the  spell  of  those 
in  the  house  referred  to  we  emerge  suddenly  upon  some  veterans  whose 
charms  are  resistless.  Oae  is  a  Rfive  d’Or.  occupying  and  furnishing 
completely  a  high  wall  and  trellis,  about  30  feet  run,  in  the  happiest 
condition,  and  an  equally  good  companion  plant  of  Bouquet  d’Or.  How 
■many  a  gardener  would  delight  in  having  such  a  pair  of  pictures  1 
Within  the  semicircle  where  these  Roses  are,  specimen  Hollies,  beds 
of  Tritomas,  spiendid  masses,  which  are  heavily  mulched  each  autumn, 
with  grand  results  ;  autumn-flowering  Heaths,  used  as  borderings  ;  and 
a  fine  plant  of  Choysia  ternata  were  the  chief  items,  the  latter  indicat¬ 
ing  either  a  greater  hardiness  than  it  is  usually  credited  with— or  a 
better  climate  than  we  would  expect  at  so  high  an  elevation.  Near  us 
is  a  fine  specimen  of  Tulip  Tree,  and  as  we  proceed  we  come  in  sight  of 
some  grand  old  Box  hedges  9  or  10  feet  thick  and  as  much  high. 
We  are  now  on  the  lowest  of  a  series  of  terraces  which  rise  on  the 
naturally  sloping  ground  flanking  the  mansion  to  the  right,  or  the 
opposite  side  from  the  kitchen  gardens.  Each  terrace  has  its  retaining 
wall,  and  these  ate  variously  furnished  with  Apples  and  Pears,  Apricots 
(a  fine  lot  of  trees),  Peaches,  and  Plums.  The  higher  terraces,  which 
comprise  the  flower  gardens,  have  their  supporting  buttresses  clothed 
with  Clematis  in  all  leading  sorts  and  colours — a  very  pleasing  effect 
between  the  fruit  trees.  The  borders  to  the  front  of  these  walls  are  well 
furnished  with  herbaceous  plants,  a  rich  and  varied  collection  ;  plentiful 
use  is  made  of  choice  annuals  also  during  summer,  but  at  no  time  are 
these  borders  dull  and  uninteresting  ;  and  whilst  it  occurs  to  us,  the  beds 
of  Paeonies  which  are  in  season  such  a  feature  here,  we  had  already 
passed  in  the  other  portion  of  the  garden. 
A  platform  at  the  end  of  one  of  the  terraces  enables  us  to  have  a 
splendid  view  of  the  flower  garden,  to  the  back  of  which  a  closely  clipped 
Laurel  hedge  merges  in  the  woodland  ;  a  splendid  Cedrus  atlantica 
stretches  its  limbs  over  a  large  space  of  lawn,  ia  which  formal  beds  of 
the  ordinary  summer  bedding  plants  with  serpentine  and  scroll  beds  are 
well  and  not  too  thickly  arranged.  The  dwelling  itself  is  snugly  clothed 
with  a  variety  of  creepers,  so  that  hardly  room  for  another  is  left  ; 
6tandard-trained  Heliotropes  form  a  sentinel-like  row  next  the  front  of 
the  house,  standing  in  beds,  the  dwarfer  occupants  of  which  for  the 
most  part  are  tuberous  Begonias. 
We  are  sorely  tempted  to  enumerate  and  dwell  on  the  gems  in  the 
herbaceous  borders,  but  they  are  too  numerous,  and  our  scribble  would 
bear  so  much  semblance  to  a  trade  catalogue  ;  so  we  forego  this  pleasure, 
and  hasten  to  prepare  for  our  twelve-miles  drive. — Bradwen. 
DOUBLE  YELLOW  DAFFODILS. 
Daffodils  again  !  It  is  nearly  two  years  since  1  wrote  about  this 
old  Daffodil  for  flowering  from  Christmas  onwards.  With  experience, 
taking  one  season  with  another,  there  is  no  difficulty  in  doing  this,  but 
to  accomplish  it  no  time  must  be  lost  from  the  lifting  of  the  bulbs, 
boxing  them,  and  pushing  them  forward  in  their  various  stages  as  rapidly 
as  possible.  This  year  we  did  not  have  them  in  flower  at  Christmas. 
We  took  things  fairly  easy,  because  we  had  no  need  for  them  at  that 
festive  season,  and  we  had  such  an  abundance  of  Chrysanthemums.  We 
were,  however,  able  to  cut  the  old  double  Daffodil  during  the  early  days 
of  January,  and  had  ample  with  which  to  furnish  a  dinner-table  on  the 
evening  of  the  10th  ult.  for  twenty-four  people.  How  we  manage  these 
Daffodils  may  be  useful  to  others.  I  know  it  will  from  inquiries 
received,  and  therefore  I  will  give  every  detail  of  culture  necessary. 
I  obtain  my  bulbs  from  my  father  in  the  fens  of  Lincolnshire,  where 
the  old  double  “  Daff  ”  is  at  home  and  many  other  kinds  beside.  He 
lifts  my  bulbs  when  the  foliage  is  dying  away,  and  the  leaves  have 
practically  done  their  work,  consequently  a  fortnight  is  saved.  The  bulbs 
are  spread  out  in  the  sun  to  dry,  sorted,  and  dispatched.  I  have  them 
sent  with  the  old  roots  attached,  not  pulled  off.  Perhaps  when  taken 
off  the  bulbs  look  better,  but  it  is  only  a  matter  of  appearance.  By  this 
method  I  have  the  bulbs  before  the  trade  receive  theirs,  and  after  they 
do  receive  them  some  delay  is  occasioned  by  the  further  process  of 
cleaning  and  sorting. 
Directly  the  bulbs  come  to  hand  they  are  turned  out  for  fear  they 
should  become  heated,  and  are  at  once  packed  closely  together  in  boxes. 
The  boxes  are  about  2  feet  long,  1  foot  wide,  and  3  inches  deep.  They 
can  be  any  size.  I  like  them  a  trifle  deeper.  A  little  leaf  mould  or  old 
Mushroom  bed  refuse  is  placed  at  the  base,  then  a  layer,  generally  of  old 
potting  soil.  Any  kind  of  soil  will  do  provided  it  is  fairly  light  and 
rich.  The  boxes  should  be  full  of  soil  well  worked  amongst  the  bulbs 
and  made  firm.  No  water  is  given,  the  soil  must  be  intermediate  for 
moisture  at  the  time  of  boxing. 
After  boxing  they  are  placed  in  a  fairly  cool  place  outside  and 
covered  with  fine  ashes,  a  good  depth,  say  9  inches,  so  that  we  are 
certain  the  soil  in  the  boxes  will  not  become  dry.  They  remain  in  this 
position  for  about  six  weeks,  or  until  the  boxes  are  a  mass  of  roots,  and 
the  tops  have  grown  about  1  inch.  The  next  move  iB  into  a  cold  frame, 
the  lights  closed,  and  a  mat  thrown  over,  admitting  light  gradually. 
They  soon  turn  a  semi-green.  Let  me  here  say  no  water  is  given  in  this 
stage,  not  even  syringing ;  as  a  rule  with  the  shade  and  the  frame 
closed  sufficient  moisture  is  condensed  upon  the  plants  for  their  require¬ 
ments  if  they  stand  upon  a  base  of  ashes.  Cultivators  are  too  fond  of 
pouring  water  into  the  pots  and  boxes  of  bulbs  in  tbeir  early  stages. 
From  this  stage,  that  is,  from  the  time  they  are  semi-green,  two  or 
more  boxes  according  to  requirements  are  removed  from  the  cold  frame. 
Where  they  are  removed  to  is  somewhat  difficult  to  describe,  but  it  is  a 
position  we  have  found  from  experience  to  suit  them  exactly.  The 
house  in  which  they  are  placed  is  a  cool  Carnation  house,  span-roofed, 
and  in  the  centre  the  main  pipes  enter  by  means  of  a  brick  chamber, 
the  end  into  the  house  being  open.  A  little  heat  always  comes  up  in 
this  position,  what  the  temperature  is  I  cannot  say.  The  boxes  are 
stood  on  the  floor  opposite  this  open  chamber,  and  one  side  of  the  boxes 
soon  displays  signs  of  movement,  when  they  are  turned  round  until 
activity  is  visible  over  the  box.  Tnis  is  rather  a  drying  position,  but  the 
boxes  are  not  watered,  only  syringed  twice  daily. 
Some  may  think  we  grow  Daffodils  without  water,  and  thus  attribute 
our  success  ;  such  is  not  the  case.  Our  object  is  to  keep  the  soil  in  which 
they  are  boxed  in  an  intermediate  state  for  moisture  as  long  as  possible, 
and  after  the  flower  buds  are  visible  we  water  freely,  but  resort  to  no 
system  of  feeding  by  means  of  liquid  manure.  If  the  soil  displays  a 
tendency  to  be  dry,  we  give  a  good  soaking  and  then  follow  the  syringing 
process  again.  From  the  floor  of  the  Carnation  house  we  remove  the 
boxes  to  any  house  where  a  genial  temperature  of  about  55°  is  main¬ 
tained,  where  they  remain  until  the  flower  buds  are  visible  all  over  the 
boxes.  From  this  they  are  placed  in  a  temperature  of  65°  to  70°  at 
night.  We  do  not  believe  in  an  excessive  high  night  temperature,  and 
really  prefer  60°  to  65°  to  the  higher  one.  If  wanted  by  a  given  date,  a 
high  temperature  may  be  maintained  with  safety  without  the  fear  of 
many  going  blind — a  few  odd  ones  will  certainly  do  so.  When  open 
we  remove  them  to  cool  quarters  again,  if  only  for  a  day  or  two,  before 
cutting,  which  gives  strength  and  solidity  to  the  stems  and  foliage. 
These  are  the  principles  which  we  follow,  and  a  very  similar  method 
is  adopted  for  early  Tulips — Wm.  Bardney. 
Endive. — The  Endive  is  usually  esteemed  as  a  salad  plant,  but 
some  people  consider  it  too  bitter  for  that  purpose,  and  Professor  Waugh 
states  in  a  late  bulletin  that  it  makes  most  excellent  greens  when 
cooked.  The  variety  known  as  the  Ever  White  Curled  does  not  run 
quickly  to  seed,  and  when  blanched  like  Celery  or  Cos  Lettuce  by  tying 
up  the  leaves  or  drawing  the  soil  up  about  the  plant  it  makes  an  attrac¬ 
tive  salad  plant.  For  eating  cooked,  however,  it  is  best  to  take  the 
plants  when  very  young  before  they  have  time  to  make  heads  and  when 
they  are  in  their  tenderest  stage.  The  seed  can  be  sown  early  in  cold 
frames  or  in  the  open  ground  like  Lettuce,  and  of  course  plants  can  be 
grown  in  from  forty  to  fifty  days  at  any  time  during  the  summer,  but  in 
the  very  hottest  weather  they  are  not  of  the  best  quality.  Autumn- 
grown  plants  can  be  taken  up  with  some  earth  adhering  to  the  roots 
and  stored  in  a  dry  cellar  or  in  a  cold  frame  for  winter  use. — (“  Garden 
and  Forest.”) 
