288 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  8,  1897. 
with  in  a  similar  way  to  tbe  Shows  and  Fancies  in  the  tables.  In 
the  case  of  the  Cactus,  Decorative  and  Single  varieties,  however, 
the  average  number  of  times  they  were  staged  at  the  last  two 
shows  alone  governs  their  relative  positions  in  the  lists.  Those 
marked  with  aa  asterisk  are  new  sorts,  the  positions  of  which  are 
dependent  upon  the  number  of  times  they  were  shown  at  the  last 
exhibition  only. 
Pompons.  —  G.  Brinckman,  Bacchus,  Tommy  Keith,  Arthur 
West,  Phoebe,  Whisper,  Nerissa,*  E.  F.  Junker,  Captain  Boyton, 
Darkness,  Isabel,  Admiration,  Favourite,  White  Aster  (Guiding 
Star),  Eurydice,  Lilian,  Sunshine,  Mars,  Red  Indian,  and  Grace. 
Cactus. — Matchless,  Lady  Penzance,  Gloriosa,  Bertha  Mawley, 
Earl  of  Pembroke,0  Mr*.  Barnes,'0  Harmony,0  Mrs.  Peart, °  Robert 
Cannell,  Countess  of  Gosford,  Mrs.  Wilson  Noble,0  Juarezii,  Apollo, 
Beatrice,0  Mayor  Haskins,0  and  Mrs.  Gordon  Sloane.° 
Decorative. — Countess  of  Radnor,  St.  Catherine,  Kynerith, 
Harry  Freeman,  Baron  Schroder,  Black  Prince,  Mrs.  Hawkins, 
Countess  of  Pembroke,  Josephine,  and  Millie  Scupham. 
Singles.  —  Victoria,  Phyllis,  Demon,  James  Scobie,  W.  C. 
Harvey,  The  Bride,  Alice  Seale,0  Amos  Perry,  May  Sharpe,0'  Miss 
Glasscock,  Miss  Henshaw,  Mrs.  Parrott,  Northern  Star,  Rosebank 
Cardinal,0  Duchess  of  Fife,  Miss  Roberts,  and  Mrs.  Wythes. — 
E.  M.,  Berkhampsted. 
HORTICULTURAL  HISTORY  NOTES. 
Round  about  Marylebone. 
The  populous  suburb  of  Marylebone  is  generally  regarded  as 
one  comparing  favourably  with  other  suburbs  of  the  British 
capital.  It  has  some  squalid  streets,  it  is  true,  but  on  the  whole 
the  houses  look  out  upon  cheerful  thoroughfares  ;  there  are 
numerous  small  open  spaces,  and  it  has  a  park — largest  of  the 
metropolitan  parks.  One  could  fancy  it  has  yet  traces  of  its  rural 
days,  and  memories  of  the  village  from  which  it  grew.  For  some 
village  or  hamlet  there  was  in  early  times  here,  which  had  its  church 
— named  after  the  “  good  Mary,”  it  has  been  said  ;  but  more  likely 
it  tells  of  the  brook  which  ran  along  the  fields,  and  near  which  was 
St.  Mary-on-the-Bourne.  With  that  freedom  from  precision  which 
characterised  old  English  spelling,  this  name  was  often  written 
“Marybone,”  or  even  “Marrowbone.”  During  the  Tudor  times  it 
was  part  of  the  royal  demesne,  which  extended  from  Westminster 
to  beyond  Hampstead.  Afterwards,  what  is  now  the  Regent’s 
Park,  with  other  land  around,  was  enclosed  as  a  deer  park.  At  the 
end  of  the  great  Civil  War,  this  Marylebone  Park  was  sold,  the 
timber  upon  it  being  reckoned  to  be  worth  £1774— about  an 
eighth  of  the  value  of  the  estate—  and  eventually  the  ground  was 
thrown  open. 
To  the  builder  this  was  not  then  particularly  attractive,  and 
soon  Marylebone  Fields  were  taken  possession  of  by  the  farmers 
and,  market  gardeners  of  last  century  ;  one  of  these,  mentioned  in 
1778,  was  Alsop,  whose  land  lay  between  Oxford  Street  and  the 
modern  park,  where  Portman  Square  and  other  squares  now  stand. 
On  the  north  was  Willan’s  ground,  probably  a  portion  of  the  park, 
and  other  fields  westward.  Towards  Camden  Town  we  read  that 
Arlington  Road  overlooked  in  1814  ground  upon  which  crops  were 
raised  for  the  market.  This  is  now  included  in  the  Regent’s  Park. 
The  cold  nature  of  the  soil  acted  as  a  deterrent  against  the  planting 
of  orchards  about  Marylebone,  and  even  in  raising  vegetables  here 
and  at  Paddington  the  gardeners  had  to  apply  enormous  quantities 
of  manure.  But  of  Paddington’s  1200  acres  only  a  twelfth  was 
cultivated  in  1800,  most  of  the  land  being  grass.  Its  trees  had 
nearly  all  disappeared  by  that  time,  save  a  few  Elms,  Hood’s 
playful  remark  on  “that  bare  wood  St.  John’s”  being  really  true. 
Yet  there  once  was  a  wood  here  belonging  to  the  Knights  of  St. 
John.  They  had  another  at  Highbury,  “little  St.  John’s  Wood.” 
The  arrival  of  inhabitants,  and  the  formation  of  streets,  led  to  the 
planting  of  other  trees  ;  nurserymen  also  found  an  opening  for 
their  business. 
One  of  the  older  and  well-known  nurseries  of  the  district  was 
Guy’s  Nursery,  where  a  number  of  men  were  employed,  the  present 
Lord’s  Cricket  Ground  occupies  part  of  the  land.  Better  known 
still  was  Jenkins’  Nursery,  which  had  the  site  now  occupied  by  the 
Royal  Botanic  Society’s  Gardens,  in  the  inner  circle  of  Regent’s 
Park.  It  was  established  early  in  this  century,  Thomas  Jenkins 
making  a  speciality  of  American  plants  ;  but  he  had  also  numerous 
houses  for  various  exotics,  and  a  portion  of  the  18  or  20  acres  he 
held  was  set  apart  as  a  botanic  garden  on  a  small  scale,  open  by 
subscription,  and  much  patronised.  This  ground  was  remarkable 
for  having  a  gentle  fall  from  the  centre  to  the  sides  ;  there  were 
trees,  fruit  and  ornamental,  though  not  numerous,  and  a  consider¬ 
able  stock  was  transferred  by  this  nurseryman  to  the  Society  when 
it  took  possession  in  1840.  One  of  the  chief  objects  before  it  was 
to  form  botanic  or  ornamental  gardens  in  and  about  London. 
To  those  who  visit  these  gardens  now  there  are  many  evidences 
of  the  skill  shown  by  Mr.  R.  Marnock,  who  was  recommended  by 
J.  C.  Loudon  to  the  Committee,  and  employed  in  laying  out  the 
grounds.  He  formed  a  lake,  contrived  undulations,  and  arranged 
paths,  which  were  so  managed  as  to  make  the  gardens  appear 
extensive  ;  what  trees  could  be  worked  into  the  scene  advan¬ 
tageously  were  left,  and  others  planted  where  required.  Sundry 
changes  have  been  necessary  in  course  of  time,  but  the  beauty  and 
variety  around  us  still  bear  witness  to  the  master  hand  of  the 
planner.  Two  specially  notable  characteristics  were — the  garden, 
arranged  according  to  the  natural  orders,  and  that  illustrating  the 
geographical  distribution  of  plants.  The  great  conservatory,  built 
in  1846  by  Decimus  Burton,  was  not  completed  till  1876.  Exhibi¬ 
tions  were  commenced  in  1853,  also  botanical  lectures  by  Professors 
Forbes  and  Henfrey.  Amongst  the  many  schemes  proposed  in 
„  celebration  of,  Her  Majesty’s  long  reign  I  notice  that  the  Royal 
Botanic  Society  contemplates  the  foundation  of  an  Albert  Institute 
of  Botany,  which  is  likely  to  prove  a  great  encouragement  to  the 
study  of  that  subject 
Going  along  the  Edgeware  Road  towards  Kilburn,  on  arriving 
at  Maida  Hill,  some  twenty  years  ago  we  found  ourselves  passing  a 
cluster  of  nurseries,  reminding  us  of  what  the  King’s  Road,  Chelsea, 
was  in  the  good  old  times  of  George  III.  Pine  Apple  Place  was 
suggested  by  the  celebrated  Pine  Apple  Nursery  of  that  locality, 
long  associated  with  the  name  of  Henderson.  There  was  a  period 
when  Pines  were  grown  in  the  open  air  by  suburban  nurserymen, 
but  this  was  stopped  when  the  increase  of  houses  and  factories 
added  so  much  smoke  to  the  air.  The  precise  date  is  uncertain  ; 
it  seems  to  have  been  near  the  end  of  last  century  that  the  nursery 
was  started  by  Andrew  Henderson.  His  son,  E.  J.  Henderson, 
opened  another  nursery  in  Vine  Place,  and  lived  till  1876,  dying  at 
the  ripe  age  of  ninety-three — one  proof  that  the  profession  of  a 
gardener  is  not  unhealthy.  At  both  places  a  good  business  was 
done — not  only  in  fruit,  but  in  greenhouse  and  garden  plants—  for 
many  years  ;  it  used,  however,  to  be  a  joke  that  the  best  Pines 
came  from  Vine  Place,  and  the  best  Grapes  from  the  Pine  Apple 
Nursery.  About  1830  a  change  was  made,  the  nursery  in*  Vine 
Place  being  shifted  to  the  Wellington  Road.  For  a  short  time  the 
Pine  Apple  Nursery  was  held  by  a  Company,  I  believe.  Various 
improvements  were  carried  out  twenty  years  ago,  and  the  establish¬ 
ment  became  noted  for  its  large  collection  of  ornamental  and  stove 
plants.  Palms  and  Ferns  were  also  a  speciality  here  ;  thousands  of 
such  species  as  Adiantum  farleyense  or  Corypha  australis  have 
been  sent  out  from  St.  John’s  Wood,  far  and  near.  Orchids  have 
been  grown  here,  and  still  are  probably  in  large  numbers,  the  firm 
having  given  its  name  to  Hippeastrum  Hendersoni,  a  handsome 
species,  raised  in  unheated  pits  during  the  summer,  and  which 
flowers  freely  through  the  winter  months. 
Wandering  about  St.  John’s  Wood  several  years  ago,  I  came 
upon  a  nursery  that  was  in  process  of  extinction,  situate  in  the 
Garden  Road,  near  Grove  Road,  but  so  placed,  being  surrounded 
by  lines  of  houses,  that  it  would  have  not  been  easy  to  find  it  if  a 
stranger  to  the  locality.  It  took  my  attention,  because  the  last 
possessor  had  been  a  Mrs.  Ginn,  who  had  apparently  figured  as  a 
nurseryman  before  her  sex  had  begun  to  take  up  this  calling,  which 
now  enrols  not  a  few  women,  and  is  likely  to  attract  more.  No 
doubt,  the  dilapidated  hothouses  and  neglected  fruit  trees  have 
gone  and  left  no  trace.  One  of  the  older  nurseries  of  Maida  Hill 
was  the  Clarendon,  belonging  to  Mr.  Videon,  and  another  rather 
extensive  was  that  of  Mr.  Fairnington,  nurseryman  and  also  land¬ 
scape  gardener. 
The  name  of  Bayswater  has  a  doubly  aquatic  sound,  and 
certainly  in  the  olden  time  it  was  a  place  where  water  abounded. 
Its  springs,  rivulets,  and  ponds  were  numerous  It  even  furnished 
a  supply  to  City  conduits,  conveyed  thither  by  pipes  during  the 
Tudor  and  Stuart  periods.  Like  other  London  suburbs,  this  had 
its  old  mansion,  Westbourne  Place,  built  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VI. 
The  garden  became  noted  for  its  horticultural  excellence  when 
in  the  hands  of  Jukes  Coulson,  about  the  middle  of  last  century. 
Then,  soon  after,  Bayswater  attracted  the  friends  and  customers 
of  Sir  John  Hill  ;  a  medico-botanist  and  quack,  some  have  called 
him,  though  really  he  had  great  abilities,  and  wrote  upon  a  great 
variety  of  subjects.  Loudon  admits  he  helped  to  spread  knowledge 
concerning  the  habits  and  structure  of  plants  ;  indeed  his  place  at 
Bayswater  was  a  sort  of  botanical  garden,  but  he  could  not  make 
it  pay,  and  at  last  it  degraded  into  a  pleasure  ground.  Certainly 
he  did  puff  his  balsam  of  honey,  and  his  essence  of  Waterdock, 
produced  on  the  spot,  but  they  may  have  had  good  qualities.  One 
