May  13,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
An  7 
The  under  glass  plantjdepartment  is  neither  very  extensive  nor  very 
convenient,  but  here  again  the  utmost  advantage  is  taken  of  every  foot 
of  available  space.  To  give  a  list  of  all  the  plants  grown  would  be  a 
wearying  task  to  reader  and  writrr  alike,  for  the  collections  are  mainly 
the  same  in  all  well  furnished  establishments.  The  difference  lies  in  the 
condition  of  the  stock.  In  some  places  it  is  good,  in  others  indifferent, 
and  occasionally  bad,  according  to  the  amount  of  time  and  the  intelli¬ 
gence  that  are  accorded  to  them.  At  Avery  Hill  the  two  predominating 
■characteristics  are  health  and  cleanliness,  simply  because  the  require¬ 
ments  of  the  plants  are  studied  and  steps  are  promptly  taken  iD  case  of 
insect  invasions.  Foliage  plants  for  indoor  decoration  are  extensively 
grown,  as  is  proved  by  the  mat  yhandsome  little  Dracaenas,  Crotons,  and 
Palms  that  are  to 
be  seen.  In  one 
large  span-roofed 
■structure  there 
were  several  Aza¬ 
leas  that  made  a 
brightly  pleasing 
show. 
The  way  the 
frames  are  pressed 
into  service  in 
these  gardens 
shows  to  what 
useful  purposes 
they  may  be  put, 
and  how  valuable 
they  are  to  the 
gardener  who  has 
large  supplies  of 
plants  and  other 
things  to  main¬ 
tain.  Here,  again, 
it  is  not  proposed 
to  enumerate  the 
many  plants  there¬ 
in,  but  specific 
reference  to  the 
C  hrysanthemums 
may  be  made  with 
every  justification. 
There  are  many 
hundreds  of  plants 
both  grown  tor 
exhibition  and  for 
cut  flowers,  and 
all  alike  are  in 
splendid  condi¬ 
tion.  It  would  be 
hazardous  to  ven¬ 
ture  to  predict  as 
to  what  form  they 
will  eventually 
attain,  but  it  is 
certain  that  unless 
something  unfore¬ 
seen  and  uncon¬ 
trollable  occur 
they  will  produce 
flowers  well  worth 
a  journey  to  see, 
especially  as  the 
collection  com¬ 
prises  many  of 
the  best  varieties 
in  cultivation. 
Let  us  turn  into  the  winter  garden,  which  is  a  structure  of 
singular  magnificence,  either  when  regarded  from  the  interior  or  the 
exterior.  No  matter  at  which  door  one  may  enter,  there  rise  before 
huge  Palms,  stately  Bananas,  whose  leaves  hang  over  the  whole  as  a 
canopy  of  green.  Look  at  the  photographic  reproduction  that  is  given 
in  fig.  82,  and  from  it  get  some  slight  idea  as  to  the  plants  that  are  there 
growing.  The  centrepiece  that  may  be  seen  before  you,  and  round 
which  the  paths  diverge  on  each  side,  is  of  rockwork,  built  to  represent 
the  base  of  a  giant  tree  that  ha9  been  hollowed  out.  It  is  planted  with 
Musa  ensete  and  M.  Martensi,  rising  to  a  height  of  about  25  feet,  and 
crowned,  as  it  were,  by  a  central  specimen  of  Cocos  flexuosa,  which, 
towering  up  in  all  the  majesty  of  its  50  feet,  droops  gracefully  over. 
The  groundwork 
of  this  pseudo 
monarch  of  the 
wood  is  Selagi- 
nella  dotted  with 
Begonias,  and 
having  hanging 
over  the  sides  Tra- 
descantia  sebrina 
and  Cissus  dis¬ 
color,  with  Ferns 
peeping  from  the 
crannies  in  the 
bark.  On  each 
side  of  the  path 
are  Musa  paradi- 
sica,  and  the  bulk 
of  the  Palm  leaves 
that  are  visible  in 
the  picture  are 
those  of  Phoenix 
canariensis.  Up 
every  pillar  travel 
either  Passi  flora 
princeps  or  Cissus 
discolor,  and  at 
each  corner  of 
the  beds  is  an 
immense  Olivia, 
with  its  handsome 
leaves  and  orange- 
coloured  flowers. 
E  very  thing  in  here 
is  spotlessly  clean. 
We  will  now 
pass  within  doors 
again,  this  time 
to  see  Vines,  Figs, 
and  Peaches.  Of 
the  former  there 
are  several  house*,  containing  all  the  standard  varieties,  which  are  alike 
in  one  respect  only,  and  that  is  their  general  excellence.  Early  as  it  is 
for  the  Vinaa  at  Avery  Hill,  one  can  readily  see  how  easily  the  grower 
is  master  of  the  cultural  details  that  are  entailed  with  them.  There  is 
nothing  but  clean  straight  rods,  healthy  foliage,  beautiful  laterals,  and 
the  promise  of  bunches  in  abundance.  The  houses  smell  sweet  and 
fresh,  as  vineries  should  do,  and  the  borders  have  been  properly  made. 
One  looks  in  vain  for  insect  or  fungus,  for  Mr.  Abbey  is,  like  his 
father,  “  down  ”  on  anything  that  may  prove  detrimental  to  any  of 
the  plant  life  under  his  charge.  As  there  is  no  orthodox  trellised 
Peach  house  there  are  no  trained  trees  under  glass.  There  are  trees 
all  the  same  that  are  almost  monsters  growing  in  one  of  the  loftiest 
houses,  and  the  gardener  is  so  please!  with  the  manner  in  which 
these  bear,  the  excellence  of  the  flavour  of  the  developed  fruit,  and 
the  handsome  appearance  they  take  on  when  ripe,  that  he  is  perfectly 
in  love  with  them,  and  absolutely  resignei  to  the  absence  of  trained 
specimens. 
Fig.  82.— BANANAS  IN  THE  WINTER  GARDEN. 
No  less  beautiful 
i9  the  rock  fernery, 
and  the  internal 
arrangement  is 
even  more  artistic 
than  is  the  case  in 
the  winter  garden. 
Here  Mr.  Abbey 
showed  his  genius 
in  designing,  for 
he  conducted  the 
whole  of  the  work, 
which  entailed  the 
use  of  upwards  of 
700  tons  of  rock 
and  eement,  which 
was  put  in  place, 
and  the  plants 
inserted,  in  the 
short  space  of  six 
months.  Quick 
work,  indeed,  and 
admirably  exe¬ 
cuted.  The  struc¬ 
ture,  of  which  the 
photo  (fig.  84, 
page  413)  shows 
about  one -third, 
is  80  feet  long,  40  feet  wide,  and  50  feet  high,  and  the  planning  of  the 
rockwork  has  been  done  so  that  no  walls  are  touched,  one  may  conse¬ 
quently  walk  all  round  and  examine  almost  every  individual  plant. 
The  centre  is  a  small  lake,  boasting  a  miniature  island,  and  in  the 
water  there  are  Nymphseas  Laydekeri  rosea,  odorata,  and  others,  with 
Nelumbium  speciosum.  At  the  head  of  the  lake,  looking  from  the  ball¬ 
room  steps,  are  four  small  cascades,  which  make  a  charming  picture, 
but  do  not  appear  in  the  illustration.  Tree  Ferns  are  represented, 
while  about  sixty  choice  species  of  other  Ferns  are  luxuriating  here  and 
there,  other  p’ants  being  added  for  diversity  and  effect.  Health,  grace, 
and  strength  are  conspicuous  features  here. 
We  have  not  mentioned  all  the  plants  and  things  worthy  of  mention 
on  this  estate,  for  there  are  the  Conifers  and  the  orchards  ;  but  we  must 
draw  to  a  close.  We  would,  however,  acknowledge  our  indebtedness  to 
Mr.  Abbey  for  providing  the  photographs,  and  also  for  his  guidance  and 
kindness  on  the  occasion  of  the  visit  to  Avery  Hill. — H.  J.  Weight. 
