533 
June  17,  18*7. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
many  plants  in  flower,  while  over  the  gateway  into  the  garden  a- 
splendid  specimen  of  Akebia  quinata  diffused  its  peculiar  fragrance. 
The  two  hedges  of  Berberis  Darwini  on  each  side  of  the  centre  walk  of 
the  kitchen  garden  looked  very  fine,  and  were  a  pleasant  change  from 
the  Arbor  Vilas,  Privet,  or  Yew  hedges  with  which  one  so  commonly 
meets.  Everywhere,  in  beds  and  borders,  there  was  a  tidiness  without 
any  signs  of  stiffness  or  formality,  and  a  freedom  from  weeds  that  speaks 
well  for  the  attention  given  by  the  gardener  and  his  assistants.  The 
vegetable  quarters,  with  their  Potatoes,  Peas,  Beans,  Lettuces,  and 
others,  were  also  in  a  highly  creditable  condition. 
Under  glass  the  Vines  were  the  best  feature,  for  they  are  magnificent. 
From  the  top  of  the  rod  down  to  the  water  pipes  at  the  bottom  there  was 
clean  wood,  stout  leaves,  and  handsome  bunches,  a  state  of  affairs  that 
is  very  different  from  those  vineries  where  the  bottoms  of  the  canes  are 
almost  fruitless.  Mr.  Molyneux  attributes  this  condition  to  a  thorough 
101.— MAGNOLIA  WATSONI.  {See  page  532.) 
groundwoik,  secured  by  taking  the  reds  up  gradually,  thus  securing 
sound  growth  the  whole  length.  Nineteen  years  have  the  Vines  been 
in,  and  they  are  as  good  now  as  they  were  five  years  after  planting.  The 
plants  grown  are  of  various  kinds,  and  include  many.foliage  and  flowering 
ones  that  are  useful  for  decoration  complete  or  in  a  cut  state.  Sweet 
Peas  in  pots  were  producing  numbers  of  perfect  flowers  vieing  with  the 
hundreds  of  Rose  blooms  on  the  roofs  in  spreading  a  delicious  perfume. 
Then  there  are  in  frames  Chrysanthemums  a  la  Molyneux  (which  means 
much),  and  scores  of  other  things  which  cannot  be  mentioned  in  these 
brief  notes.  _ 
Fruit  out  of  doors  at  Swanmore  is  wonderfully  good.  The  walls  are 
all  clothed  with  trees,  but  the  most  interesting  section  is  the  orchards  of 
young  bush  and  standard  trees.  No  one  need  wish  to  see  better  trees 
than  these.  The  wcod  shines  with  the  glow  of  health,  the  branches  are 
i  disposed  so  as  to  admit  light  and  air,  and  the  varieties  are  of  the  best. 
Planting  is  not  done  by  ones  and  twos,  but  by  dozens  and  scores.  There 
are  long  rows  of  Worcester  Pearmain,  Lane’s  Prince  Albert,  Benoni, 
Bramley’s  Seedling,  Warner’s  King,  Lord  Grosvenor,  and  others,  amongst 
which  it  would  be  impossible  to  find  a  really  bad  specimen  of  culture. 
The  roots  are  practically  on  the  surface,  and  a  mulching  of  good  manure 
is  given  every  year.  The  fruits  are  sent  to  various  u  arkets,  where  top 
prices  are  always  secured  simply  because  the  specimens  are  of  the  best 
quality  and  are  marketed  in  a  proper  manner — that  is  to  say,  they  are 
all  graded  before  leaving  Swanmore.  Buyers,  knowing  of  this,  can  rely 
upon  the  sample  being  the  same  in  the  middle  and  at  the  bottom  as  it 
is  at  the  top  of  the  package.  To  these  attentions  to  details  Mr.  Moly¬ 
neux  ascribes  his  success  in  getting  such  excellent  prices. 
Raving  it.  There  were  made  for  one  vehicle  at  a  time  only,  there  being 
steep  banks  on  each  side,  on  to  which  one  is  very  liable  to  be  deposited 
by  the  jolting  of  the  conveyance,  for  be  it  understood  the  roads  are  not 
wood  paved,  any  more  than  they  are  asphalted.  However,  the  ordeal 
is  safely  passed,  and  we  emerge  eventually  into  a  main  road  that  would 
be  no  disgrace  to  Macadam. 
But  the  drive  through  Swanmore  Park  is  better,  for  it  is  smoother 
and  flanked  by  cool  grass,  and  handsome  trees  are  dotted  here  and 
there.  Some  have  felt  the  weight  of  the  storms  of  March  and  been 
blown  to  the  ground,  though  only  a  few  ;  the  majority  bent  no  doubt 
before  the  fury  of  the  gale,  but  withstood  the  onslaught,  and  came 
out  unscathed.  The  creeper-clad  residence  of  Mr.  Myers  is  left  behind,  and 
the  home  of  our  host  is  quickly  reached.  An  old  house  it  undoubtedly  is, 
but  none  the  less  a  comfortable  one,  which  was  thoroughly  oveihauled 
and  made  comfortable  by  an  appreciative  and  generous  employer  when  Mr; 
Molyneux  added  to  his  duties  of  gardener  the  arduous  work  of  steward. 
Though  it  is  not  possible  to  go 
into  details  regarding  the  farm 
work,  we  cannot  refrain  from 
remarking  upon  the  generally 
excellent  condition  of  the  land, 
and  the  way  in  which  it  is  pro¬ 
posed  to  utilise  all  available 
ground  instead  of  wasting  the 
10  or  12  feet  wide  margins  that 
have  hitherto  been  left.  Mr. 
Molyneux’s  education  as  a  gar¬ 
dener  will  doubtless  stand  him 
in  good  stead  as  a  farmer,  for  no 
one  in  the  first  named  capacity 
has  a  better  appreciation  than 
he  of  the  importance  of  the  most 
thorough  cultivation,  and  by  the 
work  which  is  now  being  carried 
out  on  the  farm  it  is  apparent  he 
intends,  so  far  as  is  possible,  to 
extend  those  excellent  principles 
to  that  department  as  well. 
Everyone  who  knows  him,  either 
personally  or  by  reputation,  will 
wish  him  well  in  his  new  duties 
and  those  who  recognise  his 
sound  judgment,  practical  com¬ 
mon  sense,  and  unwavering  deter¬ 
mination  have  little  fear  for  the 
result. 
Returning  now  to  the  horti¬ 
cultural  department,  a  few  word* 
may  be  said  of  the  charming 
Swanmore  House,  on  all  tides  of 
which  creepers  have  been  trained, 
and  the  effect  they  produce 
is  singularly  pleasing.  There 
are  Roses  in  superb  condition, 
Veitch’s  Ampelopsis,  and  many 
other  plants  that  need  not  now 
be  mentioned.  At  the  foot  of 
the  wall  at  one  end  of  the  house 
is  a  splendid  specimen  of  Choisya 
ternata,  a  shrub  which  in  a 
suitable  position  is  wonderfully 
beautiful.  The  smooth  lawns 
around,  the  borders,  the  flowering  and  foliage  shrubs,  all  hear  the 
impress  of  careful  attention.  Many  of  the  trees  are  fine,  especially  a 
very  handsome  Cedar,  while  the  Pyruses,  Magnolias,  are  extremely 
effective.  Another  plant  deserving  of  mention  is  Exochorda  grandiflora, 
which  was  at  the  time  of  this  visit  clothed  with  flowers.  It  is  said  to 
be  shy  in  some  places,  but  it  gives  no  evidence  of  this  at  Swanmore. 
One  of  the  most  interesting  features  of  Swanmore  is  the  system  of 
having  gardens  devoted  almost  exclusively  to  one  kind  of  plant.  For 
instance,  there  is  a  Paeony  garden,  containing  scores  of  the  best  varieties 
in  cultivation,  and  all  in  the  best  of  health,  which  must  produce  a 
glorious  display  when  they  are  in  flower.  The  enclosed  garden,  with  its 
broad  borders  devoted  to  Michaelmas  Daisies,  is  equally  as  complete; 
while  the  newly  formed  Lilium  border  is  no  less  admirable.  The  two 
latter  were  of  course  a  long  way  from  being  at  their  best,  but  it  could 
easily  be  seen  by  the  strong,  clean,  healthy  growths  that  later  on  they 
would  be  worth  a  long  journey  to  see.  Hyacinths,  Tulips,  Crocuses, 
Snowdrops,  and  Narcissi  planted  by  thousands  in  the  grass  are  lovely  in 
tbe  spring  months,  though  but  a  few  Daffodils  remained  at  the  time  of 
this  visit.  Every  season  for  a  leng  term  of  years  bulbs  have  been  planted, 
and  the  system  is  one  that  might  well  be  adopted  in  every  garden  in  the 
country.  Tbe  mowing  of  the  grass  is  of  course  not  commenced  until  the 
last  of  the  foliage  of  the  bulbous  plants  is  dead,  or  practically  so. 
May  cannot  be  termed  the  most  favourable  time  to  see  the  herbaceous 
borders,  the  flower  garden,  or  the  vegetable  departments — their  time  of 
plenty  will  be  later  in  the  year.  The  mixed  borders,  however,  contained 
