June  24,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OR  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
557 
covered  with  Cobaea,  which  depend  to  within  a  few  feet  of  the  paths  in 
festoons,  producing  a  light  and  graceful  effect.  The  Cobaea  is  only 
temporary,  and  was  planted  with  a  view  of  hiding  the  girders  as  soon 
as  possible,  and  it  in  time  will  give  way  to  more  ornamental  and  useful 
climbers.  On  the  south  side  are  Allamandas  Schotti,  nobilis,  and 
Williamsi,  and  the  north  side,  against  rather  a  high  wall,  Bambusas  nigra 
and  aurea  are  planted.  These  come  in  most  useful  for  decoration,  as  they 
can  be  used  in  so  many  ways  in  large  plumes  in  positions  where  it  is 
impossible  to  introduce  pot  plants,  with  peculiarly  graceful  effect. 
Conspicuous  in  this  house,  and  giving  a  fine  tropical  effect,  are 
magnificent  plants  of  the  Musa  paradisaica  and  sapienta,  25  feet  high, 
although  only  planted  ten  months  ago.  All  the  best  Palms  for  furnish¬ 
ing  purposes  are  growing  luxuriantly,  ranging  from  a  small  size  to 
giants  of  20  feet,  and  include  Kentias,  Cocos  plumosa  and  flexuosa, 
Seaforthias,  Phoenix  in  variety,  Thrinax  elegans,  and  Arecas.  All 
these  will  in  a  short  time  be  conveyed  to  Buckingham  Palace  for 
the  garden  party  deco¬ 
rations  in  honour  of 
her  Majesty’s  Diamond 
Jubilee.  A  special  train 
is  engaged  to  carry  the 
plants  and  flowers  re¬ 
quired  on  this  and  similar 
State  occasions. 
Leaving  the  Palm 
house  we  come  to  the 
Musa  house,  80  feet  by 
20  feet,  span  -  roofed, 
in  two  divisions,  one 
planted  and  now  fruited 
with  Musa  Cavendishi 
for  dessert.  The  side 
stages  are  filled  with 
Pancratiums,  Eucharis, 
and  HymenocalliB.  The 
other  division  is  used  for 
forcing  Lilacs,  Azaleas, 
and  other  shrubs  during 
the  winter  and  spring 
months,  now  filled  with 
Gloxinias  advancing  to 
bloom.  It  is  pleasing 
to  ■  see  that  show  and 
decorative  Pelargoniums 
are  not,  as  in  many 
gardens,  overlooked.  A 
house  80  feet  by  12  is 
filled  with  sturdy  plants 
in  bloom,  and  consisting 
of  all  the  best  varieties. 
Behind  this  is  a  house 
the  same  size  facing 
north,  and  is  filled  with 
Liliums  Harrisi,  longifolium,  and  speciosum,  Arums,  Hydrangeas,  and 
white  Pelargoniums. 
Other  Structures. 
We  have  only  time  to  merely  glance  at  the  propagating  house, 
Azalea  house,  pits  full  of  Coelogynes,  Cypripedium  insigne  in  quantity  ; 
others  with  Fuchsias,  Begonias,  Kalosanthes,  Poinsettias,  variegated 
Eulalias  and  Chrysanthemums  (2500  grown).  Further  on  is  a  bouse 
containing  a  fine  lot  of  Caladiums  in  small  pots  used  for  the  margins  of 
groups,  many  hundreds  of  the  dainty  argyrites,  and  the  richer  C.  minus 
erubescens,  besides  hosts  of  Pileas  and  other  dwarf  plants  for  the  same 
purpose.  Next  comes  a  fernery  80  feet  by  12.  This  is  filled  with  useful 
medium  sized  plants  of  Adiantums  in  variety,  Pteris,  and  other  decora¬ 
tive  kindB.  The  roof  of  this  house  is  covered  with  Clerodendron  Thom- 
soni  just  coming  in  bloom.  The  plants  are  in  pots,  and  are  frequently 
used  for  indoor  decoration,  as  they  show  to  advantage  when  placed  in 
climbing  positions  round  windows  and  fireplaces. 
To  give  an  idea  of  the  cut  flowers  supplied  from  the  Royal  Gardens, 
it  may  be  stated  that  3304  boxes  of  them  were  supplied  last  year,  and 
tbis  does  not  include  wreaths,  crosses,  bouquets  and  buttonholes,  which 
are  in  constant  demand. 
The  foregoing  are  the  main  features  in  the  principal  houses  devoted 
to  plant  culture,  but  by  no  means  exhaust  the  list.  Many  of  the  fruit 
houses  are  made  to  do  duty  for  plants  from  time  to  time,  as  we  noticed 
in  passing  that  the  floor  of  one  Peach  house  was  filled  with  strong 
plants  of  Lilium  Kraetzeri  coming  into  bloom,  another  with  Francoas, 
another  with  Campanulas,  and  so  on,  for  no  space  is  wasted  anywhere 
that  can  be  turned  to  account,  while  none  is  mis-used  by  being  crowded 
with  useless  plants,  and  it  must  be  said  that  throughout  the  department 
cleanliness  and  order  rule  supreme. 
HARDY  FRUIT. 
As  might  be  expected,  this  is  a  most  important  division  of  the  Royal 
Gardens.  It  is  entrusted  to  a  responsible  foreman,  with  ten  men  under 
him,  wall  fruit  occupying  the  greatest  share  of  attention.  The  total 
length  of  the  garden  walls  are  two  miles  and  200  yards,  nearly  all 
occupied  with  trained  trees  of  one  sort  or  another.  Of  late  years  several 
large  old  fan-shaped  trees  that  produced  little  beyond  wood  and  leaves  have 
been  gradually  removed,  and  their  places  occupied  by  young  treea  under 
different  forms  of  training — fan  and  horizontal,  single  and  double 
cordon — which  bear  the 
best  of  fruit. 
As  showing  the  extent 
of  12  feet  walls  occupied 
by  the  different  kinds  of 
fruit,  it  may  be  said  that 
a  length  of  about  200 
yards  is  devoted  to 
Apricots,  750  to  Cher¬ 
ries,  500  to  Peaches,  and 
155  to  Nectarines,  nearly 
1000  yards  to  Plums,  and 
1100  yards  to  Pears. 
In  the  open  are  ave¬ 
nues  of  standard  Apples 
and  Pears,  which  have 
evidently  been  long  es¬ 
tablished,  with  other 
avenues,  more  modern, 
of  pyramids  and  bushes 
— not  closely  restricted, 
but  freely  grown,  and 
real  fruit  producers.  A 
practical  point  in  con¬ 
nection  with  these  trees, 
and  there  are  many  hun¬ 
dreds,  is  that  the  summer 
shoots  are  not  “  pinched 
to  four  or  six  leaves,  and 
the  resulting  growths  to 
one  leaf  as  made,”  and 
so  on  throughout  the 
season.  The  work  would 
never  be  done,  and  be¬ 
sides  close  pinching  is 
not  needed  with  such 
trees,  for  this  very  good 
reason,  that  all  the  main  branches  are  so  far  apart,  that  there  iB  never  any 
crowding  of  the  foliage.  One  summer  pruning  is  all  the  trees  have,  if  thatt 
and  the  branches  are  studded  with  spurs,  followed  by  ropes  of  fruit 
when  the  blossoms  escape  the  frosts  of  spring.  Most  of  the  branches  are 
2  feet  apart,  some  more,  and  the  heavy  crops  of  fruit  keep  the  growths 
in  subjection.  Brief  reference  may  be  made  to  the  kinds  and  varieties  of 
fruit  grown  in  the  Royal  Gardens  appending  the  actual  results. 
Peaches,  Nectarines,  and  Apricots. 
These  are  protected  from  spring  frost  by  canvas  blinds  fixed  to  the 
top  of  the  wall,  and  worked  by  pulleys.  The  trees  are  pictures  of 
health,  and  the  crops  full ;  indeed,  they  seldom  if  ever  fail. 
Peaches  are  grown  to  the  number  of  twenty-four  varieties,  the 
following  succeeding  the  best,  and  provide  a  continuous  supply  the 
season  through — Alexander,  Waterloo,  Crimson  Galande,  Alexandra 
Noblesse,  Stirling  Castle,  Grosse  Mignonne,  Bellegarde,  Violette  H&tive, 
Walburton  Admirable,  and  Barrington.  Nectarines. — Early  Rivers, 
Lord  Napier,  Pineapple,  Victoria,  and  Elruge.  Apricots. — Frogmore 
Early,  Moorpark,  Shipley’s,  Hemskerk,  and  Royal. 
Cherries. 
Cherries,  as  previously  stated,  being  one  of  her  Majesty’s  favourite 
fruits,  receive  a  great  deal  of  attention.  Besides  the  great  length  of 
wall  accorded  the  trees  a  square  is  devoted  to  them,  having  framework 
