JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
June  24,  189?. 
562 
The  chief  object  of  our  visit  was  the  Vine.  Some  few  years  had 
elapsed  since  the  previous  inspection  by  the  writer,  and  it  was  thought 
then  with  regret  that  it  betrayed  symptoms  of  weakness,  as  undoubtedly 
it  did,  and  when  an  ancient  Vine  like  this  takes  a  wrong  turn  it  is  no 
easy  task  to  effect  any  material  invigoration.  It  was  with  some  surprise 
then  and  much  gratification  that  the  Vine  was  found  to  be  in  unmis- 
takeably  better  condition  than  it  was  several  years  ago,  The  bearing 
wood  is  stronger,  the  leaves  larger,  and  the  bunches  finer  than  was  the 
case  then,  and  the  whole  Vine,  save  its  massive  stem,  has  a  distinctly 
younger  appearance. 
In  an  attractive  little  souvenir  of  the  old  Vine,  dated  August,  1894, 
but  minus  the  name  of  the  author,  though  we  suspect  his  initials  are 
“  0.  T.,”  it  is  stated  the  Vine  was  planted  in  the  reign  of  his  Majesty 
King  George  III.,  and  it  is  therefore  129  years  old.  The  girth  of  the 
stem,  when  measured  for  the  purpose  of  the  souvenir,  was  3^  feet,  the 
branches  covering  an  area  of  2200  feet,  much  less,  it  will  be  seen,  than 
the  Cumberland  Lodge  Vine,  which  it  is  supposed  is  an  extension  of 
this  at  Hampton  Court,  as  furnishing  the  cutting  from  which  the 
greater  giant  was  raised. 
The  Vine  is  said  to  have  produced  (by  dangerous  overcropping  in 
the  past)  80,000  lbs.  of  Grapes,  and  surely  then,  having  done  so  much 
and  for  so  long,  it  ought  not  to  be  overpressed  in  its  old  age.  It  will 
not  be. 
The  old  Vine  is  cherished  by  its  Royal  owner,  the  chief  gardener,  his 
trusty  assistant,  and  by  the  public.  The  attendant  thinks  it  has  a  long 
and  fruitful  career  before  it,  because  the  laterals  now  “  bulb  up  ”  so 
well  near  the  base — an  observation  not  often  heard,  but  all  the  same, 
with  something  in  it. 
We  should  like  to  say  more  about  Hampton  Court  and  the  Queen’s 
300-years-old  Orange  trees,  also  to  explode  a  popular  fallacy,  for  the 
circulation  of  which  Mr.  Graham  is  largely  responsible  through  his 
“  Guide  ” — namely,  that  the  interesting  old  Dutch  gardens  were  laid 
out  by  Loudon  and  Wise.  Mr.  Wise  was  taken  as  a  partner  in  the 
Brompton  Nursery  in  1694,  while  Mr.  Loudon  was  not  born  till  1782. 
The  gardens  were  laid  out  by  London  and  Wise,  who  were  partners,  and 
both  of  them  Royal  gardeners  ;  but  the  allotted  space  is  filled,  and  the 
subject  cannot  be  pursued. 
THE  STAFF  OF  THE  ROYAL  GARDENS. 
For  the  management  of  all  the  foregoing  gardens  and  pleasure 
grounds  of  the  Queen — the  trees,  the  drives,  and  the  supplies  of  all 
kinds — Mr.  Owen  Thomas  (fig.  124,  page  574)  is  responsible,  his  staff 
numbering  from  125  to  130  men.  For  the  purpose  of  effective  working 
there  are  departmental  foremen,  each  having  his  staff  of  men,  who 
are  responsible  to  the  head  gardened  who  speaks  in  high  terms  of 
the  ability  of  his  experienced  coadjutors. 
The  kitchen  garden  at  Frogmore  is  in  charge  of  Mr.  Chas.  Marr, 
who  has  held  the  position  for  upwards  of  fifty  years. 
The  plant  department  is  iu  the  charge  of  Mr.  T.  Edwards,  who  has 
held  the  position  for  upwards  of  twenty-four  years,  and  who  also  assists 
Mr.  Thomas  with  office  work. 
The  fruit  under  glass  is  in  the  charge  of  Mr.  J.  Dunn,  who  counts 
about  fourteen  years’  service. 
Hardy  fruit  is  under  Mr.  J.  Brown,  also  about  fourteen  years’  service. 
Frogmore  House  Grounds,  until  recently,  were  under  Mr.  J.  Cruick- 
shank,  who  had  worked  in  the  Royal  Gardens  for  fifty  years,  and  since 
his  death  have  been  in  the  charge  of  Mr.  Barker. 
The  Castle  gardens  and  Blopes  are  in  the  charge  of  Mr.  J.  Chennell, 
who  has  close  on  forty  years’  service  to  his  credit. 
The  roads  and  plantations  are  under  Mr.  J.  Hampton,  of  about  forty- 
five  years’  service. 
The  Royal  Lodge  gardens  have  been  in  the  charge  of  Mr.  J.  Green  for 
about  four  years  ;  Hampton  Court  private  garden  and  the  old  Vine 
under  Mr.  J.  Jack  for  fourteen  years  ;  and  the  Royal  Pavilion,  Aider- 
shot,  under  Mr.  J.  Carruthers  for  thirteen  years. 
All  the  foremen  have  excellent  cottages  and  gardens  round  them, 
and  all  live  within  easy  distance  of  their  work.  If  through  long 
years  of  service  any  of  the  men  are  incapacitated,  a  provision  is 
provided  for  them  for  the  rest  of  their  lives.  Their  wages  are  not 
stopped  through  any  temporary  illness,  and  altogether  every  con¬ 
sideration  is  shown  to  them. 
All  constructive  work  and  repairs  in  the  Royal  Gardens  are  carried 
out  by  her  Majesty’s  Office  of  Works,  including  all  boilers,  of  which 
there  are  twenty-six. 
In  a  large  establishment  like  this,  with  the  various  departments  in 
the  Castle  to  supply,  it  is  evident  that  business  must  be  conducted  in  a 
systematic  manner,  first  to  provide  and  then  to  insure  the  safe  and 
punctual  delivery  of  goods,  and  to  avoid  confusion.  Every  article  that 
leaves  the  garden,  whether  in  the  form  of  2  or  3  tons  of  Potatoes,  a 
bunch  of  herbs,  a  bouquet,  or  anything  else,  is  entered  in  a  day  book, 
and  charged  at  market  prices,  a  list  showing  quantity  and  weight 
being  sent  to  the  heads  of  departments  concerned  every  day  ;  also  a 
similar  list,  giving  the  daily  total  supplied,  to  the  Master  of  the  Queen  s 
Household. 
A  monthly  statement  is  sent  to  the  Board  of  Green  Cloth,  also 
quarterly  returns  and  balance-sheet,  showing  every  item  bought  for  the 
different  departments  under  the  head  gardener’s  superintendence,  and 
the  value  of  produce  supplied  for  the  corresponding  period.  The  Royal 
Gardens,  which  are  in  splendid  condition  throughout,  are  in  the  depart¬ 
ment  of  the  Lord  Steward  of  her  Majesty’s  Household. 
The  illustrations  of  subjects  represented  in  the  Royal  Gardens  of 
Windsor  and  Frogmore  are  prepared  from  photographs  by  Messrs. 
Russell  &  Sons,  photographers  to  the  Queen,  Windsor  and  London. 
BUCKINGHAM  PALACE. 
The  traveller  along  Buckingham  Palace  Road  or  Grosvenor  Place, 
though  interested  and  curious  regarding  the  London  residence  of  her 
Majesty  the  Queen,  would  not  conceive  that  beyond  those  high  walls  was 
one  of  the  most  charming  retreats  in  or  near  London.  The  popular  idea 
is  that  the  grounds  or  gardens  are  comparatively  small,  but  this  im¬ 
pression  is  quickly  dispelled  when  the  inside  is  reached.  Then  the  size 
seems  to  grow  very  appreciably,  increasing  as  the  walks  between  the 
trees,  over  the  bridges  across  the  lakes,  and  through  the  dells  are 
traversed.  There  are  acres  of  water,  acres  of  lawns,  and  acres  of 
shrubberies,  and  so  skilfully  has  the  planning  been  carried  out  that 
the  gardens  appear  considerably  more  extensive  than  is  actually  the 
case.  Still  we  are  reminded  that  we  are  in  London  by  the  rumble 
or  the  hum  of  the  great  tide  of  traffic  that  seemB  ever  flowing  between 
Hyde  Park  Corner  and  Victoria  Station. 
Historically  Buckingham  Palace  is  very  interesting,  and  has  seen 
many  changes.  Originally  the  site  was  a  Mulberry  garden,  but  in 
1703  old  Buckingham  House  was  erected  by  John  Sheffield,  Duke  of 
Buckingham.  A  remnant  of  the  Mulberry  garden  remains  in  one 
solitary  tree  standing  near  the  house  of  Mr.  J.  R.  Stirling,  the 
gardener  who  acted  as  our  guide.  In  1761  the  house  was  purchased 
by  George  III.,  and  it  was  not  until  1825  that  the  work  of  demolition 
was  commenced  to  make  room  for  the  present  Palace  on  the  same  site- 
In  July  of  1837  the  new  erection  was  finished,  and  occupied  by  the 
Queen.  It  was  from  the  exterior  of  this  Palace  that  the  Marble  Arch, 
so  familiar  to  most  people  who  have  visited  London,  was  taken  down  for 
re-erection  in  its  present  position  at  the  Cumberland  Gate  of  Hyde 
Park,  this!  work  being  done  in  1851,  two  years  prior  to  some  extensive 
alteiations  that  were  made  in  the  structure. 
At  the  outset  it  must  be  understood  that  the  pleasure  grounds  are 
mainly  artificial  ;  the  ornamental  water  has  been  formed,  huge  moundB 
have  been  thrown  up,  and  cool,  secluded  walks  wind  beneath  the 
handsome  trees.  Referring  primarily  to  the  lake,  which  occupies  an 
area  equal  to  8  acres,  we  see  with  what  consummate  skill  the  planting 
has  been  done  so  as  to  give  the  visitor  fresh  views  across  the  water, 
with  glimpses  of  the  Palace  at  intervals  between  the  trees.  It  is  a  noble 
piece  of  work,  executed  under  the  direction  of  some  master  mind  whose 
appreciation  of  natural  beauty  was  of  the  very  keenest. 
At  the  head  of  the  water,  which  is  really  a  series  of  lakes,  stands  an 
enormous  mound  built  up,  it  is  but  natural  to  surmise,  with  the  soil 
taken  out  from  the  waterway.  Its  steeply  sloping  sides  are  clothed 
with  trees  and  shrubs,  and  it  is  surmounted  by  a  handsome  pavilion. 
It  serves  a  twofold  purpose — namely,  to  screen  from  the  view  the 
Royal  Mews,  and  to  command  from  its  summit  the  whole  panorama 
of  the  gardens  and  the  Palace.  We  worked  our  way  up  by  gravel 
paths,  with  their  verges  of  grass,  and  richly  were  we  rewarded  by  the 
arboricultural  picture  spread  beneath  us.  The  windings  of  the  lake 
were  clearly  seen,  on  whose  placid  waters  ducks  and  other  waterfowl 
were  floating  lazily  in  the  sun. 
It  was  then,  too,  that  we  realised  to  the  full  how  splendidly  the 
grounds  are  wooded,  and  with  what  a  variety  of  trees.  Interesting  and 
instructive — the  former  as  showing  the  extent  of  the  demesne,  and  the 
latter  as  illustrative  of  what  trees  thrive  best  amidst  the  smoke  of  our 
vast  metropolis.  There  was  no  difficulty  in  arriving  at  a  conclusion  as 
to  the  best  tree  of  all,  for  the  stately  specimens  on  all  hands  proclaimed 
the  Plane  to  be  the  tree  of  trees.  Dozens,  nay,  hundreds  of  kinds  have 
been  planted  at  various  times  ;  but  of  all  those  mentioned  have 
done  the  best,  though  Thorns  are  little  inferior,  and  Elms  are  very  fine. 
