S  eptember  5,  1895. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  '  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
223 
pink,  wings  and  keel  white,  slightly  tinted  blush  ;  a  showy  and  deserving 
variety. 
Blanche  Ferry. — One  of  the  best  to  grow  for  a  late  crop  of  blooms, 
rose  pink  and  white ;  it  is  quite  distinct  and  very  showy. 
Mr.  Joseph  Chamberlain. — The  best  of  the  flaked  varieties  ;  colour 
white,  striped,  and  flaked  heavily  with  bright  rose. 
Princess  of  Wales. — White  ground  colour,  shaded  and  striped  with 
mauve  ;  three,  and  sometimes  four,  blooms  are  borne  on  extra  stout 
stems.  Many  more  might  be  named,  but  I  have  already  given  sufficient 
to  form  a  good  collection. — E.  Molyneux. 
CHISWICK  AND  MR.  A.  F.  BARRON. 
We  have  received  a  letter  from  Mr.  A.  H.  Smee  containing  a 
description  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens  at  Chiswick. 
Mr.  Smee  is  an  ardent  horticulturist,  and  has  played  an  important  part 
in  the  question  of  horticultural  education.  We  happen  to  know  that  it 
is  largely  owing  to  his  action  that  the  recognition  of  horticulture  as  an 
appropriate  subject  for  teaching  in  schools  was  brought  about.  In 
addition  to  this  Mr.  Smee  has  a  most  interesting  and  well-managed 
garden  of  his  own,  and  the  silver  medals  he  has  won  from  time  to  time 
for  hardy  fruits  testify  to  the  excellence  of  his  collection  and  the  methods 
of  culture  adopted.  Mr.  Smee,  then,  is  entitled  to  be  listened  to  on  his 
estimate  of  Chiswick,  which  is  briefly  as  follows  : — 
The  gardens  are  in  admirable  condition —houses  for  the  most  part  in 
good  working  order  ;  fruit  trees  he  has  never  seen  in  better  condition  ; 
Figs,  a  unique  collection,  and  looking  well  ;  Grape  culture  a  study  ; 
annuals  and  herbaceous  plants  grand. 
Mr.  Smee  deduces  from  the  condition  of  the  gardens,  as  he  is  fully 
j  ustified  in  doing,  evidence  of  Mr.  Barron’s  cultural  ability.  We  have 
not  heard  that  this  has  been  questioned,  while  his  probity  has  been 
universally  admitted, 
Mr.  Smee  then  enters  on  debateable  ground  in  suggesting  that  by 
t  he  forced  retirement  of  Mr.  Barron  the  Fruit  and  Vegetable  Committees, 
as  “  responsible  for  the  management  of  Chiswick,”  have  been  censured 
by  the  Council,  and  therefore  it  is  for  them  to  resign.  Possibly  Mr. 
Smee  meant  the  Garden  Committee,  and  no  doubt  if  any  of  these 
gentlemen,  or  those  forming  any  committees,  felt  that  their  services 
were  slighted  by  the  Council  they  would  naturally  retire. 
Mr.  Smee  goes  on  to  say  he  “  cannot  conceive  the  reason  why  the 
Council  should  have  called  upon  Mr.  Barron  to  resign.”  If  we  were  in 
a  position  to  give  the  desired  information  it  should  be  imparted,  but  we 
are  not.  We  have  not  been  informed  what  changes  the  Council  have  in 
view.  We  only  know  that  if  these  meet  with  anything  like  the  unani¬ 
mous  disapproval  of  the  Fellow*  of  the  Society  that  the  authors  of  them 
must  fall  victims  to  their  own  miscalculatious.  For  the  nature  of  the 
intended  changes  we  must  wait,  and  we  shall  wait  calmly. 
Anything  approaching  an  unpleasant  controversy  can  do  no  good. 
We  have  reason  to  believe  that  this  would  be  as  distasteful  to  Mr.  Barron 
as  anyone  else.  He  has  done  his  duty  over  many  long  years,  and  steered 
his  way  through  many  diflBculties.  So  far  as  we  know  be  enjoys  the 
respect  of  the  Council,  and  if  in  the  opinion  of  the  members  of  that 
body  he  had  not  been  a  good  and  faithful  servant,  they  could  not  with 
any  consistency  have  made  such  satisfactory  provision  for  him  during 
the  rest  of  his  days.  If  we  mistake  not,  and  our  opinion  is  not  founded 
on  any  official  information,  all  the  negotiations  between  Mr.  Barron  and 
the  authorities  have  been  conducted  in  the  most  amicable  manner  and 
in  a  spirit  of  mutual  friendliness. 
We  have  so  much  respect  for  Mr.  Barron,  hi*  ability  and  integrity, 
that  we  cannot  withhold  the  expre.ssion  of  our  satisfaction  that  the 
moment  of  his  separation  from  the  Society  has  been  so  favourable  to 
himself.  There  is  a  saying,  more  forcible  than  elegant,  that  it  is  not 
easy  to  teach  old  dogs  new  tricks,  and  endeavour.s  to  do  so  are  seldom 
good  for  the  old  performers.  Whatever  new  policy  may  be  in  view  in 
the  conduct  of  Chiswick,  we  are  convinced  that  Mr.  Barron  will  be 
happier  when  relieved  from  all  responsibility  in  connection  therewith, 
and  this  we  suspect  was  the  opinion  of  the  authorities. 
Mr.  Barron  retires  honoured  by  the  Council  and  at  the  zenith  of  his 
fame  in  the  estimation  of  the  horticultural  community.  The  testimonial 
in  progress  will  show  this.  We  have  heard  there  is  only  to  be  one, 
as  the  proposition  first  suggested  is  to  be  withdrawn  in  favour  of 
the  project  of  wider  scope,  and  which  wo  trust  will  be  completely 
successful. 
[Since  the  foregoing  was  placed  in  type  we  have  received  the 
following  communication.  Our  advertising  columns  will  also  show 
that  a  successor  to  Mr.  Barron  ia  desired  at  a  salary  of  £200  a  year.] 
The  Council  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  have  read  with 
surprise  and  regret  the  remarks  which  have  lately  appeared  in  some 
of  the  horticultural  newspapers  with  regard  to  Mr.  Barron’s  retirement. 
The  Council  have  for  some  time  had  before  them  the  desirability  of 
making  considerable  changes  in  the  gardens  at  Chiswick,  and  in  the 
early  part  of  this  year  they  determined  to  initiate  these  changes  in  the 
near  future.  Fully  aware  of  the  value  of  Mr.  Barron’s  services  for 
upwards  of  thirty  year*,  recognising  that  he  bad  well  earned  and 
thoroughly  deserved  a  retiring  pension,  and  anxious  to  show  him  every 
consideration,  the  Council  felt  that  at  his  age  they  could  not  fairly  place 
upon  him  the  burden  of  such  a  reorganisation  as  they  contemplated,  and 
they  considered  that  they  were  consulting  his  btst  interests,  as  well  as 
those  of  the  gardens,  in  offering  him  retirement  on  an  allowance  of  £180 
a  year. 
In  replying  to  the  Council’s  communication  Mr.  Barron  thanked 
them  for  their  generous  recognition  of  his  claims,  accepted  their 
proposal,  and  tendered  his  resignation  from  January  Ist,  1896.  The 
Council  are  glad  to  know  and  to  be  able  to  assure  the  Fellows  of  the 
Society  that  he  is  perfectly  satisfied.  Having  acted  justly  and 
generously  towards  Mr.  Barron,  as  they  believe,  and  to  his  satisfaction, 
the  Council  deemed  the  matter  settled,  and  were  themselves  intending  to 
promote  a  testimonial  to  him  on  his  retirement,  when  they  found  that 
steps  in  that  direction  had  already  been  taken. 
The  Council  regret  to  find  that  they  are  charged  with  discourtesy 
towards  the  Chiswick  Board.  The  charge  rests  on  their  appointment  of 
a  Special  Committee  to  advise  them  as  to  the  future  of  the  Gardens 
without  communication  with  the  Board.  They  freely  admit  that  it 
would  have  been  advisable  to  have  conferred  with  the  Board  on  the 
appointment  of  this  Committee.  To  any  members  of  the  Board  who 
may  have  felt  themselves  slighted  at  their  omission  to  do  so  they  offer  a 
frank  expression  of  regret.  They  need  scarcely  say  that  the  omission 
was  due  to  an  oversight,  and  not  to  any  intentional  discourtesy. — (^B%j 
Order  oI  the  Council'),  W.  WiJj'KS,,  Secretary. 
KELSTON  KNOLL, 
Readers  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  Who  are  devotees  of  the 
fragrant  weed  will  find  the  name  of  Wills  perfectly  familiar,  especially, 
perhaps,  in  its  relation  to  “  Westward  Ho  I  ’’  But  probably  few  are 
personally  acquainted  with  the  winter  residence  of  H.  0.  Wills,  Esq., 
known  by  the  above  appellation,  and  situated  v,?ithin  three  miles  of  the 
grand  old  city  of  Bath.  This  compact  little  estate  occupies  a  naturally 
fine  position,  and  where  Nature  has  stopped,  man  has  stepped  in  and 
completed  an  ideal  home.  There  are  many  grand  old  trees  on  the 
estate,  notably  Walnuts  and  Horse  Chestnuts,  on  which  there  are  at  the 
present  time  large  numbers  of  fruits.  Besides  these,  there  are  the 
fruit  trees,  which  are  well  worthy  of  more  than  a  passing  glance  or 
notice. 
Standing  on  the  lawn,  in  front  of  the  house,  a  magnificent  view  is 
commanded,  comprising  wooded  slopes,  beautifully  green  pastures,  high 
verdure-clad  hills,  old  time  cottages,  and,  that  which  adds  an  air  of 
modernity  to  the  most  rural  landscape,  the  railway,  twining  through  the 
meads  below.  Truly  it  is  a  very  charming  spot,  just  such  an  one  as 
poet*  tell  us  of,  and  of  which  Englishmen  ought  to  be  proud.  One  may 
travel  through  the  rugged  parts  of  Derbyshire,  or  wind  from  crag  to 
crag  in  Bonnie  Scotland,  seeing  towering  mountains  here  and  shaggy 
cliffs  there  ;  but  such  scenery,  while  being  very  imposing,  is  liable  to 
pall  after  a  time,  except,  perhaps,  to  the  hardiest  of  mountaineers  ;  but 
such  rural  pictures  as  are  pourtrayed  from  the  terrace  at  Kelston  can 
never  tire.  On  the  contrary,  they  are  soothing  to  the  senses,  and  go 
far  to  justify  the  designation  given  above  of  an  “ideal  home,”  for 
such  indeed  it  is. 
Let  us  now  see  what  man  has  done  in  the  aid  of  Nature.  Some 
years  since,  when  the  present  owner  purchased  the  place,  the  gardens 
were  of  very  limited  extent  in  comparison  with  those  of  to-day,  and  the 
appointment*  are  in  all  ways  much  better.  With  a  highly  commendable 
spirit,  and  one  that  might  be  copied  by  other  of  our  merchant  princes, 
an  extensive  range  of  glass  houses  has  been  erected,  and  the  whole  of 
the  new  garden  enclosed  in  a  handsome  red  brick  wall,  on  which  fruit 
trees  of  various  kinds  are  now  growing.  In  addition  to  providing  good 
and  adequate  quarters  for  the  plants  and  fruits,  Mr.  Wills  has  built  a 
most  comfortable  house  for  the  gardener.  This  was  only  completed  last 
year.  That  it  is  appreciated  by  the  gardener,  Mr.  Wright,  it  is  needless 
to  say,  and  even  as  the  house  is  worthy  of  the  place  so  is  the  gardener 
worthy  of  both.  Comparatively  young,  he  is  one  of  those  true  gardeners 
who  loves  every  plant,  every  fruit,  and  every  vegetable  he  grows,  and 
doing  so  puts  his  whole  heart  in  the  work  and  does  it  thoroughly. 
At  thi*  season  of  the  year  fruit  is  accorded  a  large  share  of  attention 
by  the  British  gardener,  so  it  shall  have  the  premier  position  given  it 
here.  Grapes  as  the  chief  of  exotic  fruits  taking  the  place  of  honour. 
The  Vines  occupy  two  large  houses,  built  with  high  rood's  glazed  by  a 
patent  non-puttying  system  with  large  panes  of  glass,  and  the  heating 
apparatus  is  in  every  respect  satisfactory.  The  houses,  then,  are  good  ; 
but  what  of  the  Grapes  within  them  ?  An  easier  question  to  answer 
could  not  be  propounded,  as  the  reply  can  with  justice  be  summed  up  in 
the  one  word — “  excellent.”  The  wood  is  stout  and  well  ripened, 
without  being  gross  ;  the  leaves  are  tough,  leathery,  and  of  a  deep  green 
hue  ;  provision  for  the  future  has  been  kept  well  in  view  ;  the  bunches 
are  shapely  and  well  filled  ;  the  berries  are  of  good  size  and  finishing 
admirably,  and  what  is  of  equal  importance,  not  a  sign  of  a  pest  is 
visible.  Red  spider  and  mealy  bug,  the  terrors  of  some  Grape  growers, 
are  unknown  here;  and  the  Vines  and  Grapes,  if  we  may  use  them  in 
apparent  incongruous  conjunction,  are  benefited  accordingly,  as  they 
must  be  when  none  of  the  energies  is  sapped  by  their  natural  enemies. 
The  varieties  grown  number  eight  in  all,  these  being  Foster’*  Seed¬ 
ling,  carrying  handsome  bunches,  of  which  the  berries  areuow  just  turning  ; 
Madresfield  Court,  now  assuming  its  most  pleasing  shade  ;  Buckland 
Sweetwater,  superb  in  berry,  but  two  or  three  of  the  lower  hunches,  as 
is  usual  with  the  variety,  inclined  to  be  loose  ;  Black  Hamburgh,  carry¬ 
ing  medium  sized  bunches  of  well-finished  fruits,  occupying  one  bouse. 
In  the  other  are  found  Muscat  of  Alexandria,  now  assuming  its  amber 
garb  ;  Gros  Colman,  promising  some  bunches  later  on  ;  Lady  Downe’s  in 
the  best  condition,  and  last  a  couple  of  rods  of  Black  Alicante  in  splendid 
