198 
JOUBNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Ma’'ch  3,  1898. 
carrying  on  his  robberies  he  had  been  living  at  Jack  Straw’s  Castle,  the 
well-known  inn,  as  Mr.  Grice,  a  “gentleman  of  leisure.”  At  this  period 
Hampstead  was  celebrated  as  a  watering  place,  and  was  thronged  by  the 
idle,  sickly,  and  dissipated  of  all  classes.  There  were  concerts  at  the 
Long  Room,  raffles  at  the  Wells,  entertainments  at  Belsize,  and  private 
marriages  at  Sion  Chapel.  The  chapel  belonged  to  the  publican  next 
door,  who  advertised  a  free  dinner  at  his  tavern  for  all  folks  married  at 
his  chapel.  The  Heath,  then  much  wider  and  wilder  than  now,  was 
haunted  by  gipsies  and  vagabonds  of  every  description,  and  on  two  occa¬ 
sions  private  stills  were  discovered  in  full  work,  and  broken  up.  Foot¬ 
pads  abounded,  robberies  were  of  daily  occurrence  ;  yet,  despite  these 
drawbacks,  the  place  was,  because  of  its  beauty  and  surroundings,  always 
a  favourite  with  the  public. 
It  still  retains  much  of  its  charm,  and  the  500  acres,  over  which  the 
County  Council  now  exercises  a  wise  control,  is  one  of  the  loveliest  open 
spots  in  England.  From  it  Constable  drew  much  of  his  inspiration,  and 
he  has  painted  it  under  all  aspects,  as  his  marvellous  landscapes  in  the 
National  Gallery  bear  witness.  Literary  men  and  artists  have  always 
loved  ik  Dickens  wrote  much  of  “Little  Dorrit  ”  in  the  room  of  the 
tavern.  Jack  Straw’s  Castle,  that  overlooks  its  wide  expanse,  and  there 
the  chair  he  used  and  the  table  he  wrote  at  are  religiously  cherished. 
Not  very  far  away,  too,  is  the  Spaniards,  that  noted  old  inn  from  which 
Mr.  Pickwick  is  supposed  to  have  sent  the  famous  message  anent  “  chops 
and  tomato  sauce. "  For  its  memories  alone  Hampstead  Heath  and  its 
surroundings  would  be  of  the  deepest  interest,  but  added  to  these  are  its 
numerous  natural  beauties,  making  it  not  merely  a  metropolitan  breathing 
space  of  unexampled  value,  but  a  national  treasure  to  be  preserved  as  far 
as  possible  for  all  time. 
Parliament  Hill  Fields,  now  practically  made  one  with  Hampstead 
Heath,  were  originally  a  portion  of  Lord  Mans'^eld’s  estate  known  as 
Caen,  or  Ken,  Wood.  The  estate  and  house  in  1661  were  the  property  of 
John  Bill,  who  married  Lady  Pelham,  the  daughter  of  the  unfortunate 
Sir  Harry  Vane.  A  portion  of  the  old  Gospel  Oak  Fields  is  also  included 
in  this  space,  and  was  formerly  the  scene  of  an  annual  pleasure  fair  of 
the  most  rural  character.  This  fair  was  aliolished  in  1864.  Gospel  Oak 
is  so  called  from  its  having  been  the  practice  in  old  times  to  read  aloud 
under  an  Oak  tree  growing  on  the  parish  boundary  line  a  portion  of  the 
Gospel  at  the  annual  boundary  beating  on  Ascension  Day.  Herrick 
alluded  to  this  in  his  “  Hesperides.” 
Dearest,  bury  me 
Under  that  holy  Oak,  or  Gospel  tree. 
Where,  though  thou  see’st  not,  thou  may’st 
Think  upon  me. 
When  thou  yearly  go’st  in  procession. 
Beneath  one  of  the  trees  in  Gospel  Oak  Fields,  Whit^eld,  the  famous 
preacher,  and  the  companion  of  Wesley,  used  to  preach  to  large  audiences 
of  working  people.  The  origin  of  the  name  of  Parliament  Hill  is  very 
uncertain.  Some  antiquaries  have  traced  it  back  to  the  holding  of  shire 
meetings  and  similar  gatherings  upon  it.  Others  assert  that  it  obtained 
its  name  because  it  was  the  spot  chosen  by  the  conspirators  of  the 
gunpowder  plot  as  best  of  all  others  to  witness  the  destruction  of 
Parliament  House  by  Guy  Fawkes. 
Another  fine  open  space  in  the  northern  part  of  London  is  Waterlow 
Park,  which  is  situated  at  Highgate.  It  consists  of  some  30  acres  of 
finely  wooded  park  land  and  ornamental  waters,  and  is  a  most  beautiful 
place.  It  was  formerly  known  as  Lauderdale  Park,  and  the  house  was 
for  a  time  the  residence  of  Nell  Gwynne,  the  favourite  of  Charles  II. 
The  house  and  grounds  some  twenty  years  ago  became  the  property  of 
the  Waterlow  family,  and  in  1889  Sir  Sydney  Waterlow  munificently 
presented  them  to  the  public  as  an  open  space  for  ever.  The  old  mansion, 
Lauderdale  House,  rich  with  many  associations,  still  stands,  and  is  care¬ 
fully  preserved  as  a  museum  and  resting  place  for  visitors  to  the  park. — 
(“Lloyd  News.”) 
THE  YOUNG  GARDENERS’  DOMAIN. 
Plumbago  capensis. 
The  season  has  now  arrived  when  this  beautiful  greenhouse  plant 
should  be  pruned.  If  the  stock  is  small,  it  can  be  easily  increased  by 
starting  a  plant  in  a  tempera  ure  of  55°  or  60°.  In  three  weeks  or  a 
month  there  will  be  abundance  of  cuttings,  which  root  readily  under  a 
hand-light  or  in  a  propagating  frame  in  light  soil.  The  plants  thrive 
admirably  when  planted  out  against  the  back  wall  of  a  greenhouse,  if  space 
can  be  allowed  for  a  border  to  2  fleet  in  width.  The  compost  may 
consist  of  three  parts  loam,  one  part  leaf  soil,  and  one  of  decayed  manure, 
with  a  liberal  addition  of  charcoal  and  sand,  and  a  sprinkling  of  i-inch 
bones  and  Clay’s  fertiliser.  If  the  loam  is  heavy,  a  little  peat  will  be  of 
great  benefit  to  the  plant. 
The  shoots  should  be  trained  3  feet  apart,  and  the  first  season’s  growth 
must  be  cut  back  to  within  3  feet  of  the  ground,  then  every  bud  will  push 
forth  a  shoot,  these  being  annually  pruned  close  back  to  old  shoots  or 
rods.  The  latter  may  be  allowed  3  feet  extension  each  year  until  the  top 
of  the  wall  is  reached.  Three  or  fou.-  good  rods  will  cover  a  large  wall, 
and  when  once  established  may  be  pruned  similar  to  Vines.  No  advantage 
is  gained  by  laying  in  shoots  to  form  rods  at  a  closer  distance  than  3  feet. 
The  border  should  be  kept  dry  when  the  plant  has  finished  flowering. 
The  beautiful  blue  flowers  of  Plumbago  capensis  are  unique  in  colour, 
and  they  will  be  produced  in  abundance  for  three  or  four  months  during 
summer  if  treated  as  described.  It  lasts  only  a  short  time  when  cut  for  use 
in  vases.  Another  form,  P.  Larpentie,  is  suitable  for  an  edging  to  borders 
if  in  a  warm  position,  and  is  easily  increased  by  division  of  the  roots  in 
early  spring. — J.  A. 
An  Afternoon  at  Reading. 
Having  recently  had  the  pleasure  of  visiting  Messrs.  Sutton  and 
Sons’  establishment,  I  thought  it  might  be  interesting  to  young 
gardeners  like  myself  if  I  tried  in  a  few  short  notes  to  record  my 
impressions.  It  would  be  impossible  to  attempt  to  give  the  number  of 
bulky  sacks  there  are  stored  in  the  large  rooms  which  my  courteous 
guide  took  me  through,  huge  jiiles  of  them  containing  Beans,  Peas,  and 
Potatoes  for  the  garden,  and  more  piles  of  the  many  seeds  for  the  farm. 
Gne  could  only  wonder  what  becomes  of  them  all. 
Passing  on,  we  came  to  the  room  where  seeds  are  placed  before  going 
abroad  ;  then  we  found  a  regiment  of  women  busy  hand-picking  the 
broken  and  bad  Peas  from  the  good  ones.  In  another  room  men  were 
sorting  Potatoes,  others  filling  sacks  and  weighing  them  ready  for  going 
away.  In  the  next  room  men  were  filling  paper  bags  of  Peas,  Beans, 
and  other  seeds,  for  keeping  the  order  room  supplied.  Passing  along  we 
came  to  the  machines  in  motion,  cleaning  the  vaiious  kinds  of  seeds. 
Coming  to  the  vegetable  seed  order  room,  shelves,  tier  above  tier, 
were  packed  with  bags  innumerable  of  the  different  kinds  and  varieties  of 
vegetable  seeds.  The  flower  seed  order  room  is  similar  to  former,  with  a 
bewildering  number  of  drawers  for  holding  the  packets  of  seeds,  each 
drawer  having  printed  on  the  name  the  variety  contained.  It  coula 
bs  seen  that  everythihg  is  done  in  the  most  orderly  manner — a 
combination  of  care  with  celerity.  I  must  not  forget  to  mention  the 
large  railway  office,  where  the  labels  are  directed  and  affixed  to  the 
packages  for  despatching  to  their  destinations.  Then  comes  the  ledger- 
room  with  quite  an  army  of  clerks  at  work,  while  upstairs  carpenters 
were  busy  making  boxes  for  sending  the  seeds  away. 
These  nurseries  are  some  little  distance  away  on  the  confines  of  the 
town.  The  Primulas  and  Cyclamens  afforded  a  sight  not  to  be  forgotten. 
As  we  passed  through  the  several  houses  of  Primulas  I  noted  splendidly 
grown  plants  of  the  Star  Primula,  an  excellent  variety  for  decorative 
purposes,  with  its  many  flowering  spikes  rising  high  above  the  foliage  ; 
Giant  White,  with  plain  and  Fern-leaved  foliage,  and  large  flowers, 
inches  across.  Equally  fine  were  Rosy  Queen,  Reading  Blue,  Reading 
Scarlet,  Gipsy  Queen,  Double  Blue,  and  Double  Pink,  the  last  being  a 
beautiful  colour.  Not  a  faulty  plant  was  to  be  found  in  the  large  collec¬ 
tion. 
The  Cyclamens  are  arranged  iu  a  series  of  long,  span-roofed  houses, 
and  the  plants  admirably  grown.  The  handsome  marbled  foliage  and  the 
forest  of  differently  coloured  flowers  produced  a  striking  effect,  among 
them  the  white,  salmon,  crimson,  pink,  purple,  and  ruby  red  varieties 
being  very  noteworthy.  In  other  houses  Gloxinias  were  starting  into 
growth,  also  Begonias,  that  will,  without  doubt,  make  a  grand  show  in 
their  season. 
Suitable  frames  contained  healthy  dwarf  plants  of  Calceolarias  and 
Cinerarias,  that  will  make  a  bright  show  later  on.  As  in  the  seed 
department,  everything  is  kept  in  the  most  orderly  manner,  and  cleanliness 
was  observable  in  every  house  and  shed.  I  think  every  young  gardener 
might  learn  a  lesson  and  see  a  sight  not  to  be  forgotten  by  a  visit  to 
the  Messrs.  Buttons,  to  whom  I  am  grateful  for  the  privilege  and  pleasure 
of  having  had  a  look  round.— J.  B.,  Berks. 
FRUIT  FORCING. 
Cherry  House. — To  force  Cherries  successfully  ventilation  is  the  main 
consideration,  and  requires  unremitting  attention.  A  free  circulation  of 
air  should  pass  through  the  house  whenever  the  temperature  exceeds  50°, 
regulating  the  amount  by  the  conditions  of  the  external  atmosphere. 
Employ  fire  heat  only  to  maintain  50°  through  the  day,  relying  on  sun 
heat  for  advancement,  and  maintain  a  night  temperature  of  40°  to  45°. 
The  blossoming  over  and  the  fruit  swelling,  recourse  may  again  be  had 
to  gentle  syringing.  Keep  a  keen  eye  on  aphides,  and  promptly  fumigate, 
vapourise,  or  syringe  the  trees  with  an  insecticide.  Look  carefully  over 
the  trees  for  caterpillars — one  kind,  a  species  of  Tortrix,  rolls  itself  up  in 
the  leaves,  and  can  be  eradicated  by  squeezing  between  the  finger  and 
thumb,  but  the  other  encases  itself  on  the  under  side  of  the  leaves,  giving 
the  appearance  of  being  scalded,  and  from  the  leaves  passes  to  the 
Cherries,  eating  and  spoiling  them.  The  only  safe  remedy  is  to  search 
for  and  destroy  the  grubs.  Supply  water  or  liquid  manure  to  the  border 
as  required,  keeping  trees  in  pots  well  supplied,  and  affording  top-dressings 
of  rich  material.  Finch  side  growths  at  the  fourth  or  fifth  leaf,  heeling 
in  extensions  or  growths  required  to  cover  vacant  spaces. 
Cucumbers. — The  increased  light  and  sun  heat  induce  greater  evapo¬ 
ration,  hence  necessitate  a  larger  supply  of  atmospheric  moisture  ;  there¬ 
fore  damp  the  house  twice  a  day,  and  syringe  the  plants  lightly  early  on 
bright  afternoons.  On  cold  nights  a  temperature  of  65°  is  ample,  but  in 
mild  weather  allow  5°  more,  maintaining  70°  to  75°  by  day,  and  80°  to 
85°  or  90°  from  sun  heat,  closing  early  so  as  to  increase  the  heat  to  90°,  95°, 
or  even  100°.  Afford  liquid  manure  once  or  twice  a  week,  always  tepid, 
never  too  strong.  Cut  the  fruit  directly  it  is  large  enough.  Stop  the  shoots 
one  joint  beyond  the  fruit ;  thin  the  fruits  well,  removing  superfluous 
