80 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  27,  1899. 
GUNNERSBURY  HOUSE. 
The  traveller  who  detrains  at  Ivew  Bridge  and  turns  to  the  left 
from  the  station,  passing  very  near  to  the  thriving  Brentford  Market, 
would,  unless  he  were  ‘-in  the  know,”  scarcely  think  that  within  a  few 
hundreds  of  yards  was  one  of  London’s  handsomest  estates.  Such,  how¬ 
ever,  is  the  case,  for  here  is  situated  one  of  the  entrances  to  Gunnersbury 
House  and  Gunnersbury  Park.  When  once  the  excluding  gate  has  been 
passed  the  pedestrian  enters  upon  another  and  a  fairer  scene,  in  which 
the  “  busy  haunts  of  men”  are  quickly  forgotten,  and  the  eppreciative 
mind  recognises  plants  and  trees  and  flowers  that  charm  the  eye  and 
cause  surprise  that  such  vegetation  can  thrive  within  the  sound  of  Big  Ben. 
The  leaves  have  a  freshness  and  the  flowers  a  brilliance  or  soilness  of 
hue,  as  the  case  may  be,  that  one,  perhaps  unconsciously,  associates  with 
places  where  the  rumble  of  vehicular  traffic  and  the  shriek  of  the  engine 
are  sounds  tl  at  come  and  go  at  distant  intervals  instead  of  continuing 
from  day  to  day  and  week  to  week. 
When  that  day  comes  the  writer  will  have  to  tell  of  the  charming  grounds 
that  were  traversed  ere  Gunnersbury  House  came  in  view  (fig.  19).  That 
portion  adjacent  to  Ivew  Bridge  station  is  known  as  the  Potomac,  pre¬ 
sumably  after  the  North  American  river,  which  has  been  the  centre  of  many 
a  meeting  between  the  red  Indians  and  the  whites  in  the  days  when  the 
colonisation  of  America  was  in  its  infancy,  and  found  food  for  writers  like 
Penimore  Cooper,  whose  ready  pens  and  fertile  imaginations  have  woven 
interest  and  romance  round  conflicts  that  w  ere  brutal  and  degrading  to  all 
concerned  in  them.  The  Potomacs  of  the  old  and  the  new  worlds  are 
different  scenes,  and  while  the  former  may  not  fire  the  imagination  as  the 
latter  did,  it  is  to  the  average  Englishman  infinitely  more  interesting 
and  attractive,  especially  it  he  happen  to  have  horticultural  proclivities. 
This  reference  must,  however,  suffice  for  the  nonce. 
Under  the  guidance  of  Mr.  Hudson  the  imaginary  “ring  fence”  of 
Gunnersbury  House  was  crossed,  and  steps  were  straightway  turned 
towards  the  glass  department,  which  was  known  to  contain  produce 
Photo  by  J..Gr  (Jiry 
lanhtluiy  Head,  Croydon , 
Fig.  19.— GUNNERSBURY  HOUSE 
Little  as  the  beauties  of  this  estate  appear  to  bo  realised  the  domain  is 
not  new,  though  perforce  it  has  changed  with  the  times.  In  bygone  days  it 
sheltered  royalty  ;  indeed,  it  was  the  home  for  some  considerable  period 
of  the  Princess  Amelia,  who  in  the  days  of  George  III.  was  a  renowned 
leader  of  society.  Then  the  two  mansions  of  Gunnersbury  House  and 
Park  were  one,  whereas  now  they  are  siparated,  though  both  belong  to 
the  Messrs,  de  Rothschild.  The  process  of  removing  the  dividing  wall 
and  opening  up  the  partition  hedges  is  ever  advancing,  arid  the  advantages 
are  manifest  to  the  visitor.  The  mansions  and  gardet  s  still  stand  apart, 
and  have  separate  staffs,  and  those  with  which  we  would  deal  particularly 
at  this  juncture  are  in  the  skilled  hands  ot  Mr.  Jas.  Hudson,  V.M.H., 
while  Gunnersbury  Park  is  under  the  no  less  capable  direction  of  Mr.  G. 
Reynolds.  It  is  fortunate,  indeed,  that  these  two  gardeners  have  one 
common  love—  ti  e  garden— or  the  not  too  clearly  defined  line  of  division 
would  often  become  the  venue  of  arguments  and  strife.  As  it  is,  this  does 
not  occur  ;  each  is  desirous  of  doing  his  utmost  for  continued  peace,  as  it 
is  only  under  conditions  of  perfect  amity  that  the  best  interests  ot  their 
employers  can  he  insured.  Some  day  it  is  hoped  Gunnersbury  Park  may 
form  the  subject  of  an  article  in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture,  for  its 
attractions  are  rich  and,  happily,  entirely  distinct  from  those  which 
characterise  the  charge  of  Mr,  Hudson. 
too  seldom  seen  even  in  the  gardens  of  the  most  affluent.  These  are  the  fruit 
trees  in  pots.  There  [is  no  need  to  tell  Journal  readers  of  the  superb 
fruits  from  these  trees  that  have  been  from  time  to  time  exhibited  by  this 
talented  grower  ;  reporters  have  so  often  referred  to  them.  But  the 
splendid  fruits  have  not  the  beauty  of  the  trees  that  produced  them. 
Fortunately  when  this  visit  was  paid  they  were  almost  all  carrying  their 
luscious  burden,  and  no  more  charming  pictures  could  possibly  be 
imagined.  The  unappreciative  might  perhaps  see  only  the  beauty  of  the 
fruits  themselves,  but  the  lo'er  of  horticulture  sees  equally  as  great 
attractions  in  the  green  of  the  substantial  leaves,  and  the  clean  sound' 
growths  that  form  the  basis  of  the  fruitful  tree.  No  better  examples* 
of  excellent  culture  and  sturdy  health  could  he  desired.  Hundreds  of 
trees  in  pots  had  one  common  peculiarity — namely,  fruitfulness.  It  wap 
not  a  solitary  individual  here  and  there  that  carried  its  tempting  crop, 
hut  every  o>  e  from  that  Cherry  of  3  leet  in  height  to  y  onder  Peach  which 
has  a  stature  of  from  8  to  10  leef. 
“Which,”  it  may  he  asked,  “of  the  Peaches,  Nectarines.  Cherries, 
Plums,  Figs.  Pears  and  Apples,  was  absolutely  the  best  example  of  high 
cultivation  }  ”•  The  answer  must  be,  “There  is  no  best  where  all  are  so 
g«.od,”  The  Cherries  and  the  Plums  have  numerically  a  greater  burdea 
