March  12,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
231 
boundary  wall  of  the  estate,  next  the  public  road,  had  to  be  taken 
down  and  a  new  one  built,  and  as  this  is  a  curving  wall  the  range  of 
glass  erected  against  it  is  curved  also.  Strong,  light,  lofty  structures 
are  these,  and  good  Grapes,  Peaches,  and  plants  will  be  certain  to  be 
grown  in  them.  As  before  mentioned,  two  of  these  houses  are  fitted 
for  Orchids,  while  seven  others  are  either  planted,  or  Boon  will  be,  with 
Vines  and  Peaches. 
The  four  vineries  are  25  by  15  feet,  one  house  to  be  devoted  to 
Black  Hamburghs,  another  to  Muscats,  with  other  houses  for  Lady 
Downe  s,  Alicante,  Gros  Maroc,  Lady  Hutt,  and  Appley  Towers.  There 
are  two  old  vineries  in  bearing,  in  a  sort  of  overcrowded  corner,  yet  by 
special  effort  in  making  the  best  of  the  Vines  in  them  Mr.  Deacon 
centres  of  the  trees,  often  too  quickly,  with  also  too  often  the  result  of 
basal  weakness  and  a  general  jumble  in  a  very  few  years.  Then  comes 
uprooting  and  replanting.  It  will  do  very  well  for  market  work,  but 
ia  those  gentlemen’s  gardens  where  the  driving  system  is  not  a  sine  qxia 
non  we  should  see  the  gardener’s  art  better  represented  than  it  is  now 
in  many  of  them  in  the  training  of  Peach  trees. 
In  this  range,  both  for  Vines  and  Peaches,  the  whole  width  intended 
for  borders  has  been  excavated,  the  trees  and  Vines  planted  on  mounds  or 
sections  to  be  added  to  from  time  to  time  as  is  needed  for  root  extension. 
It  is  by  far  the  best  plan;  Ample  provision  has  been  made  for  drainage, 
and  the  unused  excavations  planked  over  and  occupied  with  plants  of 
different  kinds  from  end  to  end.  In  one  respect  Highbury  savours  of 
Fig.  37.— CATTLEYA  SCHRODERiE. 
succeeded  in  cutting  “first  prize”  Grapes  last  year;  still,  it  may  be 
expected  that  when  the  new  houses  in  their  fine  open  position  are  in 
profit  the  old  ones  in  the  corner  will  have  to  “  go.” 
The ’three  Peach  houses  iD  the  new  range  are  35  by  15  feet.  They 
are  firmly  trellissed,  and  have  been  planted,  and  it  must  be  added  well 
planted,  with  the  following  varieties  for  succession — Peaches  :  Hale’s 
Early,  Alexandra  Noblesse,  Crimson  Galande,  Royal  George,  Dymond, 
and  Late  Admirable.  Nectarines  :  Lord  Napier,  Stanwick  Elruge, 
Pine-apple,  Violette  Hative,  and  Pitmaston  Orange.  If  the  earliest  aDd 
one  of  the  best  Nectarines  in  cultivation  is  desired  room  should  be 
found  for  Early  Rivers. 
Mr.  Deacon  has  wisely  shortened  the  branches  of  the  young  trees 
for  laying  a  good  foundation,  and  covering  permanently  the  lower  part 
of  the  trellis.  In  the  race  for  fruit  in  these  days  it  has  become  almost 
the  custom  to  leave  all  the  branches  of  young  Peach  trees,  be  they 
short  or  long,  weak  or  strong,  intact,  and  let  them  find  their  way  where 
they  will.  They  find  their  way  fast  enough,  some  of  them,  in  the 
Norris  Green  when  Mr.  Bardney  was  in  charge  there  (and  perhaps  it  is 
much  the  same  at  Osmaston),  that  no  matter  what  the  number  of  houses, 
pits,  or  frames,  nor  for  what  particular  purpose  erected,  they  all  become 
filled  with  plants  befoie  the  structures  aie  a  month  old,  making  one 
wonder  where  they  all  came  from.  It  reminds  of  the  Napoleonic  dictum, 
uttered  during  one  of  the  memorable  campaigns,  that  when  the  ground 
was  stamped  in  Austria  regiments  of  soldiers  sprung  out  of  it ;  so  it 
would  seem  in  some  gardens  that  stamping  the  ground  brings  out  plants 
to  fill  new  structures,  and  there  still  appears  to  be  no  space  unoccupied, 
the  work  of  “  making  room”  going  on  much  as  before.  It  denotes  great 
love,  great  zeal,  and  untiring  endeavour  to  do  the  most  that  can  be  done 
with  the  means  provided,  and  this  spirit  of  love,  zeal,  and  persistent 
striving  certainly  seems  to  be  active  at  Highbury. 
The  requirements  are  undoubtedly  great,  with  so  many  show  houses  to 
keep  furnished  in  due  season,  and  the  London  demands  for  flowers  thrice 
a  week  ;  but,  then,  so  is  the  provision  for  their  supply,  and  the  work  of 
those  whose  duty  it  is  to  meet  all  that  may  be  needed  is  really  a  labour  of 
