Journal  op  borttoulture  a  N't)  cottaPe  oardekpr. 
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^wly  le,  189G. 
ESUWOOD  HALL,  DUilHAM. 
“  Come  aad  see  the  Khododendrons  this  week,  they  will  never  be 
belter,”  were  the  words  which  reached  me  some  time  ago ;  and  true  it 
was,  for  the  show  was  as  near  perfection  as  could  well  be  imagined. 
Truly  has  it  more  than  once  been  said  mi\iQ  Journal  of  Horticulture 
all  the  best  produce  of  an  establishment  is  not,  nor  can  be,  exhibited  at 
a  flower  show.  So  it  may  be  that  Eshwood  Hall,  and  the  names  of  the 
noble  owner  and  his  gardener,  may  not  be  familiar  to  a  large  number  of 
your  readers.  Nevertheless  I  question  very  much  whether  another  such 
show  of  Rhododendrons  can  be  found  anywhere  as  that  which  met  my 
gaze  at  Eshwood  a  few  weeks  ago.  Nor  indeed  must  it  be  supposed  for 
a  moment  that  the  natural  soil  is  peculiarly  adapted  for  growing  the 
plants,  or  even  the  natural  formation  of  the  ground  suitable  for  showing 
the  blooms.  Very  largely  indeed  has  good  taste,  judgment,  and  hearty 
co-operation  between  employer  and  employed,  together  with  an  unstinted 
outlay  over  a  number  of  years,  contributed  to  bring  this  about. 
Five  and  twenty  years  ago  the  ground  on  which  Eshwood  now  stands 
was  poor  and  barren,  scarcely  bringing  in  5s.  per  acre,  and  now  we  find 
a  well-ordered  gentleman’s  residence,  approached  by  a  carriage  drive, 
which  extends  over  half  a  mile  from  the  Hall  on  each  side.  By  the 
wayside  we  noticed  well-kept  plots  of  ground  filled  with  flowers  and 
vegetables,  which  we  were  told  were  let  to  the  workmen  of  the  village 
by  Mr.  Cochrane  at  a  nominal  rent  in  order  to  encourage  thrift  and 
industry.  The  ground  on  both  sides  of  the  drive  is  suitably  planted 
with  the  usual  kinds  of  forest  and  ornamental  trees,  conspicuous 
amongst  which  at  the  time  of  our  visit  were  the  scarlet  and  pink 
Hawthorn,  which  were  a  mass  of  bloom  ;  many  of  the  hardier  kinds  of 
Rhododendron  ponticum  and  others  were  judiciously  interspersed  among 
other  shrubs.  A  few  years  ago  a  row  of  the  best  named  varieties  were 
planted  on  each  side  of  the  drive,  and  notwithstanding  the  careful 
preparation  of  the  soil  the  cutting  winds  proved  too  much  for  them,  and 
they  had  to  be  removed  to  more  congenial  quarters,  where  they  are  now 
in  a  flourishing  condition. 
On  entering  the  grounds  immediately  in  front  of  the  Hall  we  came 
face  to  face  with  what  was  then  the  most  prominent  feature  of  the 
establishment — viz.,  the  Rhododendrons,  and  what  a  sight  I  such  as  we 
confess  it  has  never  been  our  lot  to  see  before.  The  ground  for  a 
considerable  distance  slopes  gently  from  the  Hall  and  the  shrubs  are 
arranged  upon  a  series  of  banks,  so  that  from  the  front  windows  a 
magnificent  view  is  obtained.  The  most  charming  picture,  however, 
was  that  obtained  from  the  lower  portion  of  the  grounds,  where  the 
whole  mass  of  bloom  met  the  eye,  and  here  a  platform  has  been  raised 
amongst  the  forest  trees  in  order  that  the  whole  may  be  viewed  to  the 
best  advantage. 
All  the  best  varieties  are  of  course  represented,  no  expense  having 
been  spared,  and  plants  have  been  purchased  from  various  parts  of  this 
country  and  the  Continent.  Conspicuous  at  the  time  of  our  visit  were 
Mrs.  Tom  Agnew,  pale  lavender,  large  trass  and  good  grower ;  Countess 
of  Normanton,  another  strong  grower,  colour  pale  lilac,  with  chocolate 
throat ;  Lady  Godiva,  a  fine  specimen  8  feet  through  ;  Old  Port,  very 
dark,  bearing  good  trusses  ;  Joseph  Whitworth,  another  good  dark  with 
fine  handsome  foliage ;  Charles  Bagley,  fine  crimson  ;  Madame  Masson, 
fine  white  with  yellow  centre,  and  a  vigorous  grower  ;  William  Sargeant, 
dark  crimson  ;  Lady  Claremont,  Mr.  R.  S.  Holford,  pink  ;  Due  Adolphe 
de  Nassau  (fine  white),  Snowflake,  Purity,  John  Waterer,  Mrs.  John 
Waterer,  Michael  Waterer,  and  many  others.  Associated  with  the 
RhododeiidronB  are  such  flowering  shrubs  as  Andromeda  floribunda, 
Rhododendron  prsecox,  the  Alpine  Rhododendron,  hardy  Ericas,  and 
many  others,  flowering  in  their  season  and  covering  what  would  otherwise 
be  bare  spaces. 
As  stated  above  the  natural  soil  is  only  clay,  and  in  order  to  bring 
about  the  present  state  of  things  thousands  of  loads  of  peat  have  been 
added  and  evidently  has  formed  a  suitable  compost  for  trees  and  shrubs 
generally,  as  the  growth  of  many  of  them  is  much  above  the  average  of 
the  district. 
A  special  feature  at  Eshwood  is  the  rockeries  and  waterfall. 
Hundreds  of  tons  of  stone  have  been  brought  from  Weardale  and  other 
parts  of  the  country,  many  of  the  blocks  weighing  from  10  ewt,  to  a  ton. 
The  last  of  these,  although  only  recently  made,  is  now  filled  with  the 
usual  rock  plants,  which  appear  quite  at  home.  Amongst  others  we 
noticed  the  old  double  white  Rocket,  which  is  not  as  much  cultivated  as 
it  deserves  ;  the  reason  probably  is  not  far  to  seek,  because  if  left  to 
Itself  the  plant  soon  dies  out.  It  must  be  taken  up  annually  after 
flowering  and  divided  ;  the  stock  can  thus  soon  be  increased,  and  easily 
maintained.  Chrysanthemum  maximum,  too,  we  noticed  in  a  noos, 
enjoying  the  moisture  beneath.  Of  hardy  Ferns  there  is  a  good  collec¬ 
tion,  amongst  them  being  many  comparatively  rare  species.  In  wending 
our  way  to  the  alpine  rockery  we  passed  the  Egyptian  summer  house, 
which  was  brought  by  Mr,  Cochrane  from  Cairo.  In  the  alpine  garden 
are  many  interesting  plants,  all  carefully  numbered.  Amongst  others 
we  noticed  the  pretty  Saxifraga  rotundifolia,  Phlox  Nelsoni,  Aubrietia 
rubra  purpurea.  Primulas,  and  others.  Immediately  adjoining  the 
pleasure  grounds  is  a  delightful  shady  wood,  chiefly  Oak  ;  and  here 
again  the  natural  beauty  has  been  taken  advantage  of,  and  “  Art  has 
assisted  Nature.” 
A  small  stream  runs  through  it,  over  which  rustic  bridges  have  been 
thrown,  one  of  which  was  covered  with  that  useful  climbing  Rose 
Dundee  Rambler.  On  either  side  of  the  stream  the  banks  have  been 
suitably  planted  with  hardy  Ferns,  London  Pride,  and  others  suitable 
for  such  a  position.  Just  on  the  outskirts  of  the  wood  is  being  formed  a 
fine  herbaceous  garden,  ii*  which  is  to  be  found  many  of  the  best  plants 
of  the  hardy  section.  It  must  not  be  supposed  that  because  there  is  not 
a  great  show  of  the  usual  summer  bedding  that  this  is  altogether 
neglected,  although,  rightly  we  think,  it  must  take  second  place. 
Altogether  some  15,000  tender  plants  have  been  put  out,  amongst  them 
being  several  thousands  of  Antirrhinums  in  separate  colours.  The  plants 
were  raised  in  heat  early  in  the  year,  carefully  pricked  into  boxes,  and 
afterwards  planted  out. 
The  glass  houses  are  numerous  and  well  arranged  ;  the  Vines  and 
Peaches  were  carrying  good  crops,  and  indicating  the  same  care  and 
good  management  as  other  departments.  The  fernery  has  been  built 
and  planted  by  the  present  girdener,  Mr.  A.  Bentley,  under  whose 
management  the  place  has  been  for  some  years  past,  and  deserves  more 
than  passing  notice,  the  various  Ferns  and  climbers  evidently  being 
quite  at  home.  We  noticed  Clerodendron  Balfourianum  flowering 
freely,  although  the  temperature  at  times  has  been  low.  In  the  conser¬ 
vatory  we  noticed  two  very  fine  Lapagerias,  alba  and  rosea,  which  in 
their  season  flower  profusely  ;  the  structure  was  very  gay  with  Pelar¬ 
goniums,  Cinerarias,  and  other  seasonable  plants. 
In  the  kitchen  garden  are  situated  Cucumber,  Melon,  and  orchard 
houses.  Cucumbers  were  carrying  heavy  crops  of  fruit.  The  variety 
grown  wag  raised  by  Mr.  Bentley,  and  in  addition  to  other  good  qualities 
possesses  an  unusually  good  flavour.  Tomatoes  are  largely  and  well 
grown,  also  Apples  and  Pears  in  pots  ;  the  latter,  however,  do  not 
succeed  so  well  as  when  planted  out  under  glass,  the  dififlculty  being  in 
getting  the  flowers  to  set.  This  is  by  no  means  an  isolated  case,  and 
some  growers  we  know  of  have  the  advantage  of  a  double  set  of  trees, 
which  fruit  one  year  and  rest  the  next.  The  kitchen  garden  is  well 
stocked  with  the  various  kinds  of  fruits  and  vegetables,  many  of  which 
were  making  remarkable  growth.  Strawberries,  for  instance,  do  exceed¬ 
ingly  well,  and  bear  foliage  such  as  we  have  seldom  seen,  and 
exceedingly  fine  crops  are  annually  gathered.  Apples  are  somewhat 
disappointing  after  the  fine  early  promise,  the  recent  dry  weather  and 
ravages  of  caterpillars  having  had  much  to  do  with  this.  At  the  top  of 
the  garden,  which  slopes  gently  to  the  south,  we  noticed  a  plantation  of 
Roses  doing  remarkably  well  in  the  strong  clayey  soil ;  while  trained 
to  the  wall  was  a  fine  plant  of  Gloire  de  Dijon,  which  was  simply 
covered  with  bloom,  and  we  were  told  that  200  blooms  had  been  cut  the 
day  previous. 
Mr.  Cochrane  is  not  only  interested  in  gardening,  but  also  in  farming 
and  horse  breeding.  The  steam  plough  has  been  brought  into  requisi¬ 
tion  ;  manure,  both  chemical  and  other,  haa  been  freely  but  judiciously 
used,  with  the  result  that  land  which  was  exceedingly  poor  and  of  little 
value  now  produces  abundant  crops.  One  of  the  many  points  of  interest 
at  Eshwood  is  the  “home  nursery,”  stocked  with  various  kinds  of  hardy 
plants,  which  are  required  for  improvements  and  alterations  that  are 
continually  going  on.  Mr.  Cochrane  is  a  liberal  patron  of  labour,  and 
delights  to  have  everything  well  done,  consequently  be  is  now  reaping 
what  he  has  sown  years  ago,  and  future  generations  will  also  derive 
benefit  from  his  forethought. — VlsiToa. 
VEITCH’S  PERFECTION  STRAWBERRY. 
In  the  description  of  this  splendid  dessert  Strawberry  on  page  8 
(July  2nd),  an  intimation  was  given  that  the  name  under  which  the 
fruits  were  sent  to  Chiswick  might  possibly  be  provisional.  This,  it 
appears,  was  the  case,  and  the  above  is  the  name  that  has  been 
finally  decided  on.  It  is  a  good  name,  as  it  ought  to  be,  for  it  applies  to 
one  of  the  most  distinct  and  richest  of  Strawberries  that  have  been  raised 
during  recent  years. 
For  high  dessert  quality  Veitch’s  Perfection  Strawberry  ranks  with 
British  Queen,  Dr.  Hogg,  and  Countess.  The  new  comer  is,  moreover,  as 
large  as  any  of  them  and  deeper  in  colour.  In  this  respect  it  resembles 
its  seed  parent  Waterloo,  while  the  pollen  of  British  Queen  has  conveyed 
the  quality  of  this  old  favourite. 
The  sturdy  fruit  trusses  and  substantial  leafage  of  the  new  variety 
suggests  that  it  possesses  a  good  constitution  ;  and  if  this  prove  to  be  so, 
we  shall  be  surprised  if  Veitch’s  Perfection  Strawberry  (fig.  10)  does 
not  remain  a  favourite  in  gardens  as  long  as  Veitch’s  Perfection  Pea 
has  done,  which  is  now,  we  think,  about  forty  years. 
YOUNG  GARDENERS. 
Their  Hohes  and  Habitations. 
One  cannot  help  feeling  disappointed  that  more  of  the  probationers 
of  our  gardens  have  not  stepped  forward  to  state  their  views  or  give 
opinions  on  this  question  which  so  closely  concerns  them.  In  spite  of 
the  gentle  persuasive  powers  of  “  The  Old  Boy  ”  they  have  held  aloof  ; 
neutral  the  “aged  youngster”  may  be  in  his  intentions,  but  even 
without  the  hint  dropped  by  “  Saynor  ”  in  a  recent  issue  it  is  not  difficult 
to  read  between  the  lines  that  “  The  Old  Boy  ”  is  in  favour  of  a  better 
state  of  things  all  round.  “  Another  Subordinate  ”  appears  to  have  been 
somewhat  misunderstood,  and  though  he  did  not  express  himself  quite 
clearly  there  is  argument  in  what  he  says,  this  also  applying  to 
“  Wiltshire  Gardener’s  ”  reply.  One  gathers  from  the  former’s  remarks 
that  all  in  bothy  life  that  needs  alteration  has  been  brought  about  by 
thoughtlessness  or  carelessness  of  head  gardeners,  and  they  are 
