July  29,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
99 
: -  East  Cowes  Horticultukal  Society. — By  the  kind  per- 
misiioQ  of  J.  S.  White,  Esq.,  Clarence  House,  East  Cowes,  the  members 
of  this  Society  visited  Clarence  House  Gardeui,  which  are  in  the  capable 
hands  of  Mr.  C.  Martin,  on  Wednesday  evening,  July  2l8t.  The 
conservatories,  stoves.  Orchid  and  Peach  houses,  vineries,  and  kitchen, 
fruit,  and  flower  gardens  were  carefully  inspected,  and  gave  much 
pleasure  and  profit  to  the  members.  Mr.  S.  Heaton,  Horticultural 
Instructor  for  the  Isle  of  Wight  County  Council,  then  gave  advice  on  the 
cultivation  of  many  things  they  had  seen,  which  proved  instructive  and 
interesting.  On  the  motion  of  Captain  Harvey  (Chairman  of  the 
Society)  unanimous  votes  of  thanks  were  given  the  lecturer  and  the 
Technical  Education  Committee  of  the  Isle  of  Wight  County  Council 
for  the  excellent  series  of  lectures  which  had  just  terminated,  and  to 
Mr.  White  for  allowing  them  to  visit  his  gardens. 
-  Garden  PRiviLEaES  Abused. — It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the 
desire  of  owners  of  beautiful  gardens  to  share  their  pleasures  with  others 
less  fortunate  than  themselves  is  so  often  obstructed  by  a  few  boorish 
people,  who  do  not  know  how  to  behave.  The  great  majority  of  those 
so  favoured  conduct  themselves  properly,  but  the  few  rude  ones  spoil 
the  whole.  The  New  York  correspondent  of  the  Philadelphia  “  Public 
Ledger  ”  reports  the  following.  The  unfortunate  facts  find  a  counter¬ 
part  everywhere.  “  The  reckless  riding  of  wheelmen  through  the  grounds 
of  wealthy  gentlemen  residing  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson  Kiver  has 
resulted  in  the  taking  away  of  that  privilege.  Quite  recently  Mr.  John 
Jacob  Astor  was  crowded  into  the  ditch  on  his  own  estate  by  a  party  of 
rough  riders,  and  at  once  he  shut  the  gates  of  Ferncliffeto  all  wheelmen. 
Mr.  Fred  W.  Vanderbilt  has  now  followed  Mr.  Astor’s  example,  on 
account,  it  is  said,  of  a  similar  experience.  The  Astor  and  Vanderbilt 
places  contain  miles  of  the  best  roads  in  Dutchess  Coanty.” 
- London’s  Open  Spaces.  —  At  the  monthly  meeting  of 
the  Metropolitan  Public  Gardens  Association,  83,  Lancaster  Gate,  W., 
the  Earl  of  Meath  (Chairman)  presiding,  it  was  announced  that  the 
Association  had  completed  the  laying  out  of  St.  James’s  Churchyard, 
Pentonville,  by  means  of  a  grant  of  £600  from  the  City  Parochial 
Foundation,  and  that  the  ground  was  opened  to  the  public  by  Captain 
Penton,  the  freeholder,  on  the  6th  inst. ;  that  St.  Matthew’s  Churchyard, 
Bethnal  Green,  was  approaching  completion,  and  would  be  opened  on 
the  20th  inst. ;  that  the  gymnastic  apparatus  granted  by  the  Association 
had  been  erected  at  St.  Nicholas’  playground,  Deptford,  and  that  this 
ground  would  be  completed  and  opened  in  labout  a  fortnight’s  time. 
Progress  was  reported  with  regard  to  the  laying  out  of  the  Bast  Street 
site  at  Walworth,  and  it  was  stated  that  the  Association  had  received 
the  gift  of  a  handsome  drinking  fountain  for  this  ground  from  Mr.  L.  H. 
Isaacs.  It  was  agreed  to  renew  a  previous  offer  to  lay  out  Christ  Church 
Churchyard,  Blackfriars  Road,  and  a  disused  burial  [ground  in  York 
Road,  Walworth,  provided  their  maintenance  was  secured.  It  was 
agreed  to  support  schemes  for  the  preservation  of  vacant  sites  near  the 
Essex  Road,  Islington,  and  in  Wandsworth,  Bromley,  and  other  localities, 
and  to  offer  prizes  for  the  best  designs  for  durable  yet  artistic  drinking 
fountains,  costing  not  more  than  £50  and  £100  respectively. — 
(“  Garden.”) 
-  Hardy  Garden  Flowers  at  Petersham. — At  the  recent 
village  flower  show,  the  second  only,  held  in  this  charming  Thames 
side  locality,  there  were  several  collections  exhibited  of  bunches  of 
garden  flowers,  in  which  hardy  perennials  largely  predominated.  These 
made  up  very  pleasing  as  well  as  interesting  features  that  are  worthy 
of  wide  emulation  elsewhere.  Yet  I  could  but  notice  that  several 
forecourt  gardens  close  to  the  high  road  entered  for  the  flower  garden 
class  were  dressed  almost  exclusively  in  very  formal  fashion,  with 
purely  tender  flowers.  That  is  far  from  being  a  desideratum  in  flower 
gardening.  But  that  hardy  flowers  should  be  well  grown  and  shown  in 
Petersham  need  not  excite  wonder,  seeing  that  Mr.  Aldridge,  who  has 
very  extensive  fields  of  hardy  flowers,  is  one  of  the  largest  growers  of 
these  around  London  for  market.  He  set  up  a  fine  collection  in  large 
bunches  of  flowers  now  in  season,  such  as  several  Eryngiums,  and  also 
various  Helianthuses,  as  well  as  Coreopsis  grandiflorus,  Pentstemons 
in  variety,  Gypsophila  paniculata,  Echinops  ritro.  Giant  Daisies, 
Gaillardias,  Achillea  millefolium  rosea  and  Ptarmica  The  Pearl,  French 
Carnations,  Steriactis  speciosus,  Heliopsis  superba,  Rudbeckias,  and 
not  least  two  beautiful  forms  of  Lathyrus  latifolius  alba  and  rosea. 
In  the  competing  collections  there  were  also  Galegas,  white  and  blue ; 
Lychnis  chalcedonica,  Tradescantiaa,  Lythrum  roseum,  Monarda  didyma. 
Campanula  persicifolia,  and  others,  all  tending  to  show  not  only  their 
summer  decorative  qualities,  but  how  beautiful  they  are  when  set  up  in 
neat  bunches.  Of  course  amongst  garden  flowers  Sweet  Peas,  Roses, 
and  Stocks  were  found  also. — A.  D, 
-  Lathyrus  rotundifolius. — This  seems  to  be  the  earliest 
flowering  of  the  hardy  Peas,  beginning  to  bloom  in  early  May.  At  this 
time  it  has  stems  6  feet  long,  bearing  a  profusion  of  flowers  of  a  deep 
rosy  red  colour,  known  sometimes  as  old  rose.  This  Pea  is  also  known, 
says  the  “  Garden  and  Forest,”  as  Lathyrus  Drummondi,  and  is  highly 
valued  wherever  grown,  for,  next  to  the  white-flowered  form  of 
L.  latifolius,  it  is  probably  the  most  generally  satisfactory  hardy  Pea 
in  cultivation,  as  the  colour  is  a  pure  tone,  which  contrasts  most 
pleasingly  with  the  light  green  leaves.  It  is  perfectly  hardy,  and  may 
be  increased  from  seed  or  by  division. 
-  Diervilla  japonica. — Many  of  the  garden  Weigelas  bear 
abundant  flowers  of  good  colour,  ranging  from  a  dark  wine-colour  to 
pure  white,  but  somehow  the  habit  of  these  shrubs  is  stiff,  and  they  do 
not  seem  to  mingle  well  with  other  , shrubs.  Diervilla  japonica  was 
raised  from  seed  gathered  by  Professor  Sargent  from  wild  plants  in 
various  parts  of  Central  and  Northern  Japan.  It  is  a  common  shrub  by 
the  banks  of  streams  and  along  the  borders  of  mountain  woods.  Well- 
grown  individual  plants  reach  a  height  of  15  feet  and  a  diameter  of  from 
10  to  20  feet.  This  species  is  the  only  one  which  Professor  Sargent  saw, 
and  he  is  inclined  to  believe  that  the  three  species  of  Maximowicz  must 
be  reduced  to  this  one,  which  varies  much  in  size,  in  the  pubescence  of 
its  leaves,  in  the  number  of  its  flowers,  and  the  length  of  the  peduncles 
of  its  flower  clusters.  It  is  from  different  types  of  this  wild  species, 
perhaps,  that  all  the  garden  forms  have  been  derived.  It  is  easily 
propagated,  and  it  has  been  flowering  for  some  weeks  past  in  the  Arnold 
Arboretum  and  along  the  Boston  parkways.  Certainly,  says  the 
“  Garden  and  Forest,”  it  is  a  more  graceful  shrub  than  the  Weigelas 
of  gardens  as  we  know  them,  and  it  can  be  unhesitatingly  commended 
for  park  planting.  The  flower  clusters  are  sometimes  long-stalked  and 
sometimes  nearly  sessile,  and  they  are  rose-coloured,  yellow,  dark  red, 
or  nearly  white  on  the  same  plant,  since  the  flowers  which  are  very  pale 
when  they  open  turn  darker  as  they  fade. 
IMPRESSIONS  OF  CULFORD. 
Many  and  varied  are  the  attractions  of  this  fine  seat  of  the  Earl 
of  Cadogan,  and  though  no  notes  were  taken  on  a  recent  visit,  impres¬ 
sions  of  some  of  the  principal  points  of  interest  remain.  The  flower 
garden  is  very  fine  notwithstanding  the  dry  weather  now  being  expe¬ 
rienced.  The  whole  is  enclosed  by  magnificently  kept  Yew  hedges, 
and  whatever  their  value  from  an  Eesthetic  point  of  view,  there  is  no 
doubt  that  very  careful  tending  is  necessary  to  create  and  maintain 
them  in  their  present  luxuriant  condition. 
The  beds  are  charmingly  arranged,  filled  to  repletion,  and  present  a 
mass  of  colours  well  blended.  A  good  strain  of  East  Lothian  Stock  is 
magnificent  in  its  freshness  and  bright  colour,  while  in  small  scroll 
beds  and  large  vases  the  useful  Madame  Crousse  Pelargonium  is  used 
with  good  effect.  Roses  are  quite  a  feature,  the  best  of  the  Teas, 
Noisettes,  and  Hybrids  being  well  represented  in  large  beds,  while  one 
or  two  varieties  of  Scotch  Roses  adorn  the  walls.  Many  fine  Coniferse 
are  to  be  seen  in  the  pleasure  grounds,  which  are  planted  for  effect,  and 
coming  to  the  conservatory  a  large  collection  of  healthy  Palms,  and  a 
finely  arranged  planted-out  fernery,  are  interesting; 
Everything  in  the  kitchen  garden  denotes  high  culture  and  careful 
selection  of  varieties,  to  enumerate  which  would  take  far  too  much 
space.  The  walls  are  covered  with  fruit  frees  of  all  the  leading  sorts, 
some  grand  old  giant  Cherries — unfortunately  beginning  to  give  way — 
showing  that  gardening  has  long  been  in  ascendancy  at  Culford.  With 
admirable  foresight  Mr.  Davidson  has  a  lot  of  young  vigorous  trees  that 
in  a  season  or  two  will  almost  take  the  place  of  the  old  ones.  Fruit 
under  glass  is  largely  and  well  grown.  There  are  early  Peach  houses 
cleared  of  their  fruit,  others  with  beautiful  crops  now  ready,  and  a  large 
expanse  of  glass  to  later  ones,  that  will  carry  on  the  supply  after  the 
outdoor  fruit  is  over. 
Without  enumerating  more,  I  must  mention  Victoria,  Humboldt,  and 
Pineapple  Nectarines  ;  Royal  George,  Lady  Palmerston,  and  Grosse 
Mignonne  Peaches,  the  immense  crops  of  splendid  fruit  being  too  good 
to  pass.  Grapes  are  well  done,  some  finely  finished  Hamburghs  and 
Madresfields  looking  well  in  the  early  vinery,  while  the  usual  kinds 
grown  for  late  work,  as  Lady  Downe’s,  Gros  Colman,  and  Alicante,  were 
equally  satisfactory.  House  after  house  is  in  equally  good  condition, 
and  carrying  equally  heavy  crops,  but  that  these  even  are  not  enough 
to  meet  the  large  demand  is  evident  by  some  hundreds  of  feet  more  fruit 
houses  being  built.  Houses  to  delight  any  practical  fruit  power,  roomy, 
light,  capitally  arranged  and  ventilated,  the  new  Carnation  house  also 
being  admirably  adapted  for  the  culture  of  these  superb  plants. 
Of  Malmaisons  about  2000  plants  are  grown,  none  of  these  being 
more  than  two  years  old,  yet  some  ate  carrying  fifteen  or  sixteen  flowers 
of  great  size  and  substance.  Five  hundred  of  these  plants  were  apanged 
in  one  house— a  sight  to  be  long  remembered.  Many  points  of  interest 
are  necessarily  skipped  in  this  brief  note,  but  the  condition  of  the  whole 
place  shows  that  Mr.  Davidson  has  it  well  in  hand,  the  unmistakeable 
impress  of  careful  and  well  considered  culture  being  everywhere 
apparent. — H.  R.  R. 
