May  1,  1902. 
385 
JOUnXAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AXD  COTTA  ,'E  OAEDENER. 
Sjon  House,  Brentford. 
Perhaps  the  most  interesting  season  in  which  to  visit  the 
Duke  of  Northumberland’s  garden  at  Syon  House,  near  Brents 
ford,  in  Middlesex,  is  in  March  or  April,  for  Mr.  George  Wytlies, 
the  chief  there,  is  then  busiest,  or  most  “  thrang,”  as  the  Scots¬ 
men  would  say,  with  matters  of  every  description  that  pertain 
to  the  raising  of  plants  and  the  forcing  of  fruits  and  vegetables. 
It  was  the  truth  that  was  uttered  when  a  friend  said  to  me  of 
Syon,  “  That  place  is  like  a  nursery,  so  many  plants  are  there 
to  propagate  and  care  for.”  The  hardy  fruit  and  vegetable 
quarters  are  all  within  four  good  walls,  and  so  are  the  greater 
number  of  the  glass  houses.  But  a  very  large  number  of  con¬ 
servatories  and  plant  houses  are  variously  scattered  in  other 
parts  of  the  garden,  and  entirely  outside  the  nailed  part. 
The  vineries  are  in  one  long,  lean-to  range,  facing  south. 
No  old  Vinos  are  found  at  Syon  ;  the  constant  and  heavy  cropping 
wears  out  the  vitality  even  of  the  best,  and  it  is  found  necessary 
to  plant  afresh  every  few  years.  But  this  is  considered,  and 
each  season,  in  February,  a  large  number  of  Vine  cuttings  are 
rooted  as  prospective  substitutes.  The  early  Muscat  house  con¬ 
tains  young  canes,  each  plant  having  two  rods,  one  of  which  (the 
older  one)  will  bear  a  crop  this  year,  while  the  other  is  doing 
its  be.st  to  grow  thick,  stout,  and  well-ripened  in  view  of  the 
demand  that  will  be  made  upon  it  to  supply  the  Grapes  in 
place  of  the  companion  rod,  which  is  cut  out  once  the  crop  is 
secured.  Thus  we  have  double  rods  from  the  same  stock,  but 
one  rod  is  older  than  the  other,  and  bears  while  the  other  is 
preparing  to  bear  (ii  I  may  put  it  so),  and  which  will  crop  next 
year  in  the  place  of  the  one  cut  out.  A  house  of  robust  young 
Hamburghs,  with  large  bunches,  were  planted  last  May 
(mark  the  date),  after  the  earliest  crop  of  Grapes  had  been 
gleaned,  and  one  season’s  growth  was  thus  “  caught  up  ” — stealing 
a  march  on  Time,  as  it  were.  Of  course,  young  Vines  planted 
in  May  have  to  be  shaded  and  otherwise  judiciously  treated. 
These  very  early  Hamburghs  are  in  tiny  borders,  and  have  not 
more  than  a  cubic  yard  of  soil  each.  The  earliest  forced  Vine 
pit  was  spoiled  by  fog  this  year,  but  the  plants  were  immediately 
rooted  up  and  others  were  substituted,  and,  though  later  than 
their  predecessors  would  have  been,  they  are  now  doing  well. 
The  Vanilla  (the  only  edible-fruited  Orchid  known)  furnishes 
the  superficial  area  of  a  back  wall  in  this  range,  and  at  this 
period  of  the  twelvemonths  the  shoots  begin  to  bud  and  to  flower. 
The  crop,  of  course,  is  not  useable  till  a  year  hence,  for  the  pods 
are  slow  in  ripening.  Figs  in  pots  are,  and  have  been  for  some 
time,  yielding  ripe  fruits,  particularly  St.  John  (Pingo  de  Mel). 
The  Black  Figs,  such  as  Negro  Largo,  never  show  on,  the  old 
wood,  but  splendid  second  crops  are  secured  from  off  the  young 
shoots.  What’s  the  reason? 
Passing  for  a  moment  to  the  outer  air,  the  early  borders 
with  Peas  and  Broad  Beans  are  so  well  advanced  that  numerous 
flowers  were  already  (April  24)  developed  on  each.  Every  line 
of  plants  in  every  border — and  there  are  many — were  raised  in 
pots  under  glass,  thence  planted  in  the  borders  there  to  fruit. 
Some  of  the  Early  Longpod  Beans  were  sown  last  autumn,  and 
resisted  the  trials  of  winter  until  a  sharp  January  frost  so  nipped 
them  that  few  recovered.  Mr.  Wythes  considers  the  early 
Mazagan  to  be  the  hardiest  of  all,  but  the  beans  are  very  small. 
So  persistent  are  the  depredations  of  the  wretched  sparrows,  that 
nearly  every  sort  of  crop  at  this  time  of  year  requires  to  be 
netted  with  fish-nets.  Perhaps  if  the  Rev.  J.  G.  Wood,  who 
has  written  so  many  “  popular  ”  natural  history  works,  and  who 
stigmatises  the  ignorance  of  gardeners  and  others  in  killing 
these  “  friends,”  had  even  one  week’s  experience  as  chief  of  a 
large  suburban  garden,  his  tenets  would  materially  alter.  In 
Western  Australia  the  Government  are  paying  a  sum  for  each 
sparrow  that  is  destroyed,  and  when  one  innocent  little  friend 
was  observed  near  Perth  recently,  the  event  was  recorded  in 
print. 
The  Gooseberries  are  grown  as  espaliers  under  close  wire 
netting.  On  a  low  north  wall,  with  the  roots  in  a  cool  and  well 
mulched  border,  there  are  a  selection  of  Loganberries  growing 
vigorously  and  flowering  well.  The  Mahdi,  Veitch’s  new  intro¬ 
duction,  and  which  much  resembles  the  Loganberry,  is  here 
also,  and  quite  as  healthy.  The  fruits  are  tart,  acidulous,  and 
good  for  preserving.  Referring  to  a  number  of  Plums  on  an 
open  west  wall,  it  was  pointed  out  that  the  Plum  is  a  failure 
when  grown  as  a  cordon.  It  requires  young  wood  for  consistent 
bearing,  and  though  the  trees  under  note  had  originally  been 
set  in  as  cordons,  two  out  of  every  three  had  been  since  lifted 
to  allow  of  extension.  The  trees  now  are  growing  well,  and  are 
full  of  flower.  Again,  the  dwarf  horizontal  cordons  that  are 
used  in  some  parts  of  Syon  as  an  edging  to  the  borders  are  said 
not  to  be  very  profitable.  This  form  requires  much  attention, 
and  yields  less  than  would  be  profitable  to  the  market  man.  As 
an  ornamental  feature,  however,  and  one  which  also  yields  some 
return,  tbe  dwarf  horizontal  cordon  has  its  uses.  Personally,  I 
favour  this  form. 
Then  Strawberries  are  always  a  feature  of  interest  here, 
because  of  the  special  care  bestowed  upon  them,  and  the  immemse 
quantity  required  annually  for  all  purposes.  One  large  brake, 
representing,  perhaps,  the  fifth  part  of  an  acre,  is  devoted  to 
mother-plants — that  is,  robust  young  Strawberries  whose  sole 
function  it  is  to  furnish  abundance  of  early  runners  of  the  best 
quality.  These  mother-plants  are  not  allowed  to  produce  fruits. 
The  runners  are  secured  early  in  June,  and  planted  or  potted,  as 
the  oa,so  may  be,  the  same  month.  Ten  thousand  are  required, 
of  which  six  thousand  are  for  forcing  in  pots.  In  the  vineries. 
Cucumber  pits,  and  elsewhere  at  this  time  of  the  year,  there 
are  great  shelves  crowded  with  plants  bearing  tlie  odorous  and 
richly  coloured  Strawberries.  The  plant  is  treated  strictly  as  an 
annual,  and  is  richly  tended.  Good  and  sunny  borders  or  brakes 
ai-e  allotted  to  the  young  plants,  and  those  i^lanted  last  June 
and  July  will  bear  in  a  few  weeks,  whence  they  will  be  cleared 
off,  and  Cauliflowers,  or  some  such  other  crop,  substituted  in 
their  place.  The  mother-plants,  or  runner-producers,  are  allowed 
two  years.  They  furnish  the  runners  the  first  year,  and  are 
cropped  the  next.  That  perpetual  fruiter,  St.  Joseph,  appears 
happy  on  a  north  border. 
Tomatoes  in  narrow  borders,  within  sunk  and  heated  pits, 
are  already  beginning  to  colour  their  earliest  fruits.  The  plants 
for  such  early  supply  are  in  evidence  by  October,  and  grown 
“  hard  ”  during  autumn ;  they  are  thence  brought  into  the  pits 
and  planted  in  narrow  borders.  Cucumbers  planted  last  Decem¬ 
ber,  in  the  same  style  of  sunk  lean-to  pits,  have  been  yielding 
weighty  crops  for  some  time,  and  are  now  exceedingly  fruitful. 
So  with  Melons.  The  earliest  plants  have  set  fruits,  the  size 
of  which  at  this  time  equals  that  of  a  tennis-ball.  Rhubarb, 
Mushrooms,  and  Asparagus  are  supiilied  regularly  In  large 
quantities. 
Bananas  used  to  be  more  of  a  feature  at  Syon  than  they 
have  been  lately  owing  to  a  reduction  in  the  number  of  plants 
grown.  Good  fruits  can  be  purchased  at  a  lower  rate  than  home¬ 
grown  supplies  can  be  produced  at,  consequently  these  splendid 
tropical  fruits,  like  the  Pine-apple,  now  almost  unknown  in  British 
gardens,  must  depart  before  the  pressure  of  the  less  meritorious 
foreign  crops.  The  delicious  Mangosteen  was  first  fruited  in 
this  country  in  Syon  gardens,  and  here  would  be  a  new  delicacy 
to  attempt  the  precarious  culture  of,  as  at  present  its  jelly-like 
fruit  appears  to  be  too  tender  to  bear  transijortation  from  the 
tropics.  And  what  of  the  Date  Plum?  It  might  be  welcomed. 
Turning  to  the  floral  features  of  general  interest,  it  is  the 
Odontoglossums  that  first  awaken  the  sympathies  of  the  memory. 
One  long  and  shaded  structure  presents  a  bright  white  mass  of 
crispums  mostly,  with  a  few  Andersonianums,  cirrhosums,  and 
others  among  them.  The  show  gives  one  much  pleasure,  and  it  seems 
almost  vandalistic  to  cut  every  spike  in  this  fine  display  for  the 
decoration  of  a  single  dinner-table  for  a  single  evening.  Yet 
such  is  the  intention  in  this  case.  Mr.  Wythes  effectively  employs 
the  Japanese  Fern-balls  (Davallia  bullata)  that  are  a  mass  of 
tender  greenfronds  at  this  period,  by  placing  them  in  open-mouthed 
glass  bowls,  and  inserting  between  the  woven  rhizomes  of  the 
balls  the  graceful,  arching  spikes  of  the  Odontoglossums.  Tire 
excellence  of  the  arrangement  is  apparent,  and  simplicity,  coupled 
with  the  liighest  beauty,  results.  Dendrobium  densiflorum  is 
another  species  from  which  great  results  are  obtained  in  Mr. 
Wythes’  hands.  A  number  of  plants  in  Sin  and  9in  pots  were 
carrying  so  many  as  nine  long  racemes.  Malrnaison  Carnations, 
as  special  favourites  of  the  Duchess,  are  grown  in  quantity,  and 
the  Ixoras  are  specimens  of  the  very  safest  and  highest  cultural 
skill.  The  gardener  who  grows  Ixoras  to  perfection  understands 
the  treatment  of  the  bulk  of  stove  plants.  Fuchsias,  as  standards, 
and  for  the  arches  of  a  lengthened  alcove  on  the  south  front  of 
Syon  House,  are  kept  in  stock,  and  yearly  necessitate  the  raising 
and  development  of  others  like  them.  In  all  branches  of  house 
and  flower  garderr  decorative  work  (the  latter  referring  to  the 
planting  of  summer  beds,  and  providing  specimen  plants  for  out¬ 
door  embellishment)  the  run  upon  plants  is  very  great,  and 
demands  constant  additions  being  made  to  the  permanent  stock. 
Tire  young  gardeners’  bothy  is  within  a  yard  or  two  of  the 
plant  pits.  Each  man  has  a  bedroom  and  bed  to  liimself,  and 
a  general  sitting-room  is  in  conjunction.  There  is  a  suitable 
room  for  washing  the  hands  and  face  apart  from  the  other  rooms, 
and  the  complete  structure  is  heated  with  hot-water  pipes. 
The  roof  of  the  bothy  is  low,  but  its  appointments  are  excellent. 
A  well-stocked  library  is  at  hand,  too,  and  a  full  list  of  the  books 
was  printed  in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  for  May  16,  1901, 
pp.  422  and  423.  I  was  somewhat  disappointed  to  learn  in  a 
I>assing  remark  that  little  use  is  made  of  the  library,  and  but 
little  use  is  made  even  of  the  gardening  papers.  An  instructor 
in  French,  drawing,  and  other  subjects  was  at  one  time  provided 
for  the  young  gardeners,  but  the  numbers  who  attended  his 
course  (and  he  was  highly  remunerated)  did  not  justify  its  con¬ 
tinuance.  Within  the  last  year  Mr.  Wythes  has  had  a  bath¬ 
room,  lavatory,  and  washstands  furnished  for  his  assistants,  and 
the  hot  water  laid  on  is  maintained  from  a  separate  boilei;.  Each 
man  has  a  key  for  the  bathroom.  The  whole  arrangement  is 
convenient,  clean,  and  comfortable. — Wandering  Willie. 
