.T.’.iio  5,  1£02. 
4S0 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE 
purpose  to  write,  but  rather  of  the  gardens,  which  wei^ 
revisited  after  a  lapse  of  some  twelve  or  more  years,  though, 
as  might  be  expected,  the  present  time  of  year  is  not  that 
best  chosen  to  seek  fresh  records.  Badminton’s  gardener, 
however,  is  such  a  fund  of  resource  that  in  his  company  even 
the  freshly  dug  and  implanted  garden  plots  can  be  made 
interesting,  and  even  the  refuse  heap  gives  forth  interesting 
theory,  as  well  as  its  more  practical  worth.  Gardening  here 
must  necessarily  be  made  practical,  fruits  and  vegetables  in 
their  season  in  particular  pressing  heavily  in  their  demands 
on  the  resources  from  which  it  is  drawn,  and  the  limited 
staff  that  are  entrusted  with  its  production.  In  Mr.  Nash 
the  capacity  for  hard  work  is  almost  proverbial ;  indeed,  one 
would  almost  learn  that  to  him  work  was  perfect  recreation. 
On  Saturday  afternoon  when  the  toilers  of  the  week  cease 
their  active  occupations,  Mr.  Nash  finds  evident  enjoyment 
AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
neglected  garden  is  the  one  that  provides  trouble  both  for 
the  present  lyrd  future.  As  long  as  Mr.  Nash  maintains  his 
present  health  and  activity,  weeds  will  find  in  him  a  vigorous 
agitator. 
Apart  from  the  great  demands  that  are  associated  with 
the  home  supply,  for  twenty-four  years  Mr.  Nash  proved 
himself  an  enviable  exponent  in  the  art  of  exhibiting  fruit. 
His  Grapes  will  be  long  remembered  for  their  perfect  finish  ; 
Peaches,  Nectarines,  Apricots,  Figs,  Melons,  Pears,  and 
other  fruits  for  their  fine  colour,  large  size,  and  high  quality. 
For  a  series  of  nine  consecutive  years  Mr.  Nash  won  the  Bath 
City’s  chief  prize  for  a  collection  of  Grapes  at  their  autumn 
show,  and  miscellaneous  collections  of  fruits  rarely  failed  to 
enlist  other  than  the  Duke  of  Beaufort’s  name  on  the  first 
prize  cards.  At  other  near  and  distant  exhibitions  there  are 
records  of  success  well  won,  and  well  deserved.  •  It  is  by 
Photo  by  Jiiijg,  BbminghuM 
Back  row  (from  left  to  right)— I,  Miss  E:  'Browa  (diu^hterof  A.  R.  Bro'.v.i) ;  2,  .Janss  Dou;;la3,  Junr.  ;  3,  A.  R.  Brown  ;  4,  C.  Edmonds  ;  5,  A,  W.  Jones  ; 
6,  W.  B.  Lathom;  7,  E.  Longbottom  ;  8,  W.  H.  Migdley  ;  9,  Tom  Lord;  11,  J.  W.  Bentley;  11,  R.  Holding,  secretary  ;  12,  —  Taylor  (Phillips 
and  Taylor);  13,  F.  T.  Poulson  ;  14,  A.  Chatwin ;  15,  T.  Godwin;  16,  E.  Danks  ;  17,  J.  Clements;  and  18,  W.  Gardiner. 
Those  'sitting  are  (left  to  right)— It.  Dean,  Rer.  F.  D.  Horner,  John  Pope,  Ben  Simonite,  and  R.  Gorton. 
”  Judges,  Officials,  and  Friends  at  the  Edgbaston  Auricula  5how. 
in  work  while,  as  he  says,  it  is  quiet.  His  thirty  years’ 
charge  at  Badminton  does  not  abate  his  ardour,  nor  his 
extreme  activity. 
The  gardens,  mostly  enclosed  in  14ft  walls,  extend  to 
eleven  acres  or  more  in  their  area,  there  being  three 
enclosures,  varying  in  their  acreage  from  four  downwards. 
Being  sub-divided  thus,  provision  is  made  for  extensive  wall 
gardening,  as  well  as  borders  possessing  warm  and  cool 
aspects.  Most  undermanned  gardens  reveal  their  state  in 
neglected  trees  and  weedy  plots  ;  but  Badminton  gardens 
do  not  give  countenance  to  any  such,  but  rather  tend  in 
a  more  favourable  direction.  More  perfectly  trained  trees 
one  could  scarcely  hope  for,  and  the  absence  of  weeds — well, 
what  gardener  does  not  yearn  for  this  order  of  things  without 
its  frequent  realisation  ?  No  garden  is  weed  proof — a  useful 
labour  institution  would  be  absent  w^ere  it  so — but  the 
its  fruit  that  Badminton  Gardens  are  known  in  the  exhibi¬ 
tion  hall  or  marquee. 
Glass,  though  extensive,  is  not  by  any  means  modern  ; 
yet  the  fruit  production  is  none  the  less  satisfactory  because 
of  this.  Mr.  Nash  has  much  respect  for  aged  Vines,  and, 
judging  by  present  appearances  and  prospects,  he  h.  is  every 
reason  to  stand  by  the  veterans  of  the  past.  l\?auy  of  the 
Vines,  I  believe,  are  much  over  sixty  years  in  age,  and,  if 
I  mistake  not,  there  are  but  two  among  the  whole  that  can 
claim  to  be  less  than  thirty  years  of  age.  Despite  their  years 
and  excellent  work  of  the  past,  they  are  to-day  as  vigorous 
and  fruitful  as  the  average  five-year-old,  and  with  good  root 
manipulation  promise  to  go  on  many  more  years.  Mr.  Nash 
is  a  great  advocate  for  root  cultivation,  and  though  ^ome  of 
his  feats  with  the  veterans  seem  somewhat  severe,  there 
would  appear  to  be  a  mutual  agreement  bef'vcou  the  two 
