July  25  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
75 
Falkland  Park. 
Lying  almost  due  south  and  close  by  the  Crystal  Palace  is  Falkland 
Park,  the  private  residence  of  C.  Hay  Walker,  Esq.,  comprising  some 
■30  acres  of  ground  of  varied  conformation,  20  acres  of  whioh  are 
inolndecj  in  the  gardens.  The  latter  are  supervised  by  Mr.  W.  J. 
Simpson,  a  man  noted  as  a  first-rate  hardy  fruit  and  vegetable  grower. 
From  the  appearance  of  Orchids  and  other  tender  exotics  in  the  glass 
houses,  his  skill  as  a  plantsman  is  not  inferior.  At  a  recent  visit  to 
this  interesting  demesne  the  vegetable  seotion  of  the  garden  attracted 
attention.  On  a  sunny  south  Vine  border  an  abundant  crop  of  early 
Peas  were  swelling,  and  will  ere 
now  have  afforded  some  luscious 
dishfuls.  The  variety  in  this 
instance  was  Sutton’s  Excelsior, 
while  in  the  open  brakes  the 
Selected  Duke  of  Albany  and  the 
dwarf  but  robust  Early  Giant  were 
•each  strong  and  abundantly  set. 
Spinach  is  grown  between  the  Pea 
rows. 
The  earliest  plantings  of  Celery 
were  just  about  to  be  made,  and  a 
special  trench  is  allowed  for  each 
row  of  plants.  Undoubtedly  where 
space  can  be  afforded  this  crisp  and 
juicy  vegetable  should  have  free¬ 
dom,  and  ought  in  this  respect  to  be 
treated  liberally.  Needless  to  say 
the  Celery  ground  is  not  merely  dug, 
it  is  deeply  trenched,  and  much 
good  dung  is  incorporated.  The 
young  Celery  plants,  by  the  way, 
are  grown  individually  in  pots,  and 
when  they  are  well  established  in 
the  3-inoh  size  they  are  then  ready 
for  planting  out.  The  Cocoa-nut 
Lettuce  is  the  variety  favoured  at 
Falkland,  and  I  am  not  sure  that 
any  other  variety  finds  a  place.  It 
is  the  same  with  Tomatoes ;  either 
indoors  or  out,  two  kinds  only  are 
cultivated — namely,  S  utton’s  Eclipse 
and  The  Trophy.  Every  grower 
finds  a  favourite  variety,  and  though 
each  may  differ  from  the  other,  yet, 
according  to  the  partisans  of  each, 
his  own  pet  is  par  excellence  the 
best.  Lockie’s  Perfection  Cuoumber 
is  grown,  and  this  supplies  all 
needs.  It  produces  fruits  of  even 
size  and  moderate  length,  whioh 
latter  characteristic  affords  it  value 
and  usefulness  in  the  eyes  of  those 
for  whom  it  is  here  grown. 
Returning  to  the  vegetable 
garden,  Mr.  Simpson  pointed  out  a 
new  variety  of  Rhubarb  that  pro¬ 
mises  excellently.  This  is  named 
The  Sutton.  It  has  the  qualities  of 
being  speedy  in  establishing  itself 
on  any  selected  and  well  prepared 
piece  of  ground,  and  throws  up 
long,  stout,  red-skinned  stalks. 
Some  of  the  stalks,  indeed,  were 
over  3  feet  in  length,  and  thick  in 
proportion.  It  is  not  so  juicy  as 
Champagne,  for  instance,  but  it  has 
an  agreeable  pungent  flavour.  It 
is  much  respected  by  the  head 
gardener  at  Falkland,  and  from  what  I  saw  of  the  variety  it  appears  to 
be  a  capital  and  useful  addition. 
The  hybrid  Bean,  produced  from  crossing  the  Dwarf  Bean  with  the 
Scarlet  Runner,  and  now  called  Sutton’s  Hybrid  Dwarf  Bean,  was  here  in 
frames.  The  dwarf  habit  and  free  flowering  qualities,  combining,  too, 
the  Marrow  flavour  of  the  Runner  Beans,  furnish  a  trio  of  commendable 
qualities.  Onions,  Carrots,  Parsnips,  and  other  crops  were  healthy 
and  vigorous,  notwithstanding  the  light  soil  and  the  late  prolonged 
drought.  Mr.  Simpson  was  anxious  to  have  rain,  so  that  the  Brassicas 
for  winter  supply  might  be  placed  in  their  permanent  po  itions. 
Speaking  of  dryness  calls  my  attention  to  the  parched  state  of  some 
of  the  lawns  at  Falkland  Park,  while  other  portions  of  the  grassland 
were  quite  green  and  fresh.  But  these  latter  had  been  preserved  in 
their  pristine  condition  by  the  use  of  London  street  sweepings  (horse 
droppings)  as  gathered  by  the  scavenger  boys.  This  manurial  stuff  is, 
in  London,  first  of  all  emptied  into  upright  pillar-like  bins  placed  at 
intervals  along  the  main  thoroughfares,  and  into  whioh  the  boys  empty 
their  gleanings.  When  the  bins  are  full  the  scavenger  carts  oome 
along  and  relieve  them,  so  that  the  matter  is  kept  free  from  indecom¬ 
posable  substances,  and  is  in  a  fit  state  to  sell  for  garden  purposes. 
The  Falkland  Park  folks  have,  then,  used  this  in  its  sifted  condition  on 
part  of  the  lawns,  which,  after  being  watered  in  and  the  surfaoe 
repeatedly  swept,  disappears  downwards  with  eminently  good  results. 
It  only  costs  3s.  per  load,  including  oost  of  transit. 
Hardy  fruit  trees  presented  very  satisfactory  prospects.  Plums  are 
well  fruited,  as  are  Apples,  though  the  Pears  had  suffered  from  the 
effeots  of  a  cold,  easterly  blizzard  at  the  time  when  their  flowers  were 
fully  expanded.  Vines,  on  the  whole,  were  good,  and  bearing  serviceable 
bunches  of  average  size.  Buokland  Sweetwater  had,  perhaps,  finer 
bunches  than  any  of  the  others,  but  this  variety  naturally  furnishes  a 
massive  bunch.  Madresfield  Court 
had  ripe  and  well-finished  bunches. 
Pointing  to  a  few  young  rods,  Mr. 
Simpson  showed  me  that  he  keeps 
the  laterals  pinched  along  the 
whole  length  of  wood,  and  the 
purpose  is  to  huild  up  the  buds  and 
the  growth  as  these  are  made.  He 
impresses  on  one  the  value  of 
“  building  up  the  wood,”  and  by 
this  close  manner  of  pinching  he 
secures  his  end.  Again,  instead  of 
cutting  down  the  year-old  canes 
whioh  I  saw,  he  will  take  a  crop 
from  14  feet  of  their  length  next 
season.  Whether  the  strength  and 
lasting  qualities  of  the  Vines  suffer 
from  this  early  fruiting,  i  am  not 
prepared  to  say. 
In  the  Orchid  houses  there  were 
some  handsome  Cattleya  gigas  in 
bloom.  Seldom  have  finer  flowers 
been  seen  that  some  of  those  borne 
by  the  specimens  here.  C.  Acklandiae 
was  dotted  about,  and  with  its 
curious  purplish  lip,  and  brownish, 
spotted  sepais,  formed  a  charming 
subject.  Dendrobium  moschatum, 
with  its  crimson-blotched,  pouch- 
like  labellum,  aad  massive  sepals 
and  petals,  was  another  attractive 
member, as  was  Oncidium  flexuosum, 
O.  conoolor,  0.  citrosmum,  and  O. 
Papilio.  About  a  score  of  healthy 
Miltonia  vexillaria  adorned  a 
portion  of  one  of  the  houses;  and 
hard  by  there  were  many  of  the 
dark  flowered  Cypripedium3. 
Cattleya  Mendeli  and  C.  Mossiae, 
together  with  handsome  Sobralia 
macrantha,  Thunia  Bensoniae, 
Aerides  Fieldingi,  and  a  grand 
display  of  Odontoglossum  orispum 
in  a  separate,  long,  span-roofed  cool 
house,  each  drew  special  attention 
to  themselves.  The  collection  of 
named  Fuchsias  and  Coleus  were 
splendid  samples  of  culture.  The 
best  of  the  Fuchsias  were  Aurora 
superba,  Swanley  Gem,  Charming, 
Wave  of  Life,  Mrs.  Marshall,  Warrior 
King,  and  Lamennais.  As  a  corridor 
plmt  trained  to  a  wall,  what  beats 
the  rich  scarlet  Pelargonium  Henry 
Jacoby  ?  It  was  magnificently 
represented  in  the  long,  cool  cor¬ 
ridor  at  this  place  ;  so  also  was  that 
lovely,  pure  white  Solanum  named 
jasminoides.  The  flowers  hang  in 
pendent  clusters,  the  stamens  in  the  centre  being  yellow  ;  altogether  it 
is  a  grand  indoor  plant,  and  .ought  not  to  be  lacking  in  any  garden. 
And  what  a  beautiful  and  odorous  plant  is  the  Cherry  Pie  (Heliotropium) 
when  also  employed  as  a  wall  climber;  it  is  withal  so  very  useful. 
Before  concluding  I  would  like  to  mention  how  very  handsome  were 
some  plants  of  Aoalypha  Macafeeana,  grown  in  6-inoh  pots,  and 
suspended  by  a  wire  near  to  the  glass,  in  a  span-roofed  house.  The 
f  diage  was  of  enormous  size,  and  more  brilliantly  coloured  than  I  have 
ever  seen  this  favourite  foliage  subject.  The  presentment  of  the 
g  irdens  reflects  to  the  credit  of  Mr.  Simpson  and  his  assistants.  D. 
Trap  Xianterns  for  Insects. — This  soheme  for  destroying  insects 
is  very  plausible,  says  “  The  Canadian  Horticulturist,”  as  a  substitute 
for  spraying,  but  the  difficulty  with  it  is  that  nearly  all  kinds  of  inseots 
are  attracted  by  the  light  and  caught  in  the  trap.  Some  of  them  are 
friends  of  the  fruit  grower,  while  the  oodlin  moth,  the  -most  injurious 
inseot,  is  the  least  liable  to  be  caught. 
ClKBHOPETALUM  CuMINGI. 
