114 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
August  1,  1901. 
Birmingham  Gardeners  at  Elvaston. 
The  annual  outing  of  the  members  and  lady  friends  of  this  associa¬ 
tion  took  place  on  the  24th  inst.  The  venue  was  Elvaston  Castle,  Derby, 
by  the  kind  permission  of  the  Earl  of  Harrington,  where  his  lordship’s 
long  experienced  head  gardener  and  famons  fruit  grower,  Mr.  J.  H. 
Goodacre,  gave  a  kindly  welcome.  Arriving  at  Derby  about  10  a.m., 
luncheon  was  partaken  of  at  the  Derwent  Hotel.  Vehicles  were 
requisitioned  for  the  four  miles  journey  to  Elvaston  Castle.  Entering 
the  park  we  proceeded  down  the  long  bnt  narrow  drive,  bordered  on 
both  sides  with  a  wide  stretch  of  grass  bounded  by  the  magnificent 
avenue  of  such  as  Horse  Chestnuts  and  Copper  Beech,  to  the  orna¬ 
mental  iron-gates. 
The  approach  to  the  Castle  by  the  north  front  is  not  so  imposing 
as  it  must  have  been  when  the  splendid  gates  brought  from  Malmaison, 
which  are  at  the  end  of  the  south  front,  formed  the  principal  entrance. 
The  east  front,  facing  the  river  Trent,  has  an  imposing  aspect,  as  it  has 
a  magnificent  avenue  of  Deodara  Cedars  and  Golden  Yews  about 
400  yards  long.  The  latter  are  especially  imposing  with  their  vigorous 
unpruned  branches  boldly  standing  out,  in  fanciful  resemblance  to 
petrified  trees  of  gold.  Fine  and  vigorous  specimens  of  Abies  nobilis 
glauca  are  in  great  numbers.  Arriving  near  the  stables  the 
party  were  met  by  Mr.  Goodacre,  and  at  once  inspected  a  portion 
of  the  rich  arboreal  treasures  close  at  hand.  They  saw  what  is 
said  to  be  the  finest  Golden  Yew  tree  on  earth,  as  well  as  the 
progenitor  of  all  the  Golden  Yews  extant,  and  raised  by  the  late  Mr. 
Barron,  the  famous  arboriculturist  and  transplanter  of  large  trees  at 
Elvaston.  The  introduction  of  this  invaluable  shrub  alone  would 
have  been  sufficient  to  hand  his  name  down  to  posterity.  The  specimen 
in  question,  as  stepped  by  the  writer,  measures  about  50  yards  in 
circumference,  and  formed  an  oblong  Pear-like  outline.  The  exterior 
branches,  however,  do  not  emanate  directly  from  the  parent  stem, 
having  been  produced  from  a  succession  of  layers.  Another  fine 
specimen  growing  in  a  different  portion  of  the  grounds,  though  not  so 
large  as  the  specimen  in  question,  has  extended  its  long  branches 
around  without  the  aid  of  layering. 
Before  extending  their  peregrinations,  as  the  rain  began  to  descend 
freely,  an  adjournment  was  made  to  the  fruit  structure,  notably  the 
large  Muscat  of  Alexandria  vinery,  measuring  upwards  of  100  feet 
long  by  30  feet  wide,  span-roofed  with  a  “  lantern  ”  apex,  and  the 
rafters  springing  from  the  side  lights,  about  4  feet  from  the  borders 
inside,  the  roots  of  the  Vines  being  confined  to  the  inside  of  the  house. 
The  structure  is  heated  by  ten  rows  of  4-inch  pipes,  three  horizontally 
laid  on  either  side  of  the  path  in  the  centre,  and  two  on  each  side  of 
the  house.  This  imposing  house  was  built  some  six  years  ago,  and  the 
vigorous  Vines  are  producing  their  fourth  crop.  A  notable  feature 
is  the  distance  the  rods  are  trained  from  the  roofs — viz.,  about 
3  feet,  thus  allowing  ample  room  for  the  development  of  the  laterals 
and  foliage  above.  The  vigorous  foliage  was  in  a  perfect  state  of 
health,  and  there  had  never  been  any  necessity  for  dressing  the  Vines 
with  inseoticides  since  first  planted,  a  favourable  cause  having  been 
the  exclusion  of  stove  and  greenhouse  plants  from  the  structure.  The 
visitors  freely  admired  the  magnificent  crop  of  exceedingly  fine  bunches, 
rational  in  number,  and  furnished  with  large  berries,  and  the  uniform 
disposal  of  the  bunches  all  over  the  house  left  nothing  to  be  desired. 
The  berries  are  on  the  eve  of  colouring,  and  the  temperature  is  kept 
comparatively  low,  as  the  orop  is  required  for  later  use.  When  fully 
matured  very  many  of  the  bunches  would  make  their  mark  on  the 
exhibition  table,  and  the  apology  for  the  foregoing  details  is  that 
probably  interested  readers  of  the  Journal  will  be  glad  to  learn  a  little, 
at  least  about  one  of  the  more  notable  fruit  structures  at  Elvaston. 
Spaoe  will  not  permit  of  a  detailed  description  of  the  crops  of 
Grapes  contained  in  the  several  other  vineries,  but  suffioe  it  to  say  some 
splendid  examples  of  ripe  and  ripening  black  kinds  were  greatly 
admired,  whilst  heavy  crops  of  them  were  predominant,  and  the  healthy 
foliage  was  premonitory  of  high  quality  in’the  ripe  fruit. 
There  were  also  excellent  crops  of  Peaches,  Nectarines,  Figs, 
Melons  in  superabundance,  and  Tomatoes  to  repletion.  Very  interesting 
also  were  the  Plums,  Apples,  and  Pears  in  pots,  each  laden  with  fine 
fruits,  grown  in  a  large  cool  house  for  early  autumn  use.  The  whole 
extent  of  glass,  including  the  unheated  wall  structures,  is  about  a  mile 
in  extent.  The  numerous  fine  specimens  of  Apple  and  Pear  trees  in 
kitchen  and  orohard  gardens  are  generally  lightly  cropped  this  year 
owing  to  the  adverse  weather  when  the  trees  were  in  bloom.  Special 
mention,  however,  may  be  made  of  a  remarkably  fine  and  tall  tree 
of  Marie  Louise  Pear,  about  34  feet  in  height,  oocupvng  the  whole 
space  of  the  gable  end  of  one  of  the  brick  built  offices,  and  laden 
with  fruit. 
Resuming  their  peregrinations  in  the  grounds,  the  famous  and 
unique  topiary  work  at  once  came  under  observation,  and  of  which  it 
would  take  the  pen  of  a  Ruskin  to  fully  describe,  even  if  it  was  capable 
of  so  doing,  so  intricate,  variable,  and  extensive  is  its  proportions. 
Even  the  excellent  photographic  representation  contained  in  the 
Journal  of  Horticulture  of  January  3rd,  1901,  gives  but  a  faint  idea  of 
its  extent.  This  topiary  work,  “  sculptured  arboreal  greenery,”  is 
calculated  to  excite  surprise  rather  than  admiration,  and  it  serves  as 
an  illustration  of  the  topiary  foibles  of  our  horticultural  ancestors  of 
the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries.  The  extreme  formality  of  the 
topiary  work,  however,  at  Elvaston  is  greatly  relieved  by  the  noble 
Conifers  and  other  tall  and  fine  old  trees  around  it.  The  great  profusion 
and  richness  of  the  topiary  “  Golden  Yews  school”  amounts  to  oppres¬ 
siveness,  and  it  might  be  readily  designated  a  “  golden  garden.” 
Situated  in  harmony  with  its  topiary  surroundings  is  an  interesting 
summer-house,  being  a  portion  of  a  Moorish  temple  brought  from 
Algiers,  contains  two  large  windows  of  costly  stained  glass. 
In  one  portion  of  the  grounds  was  to  be  seen  a  very  tall  weeping  Ash, 
about  80  feet  high,  completely  denuded  of  branches  up  to  nearly  the 
summit,  and  from  which  long  depending  slender  twigs  reach  nearly 
half  way  down.  One  of  the  tallest  Araucaria  imbricatas  was  also  noted 
amongst  several  other  very  lofty  specimens  of  the  kind.  It  presents  a 
somewhat  naked  and  ragged  appearance,  owing  to  the  loss  and  decay  of 
its  lower  branches.  Another  striking  object  was  a  finely  developed 
Alder  tree  nearly  100  feet  high,  growing  at  the  edge  of  the  large  and 
picturesque  tree-begirt  lake,  with  also  bold  and  striking  presentations 
of  rockery,  both  natural  and  artificial,  on  the  opposite  side  of  it 
looking  from  the  topiary  garden.  The  surface  of  the  lake,  how¬ 
ever,  presented  a  far  from  bright  appearance,  owing  to  the  coating  of 
oonfervse  and  other  aquatic  weeds  which  are  allowed  to  predominate, 
it  being  Lord  Harrington’s  desire  that  the  lake,  and  such  as  the  gravel 
walks  in  the  pleasure  grounds,  be  not  kept  in  burnished  order.  The 
topiary  work,  however,  is  well  trimmed.  The  arboreal  features  are 
remarkable  for  the  profusion  of  the  elegant  Canadian  or  Hemlock 
Spruce,  and  they  were  evidently  great  favourites  with  the  planter, 
the  late  Mr.  Barron.  Several  fine  Lebanon  and  Mount  Atlas  Cedars 
bearing  cones  make  a  feature  in  the  landscape,  and  amongst  other  fine 
specimens  of  Coniferte  was  to  be  found  tall  and  massive  ones  of  the 
true  Abies  Douglasi,  from  the  Blue  Mountains  in  North  America. 
Another  object  of  interest  in  the  topiary  garden  was  pointed  out  as 
the  raised  mound-like  grass-covered  sepulchre  of  the  deceased  Earl,  who 
was  the  founder  of  the  topiary  garden  here,  and  it  seems  fitting  that 
his  remains  should  be  interred  amidst  the  work  he  loved  so  well.  At 
the  bottom  stone  steps  leading  down  to  the  entrance  of  the  vault  or 
mausoleum  is  a  massive  iron  door,  kept  securely  locked.  Situate  in  the 
centre  of  a  thicket  of  bare-branohed  Yews  is  a  relic  of  the  late  Mr.  Barron’s 
tree-transplanting  labours ;  it  is  a  very  old  and  trunk-decaying  Yew, 
the  interior  of  which  is  almost  large  enough  to  contain  a  full-sized  man, 
whilst  the  boughs  above  are  in  a  fairly  healthy  condition.  All  around, 
however,  is  reminiscent  of  the  ability  and  industry  of  the  late  genius 
loci  (Mr.  W.  Barron),  and  his  works  must  be  seen  to  be  fully 
appreciated. 
Altogether  the  visit  to  Elvaston  was  one  of  the  most  interesting  of 
outings,  barring  the  weather,  yet  enjoyed  by  the  association.  Arriving 
at  Derby  on  the  return  journey,  an  excellent  tea  was  partaken  of  by  the 
party  at  the  Derwent  Hotel,  and  afterwards  sufficient  time  was  allowed 
for  a  visit  to  the  interesting  public  museum,  ere  starting  for  the  city  of 
hardware,  homewards  bound. — W.  G. 
- - 
Gardening  at  tiie  Glasgow  Exhibition. 
Some  of  the  leading  nurserymen  iu  Scotland  and  Ireland  have 
exhibits  of  trees  and  shrubs  planted  throughout  the  exhibition  grounds 
at  Glasgow.  The  Japanese  garden,  staged  by  Messrs.  Yamanaka 
and  Co.,  London,  showing  dwarfed  shrubs,  is  very  interesting.  A  Thuja 
obtusa  aurea  nana,  about  twenty  years  old,  only  reaches  the  height  of 
4  inches ;  another  plant  of  the  same,  which  reaches  only  4  feet  in 
height,  is  250  years  old.  This  may  be  taken  as  an  exaggeration,  bnt 
the  statement  is  plain  upon  the  labels.  A  plant  of  Pinus  parvifolia, 
3  feet  high,  ages  sixty  years.  A  Pine  and  Acer,  which  were  united  (?) 
in  a  young  state,  are  growing  quite  happily  together.  Podocarpus 
macropbylla  is  shown  a  hundred  years  old,  and  is  only  3  feet  high; 
Podocarpus  ohinensis  variegata  is  seventy  years  old.  This  is  a  beau¬ 
tiful  little  plant  standing  2£  feet  high  ;  the  stems  seem  to  have  been 
twisted  when  in  a  young  state,  and  as  they  are  not  given  much  root 
room,  their  growth  must  have  been  greatly  retarded  in  this  way. 
Mr.  Hugh  Dickson,  Newtownards,  Belfast,  has  a  grand  display  of 
shrubs  of  the  very  finest  sorts,  among  them  a  small  plant  of  Cupressus 
macrocarpa  lutea.  Messrs.  Austin  &  McAslan,  Glasgow,  exhibit  fine 
specimens  of  Ivies  of  every  variety  worth  growing;  while  Mr.  Matthew 
Campbell,  High  Blantyre,  has  some  beds  of  Carnations  and  Piootees  of 
the  best  sorts,  quite  a  mass  of  bloom.  Messrs.  Dobbie  &  Co..  Rothesay, 
have  a  stall  inside  the  buildings,  in  which  they  show  out  florists’ 
flowers  and  pot  plants.  There  is  also  in  the  grounds  a  beautiful 
rockwork  and  cascade,  erected  by  Messrs.  Pulham  &  Son,  London,  and 
well  planted  out  with  rock  plants  and  herbaceous.  Then  there  is 
summer  bedding,  done  by  the  Parks  Department,  so  that  gardeners 
when  visiting  the  exhibition  will  see  something  instructive  as  well  as 
interesting  in  their  own  line  of  business. — A.  B„ 
Canada  wants  20,000  labourers  to  get  in  the  harvest  in  the 
North-West,  and  the  Canadian  Government  asks  for  English  labourers 
to  meet  the  demand. 
