April  27,  1809. 
JOUUXaL  of  IIOIITJOULTURF  AND 
COTTA  OF 
GARDFNEIl. 
the  lawns  are  no  longer  left  to  Nature,  hjin;;  resown  whcneviT 
nece.ssary,  aivl  kept  wdl  tri-nmed.  Tndccl,  in  all  our  important 
parks  the  ^rass  is  a  pleasant  feature  of  the  scene,  an-1  receives  the 
attention  needful  to  its  maintenance  in  a  ureen  and  (louri.shun^ 
state.  One  of  the  tnoiern  imtirovcments  is  pi  intinjf,  scittercd  or  in 
groups,  Crocuses,  tenowdrops,  DiffoliN,  and  the  like,  aui  ing  t  the 
grass  on  slope.s,  which  make  a  show  during  8['ririg.  Ihic  1  die 
exhibits  the  remit  of  changes  made  about  thirty  yo\rs  ago,  when 
the  bottom  was  concreted  and  the  depth  equali.yed  ;  the  rnarg  n  a!.so, 
which  not  unfrequently  displayed  mudbanks,  has  been  altered  for 
the  better.  In  1851,  an  ob.server  called  attention  to  the  “  hard  line,” 
which  marred  the  beauty  of  this  lake,  as  soon  from  various  points,  and 
rem irked  that  it  needed  some  diversity.  Certainly  there  were  a  few 
uncouth  Willows.  I  remember  seeing  a  man  carry  one  day  kicking 
on  the  point  of  his  penknife  a  fat  caterpillar  of  the  jmss  moth  which 
had  fallen  off  its  foid.  II  owover,  we  have  now  sundry  scmi-.aquatic 
plants  fringing  the  borders  of  the  lake  here  and  there,  most  of  which 
are  growing  well.  For.m  udy,  the  islands  appropriated  to  the  wa'er- 
fowl  were  too  crowded  with  vegetat’on,  but  a  clearance  has  been  made. 
The  Green  Park,  which  onca  was  called  I'pper  St.  .Jam'-.s’s  Park, 
seems  to  havii  acquired  its  new  name  after  the  alteradons  carried  out 
by  liord  Duncarinon  about  sixty  years  ago  ;  probably  lief  ire  that  date 
it  was  sorne.vhat  deficient  in  greenery.  Peautiful  vicw.s  of  distant 
Surrey  are,  however,  no  longer  a'tainable  from  the  higher  ground. 
The  shrubberies,  situate  along  the  ca't  side  of  this  park,  were  firiu'Tly 
regarded  with  admiration  ;  to  us  there  is  nothing  very  eh  inning  about 
them.  Some  had  venerable  Thorns,  Hollies,  and  Lilacs,  which  are 
now  replaced  by  other  shrubs;  and  the  park  itself  cont.aim  many  trees 
planted  during  the  last  twenty  years.  In  the  Green  l^ark  growth  is 
often  retarded  by  the  cold  winds  of  spring,  and  some  young  trees  hive 
been  damaged  by  meiidle.somo  juveniles.  An  unsightly  reservoi?', 
once  iirominent  on  the  north  side,  has  been  removed  ;  and  as  a  border 
to  Piccadilly  we  have  a  long  row  of  beds,  which  arc  well  filled  during 
the  summer  with  free-flow.  rin  g  plir.t-’.  The  flatness  of  this  park  has 
been  remedied  by  forming  dells  and  little  bilks. 
Constitution  Hill  when  I  first  knew  it  was  open  to  the  public  right 
up  to  the  wall  of  Puckingham  Palace  Gardens,  but  the  fool|)ath  has 
neen  narrowed,  part  of  the  space  railed  in,  an  1  some  flower  beds 
made  amongst  the  trees  in  the  portion  enclosed.  Why  was  it  called 
“ Consfituti'iri,”  or  ai  .some  s.ay,  Conslitutional  Hill?  “To  fake  a 
constitutional  ”  is  a  phrase  we  cannot  carry  back  far  enough,  for  the 
road  had  this  name  in  1724,  or  earlier.  Doubtless  the  stroll  towards 
Hyde  Park  might  bo  very  beneficial,  for  many  an  invalid  has  gaiiiul 
strength  by  w.alkiug  or  riling,  where  refreshing  breezes  come  from 
the  northern  heights.  There  was  a  time,  indeed,  when  IlyJo  Park 
was  bare  and  uninviting,  but  now  it  is  a  delightful  spot  in  S|)ring  and 
summer,  nor  is  it  very  dreary  when  winter  rules  the  landscape. 
Supposing  we  couple  K'nsingfon  Gardens  with  Hyde  Park,  it  will 
count  as  the  largest  of  all  London  parks,  or,  leaving  that  out,  Hyde 
Park  stands  second,  being  then  8urpas.sed  by  the  Regent’s  Park.  One 
thing  we  cannot  forget  about  this  fiark,  that  it  was  the  seat  of  the 
Exhibition  of  1851,  pioneer  of  numerous  later  exhibitions  throughout 
the  civili.sed  w  irld,  soma  of  which  have  rendered  great  service  to 
farmers  and  gardeners.  My  own  recollections  of  the  park  do  not  take 
me  back  to  the  time  when  the  double  row  of  Walnuts  exfended  from 
the  north  to  the  south  side,  near  Park  Lane,  but  I  can  remetribcr  when 
some  of  the  very  old  trees  .’•cm  lined  that  shadowed  the  firnous  Piing, 
and  I  think  the  deer  had  not  been  all  removed  then.  Not  far  from 
the  Humane  Saciety’s  receiving  hoiire  there  may  be  foun  I  yet  a  few 
venerable  trees,  relics  of  the  Stuart  period;  most  of  the  finer  park 
specimens  are  of  last  century  only.  Thousands  were  planted  about 
sixty  years  ago  in  thick  clumps,  as  the  newspaiiers  of  the  day  com¬ 
plained.  Nature  remed'ed  the  crowding  by  killing  off  many,  others 
were  wactonly  cut  down.  The  Scotch  Fir  was  freely  put  in  to  act  as 
a  nurse  to  others  ;  unfortunately  it  seemed  itself  to  want  nursing  in 
that  locality,  and  did  not  flourish. 
We  are  chiefly  indebted  to  Mr.  Gibson  for  having  devised  the 
alterations  which  have  given  the  aspect  of  a  garden  to  portions  of  Hyde 
Park.  Fifty  years  ago  the  end  of  the  Serpentine  near  Albert  fiate 
was  a  muddy  malodorous  ditch,  it  has  been  converted  into  a  pretty 
dell.  April  and  Mayarelbe  months  in  which  the  public  throng  to  see 
the  spring  flowers,  especially  the  Hyacinths  ;  they  are  usually  plantid 
in  oblong  beds,  one  variety  occupying  each.  Occasionally  we  have  a 
bed  arranged  to  show  three  colours,  which  make  a  pleasant  variety. 
Tulips  are  also  conspicuous,  a  large  numb  -r  being  grown  both  of  the 
early  and  late  sorts.  The  Italian  garden  on  the  llayswater  elgo  of  the 
Parkis  one  of  the  best  examples  of  this  style. 
Just  a  century  age,  the  records  of  the  Board  of  Green  Cloth 
inform  us,  comfiensation  was  given  to  the  widow  of  a  man  shot  by  the 
keepers  while  they  were  hunting  fuxes  in  Ken.sington  Gardens.  At 
that  date  the  gardens  were  much  of  the  wood  or  warren,  except  on  the 
Kensington  side  ;  probably  there  were  rabbits  about,  and  a  poultry 
yard  belonging  to  the  Palace.  Even  in  the  reign  of  George  III.  jiart 
ivas  kept  as  a  garden,  and  people  came  long  distances  to  see  the 
principal  flower  walk,  extending  700  yards,  which  contains  now  many 
choice  shrubs,  and  also  a  collection  of  bullious,  herbaceous,  and  bedding 
plants.  Along  the  banks  of  the  Herpeiitino  are  masses  of  Rliodwl-u- 
(Irons,  with  a  variety  of  evergreen  and  deciduous  shrubs,  which  have  a 
ca[)ital  elfi'ct.  Then  wo  hive  an  attraction  in  the  semicircular  gar, I  'n 
by  the  Cottage,  which  was  [ilauted  in  1874,  the  de.sign  of  Mr.  N. 
Cole.  During  the  spring  the  rtws  of  trees  crossing  and  re-cros^ing 
each  other  in  the  bro.ad  space  arc  delightful  to  look  upjn. — J.  R.  S.  C. 
STOrjKS  FOR  FRUIT  TREEH. 
Tiif.  experience  of  the  writer  of  the  aiticle  under  this  heading  or 
p.age  314,  is  so  very  diiferent  from  my  own  that  I  fed  comiidlcii  to 
say  a  word  in  reply.  It  would  almost  seem'unncces.sary  at  the  end  of  tlie 
nineteenth  century  and  after  the  subject  has  been  written  about  t<jc 
fifty  years,  to  say  anything  more  about  ttie  merits  of  the  Par.uli'f, 
stock  for  Apples.  One  Icarus  from  experience,  however,  that  teachit.f 
is  still  required,  and  if  the  rising  generation  read  an  article  like  ibt 
one  in  rptestion,  and  see  no  reply  thereto,  they  might  conclude  that  aft 
that  has  been  previously  written  upon  the  merits  of  tlie  Paiadiss 
stock  was  exploded,  and  that  we  had  “changed  all  that”  ar.d  goi^c 
back  to  working  “  at  least  90  per  cent,  of  the  Aiq  los  worked  in  tkb 
country  upon  the  wild  Crab.” 
To  commence  with,  I  would  reverse  the  figures  named  aitd  siy 
that  probably  not  more  than  10  per  cent,  of  Apples  now  worked  arc 
upon  the  wild  Crab,  the  balance  being  on  seedling  Apple  and  Paradise. 
Such  a  statement  as  this  is  naturally  only  a  guess,  but  1  think  it  wil< 
be  found  much  nearer  trutli  than  the  former  one.  For  many  ye.tr* 
now  we  have  worked  20,000  Apples  a  year  upon  the  Paradise,  annf 
shall  have  to  largely  increase  our  production.  Messrs.  Rivers,  Biinyar<k 
Veitch,  Dicksons,  Chea),  aud  other  growers  too  numerous  to  mcutb  it 
are  growing  equally  large  stocks ;  and  how  benighted  wo  all  must  U' 
if  trees  grown  upon  the  I’aradise  ate  only  fit  “  fur  fancy  gardening.” 
The  fact  that  we  dispose  of  our  trees  and  that  the  bulk  of  tbciK. 
go  for  market  planting  is  a  stronger  argument  than  any  othcf  ia 
favour  of  this  stock,  and  will  prove  as  convincing  as  a  page  of  writiug 
upon  the  subject.  We  have  an  order  on  hand  fur  500U  AjqJes  oit 
Paradise  tog)  to  a  marltet  grower  this  autumn,  and  we  have  sent 
them  tor  market  work  in  South  Africa  (by  the  way,  wc  shall  have  ti# 
drop  the  title  of  “Daik  Africa,”  and  ajqdy  the  “dark”  to  region* 
nearer  home;.  If  further  proof  were  needed  that  market  men  were 
alive  to  the  merits  of  Apples  worked  upon  the  Paradise  I  could  refer 
your  correspondent  to  dozens  of  growers  who  have  planted  them  largely 
during  the  past  twenty  yeans,  and  only  a  short  time  ago  one  of  our 
market  friends  told  me  he  contemplated  digging  up  12  acres  of  ApjtleK 
planted  as  hushes  on  the  Fice  stock  and  replanting  with  trees  <m  (bt. 
Paradise,  Why  ?  because  he  had  grown  them  side  by  skle,  and 
found  those  on  Paradise  paid  him  50  per  cent,  more  money.  That  I 
call  practical. 
But  to  pass  on,  your  correspondent  says  “  that  it  has  never  Ixjch. 
satisfactorily  proved  that  the  stock  of  the  Apple,  Pear,  or  Plum  exert* 
any  influence  whatever  on  either  the  quality  or  flavour  of  the  fruit.* 
This  is  to  me  a  most  amazing  statement.  I  do  not  know  anything  of 
his  Soil  or  climate,  but  1  would  ask  him,  just  by  way  of  example,  rf 
he  ever  grew  Cox’s  Orange  on  Crab  and  Paradise  side  by  side,  or  Loiiise- 
Boiine  de  Jersey  on  Pear  and  Quince?  In  this  locality,  and  many 
others,  one  would  scarcely  know  the  fruits  to  be  the  same,  and,  speak¬ 
ing  generally,  when  well  cultivated  the  fruit  of  all  kinds  when  growa 
on  the  Paradise  is  both  larger  and  better  coloured,  added  to  which  in 
many  dessert  varieties  the  flavour  is  distinctly  superior.  Cox’s  Orange 
is  an  example.  Most  of  your  readers  who  are  fruit  growers  wull 
able  to  judge  for  themselves  upon  this  point,  but  if  they  require  any 
evMence,  let  them  go  to  some  of  our  fruit  shows,  and  ask  the  exhibitor* 
which  stocks  their  exhibition  fruit  is  grown  upon.  Almost  iit  (ho 
same  jiaragraph  as  the  quotation  given  above  one  reads  a  recommenda¬ 
tion  to  double  graft  Apples  upon  the  Crab  stock  !  But  if  the  stock 
exerts  no  influence,  what  possible  benefit  can  accrue  from  this  opera¬ 
tion  ?  Has  your  correspondent  tried  it,  or  is  it  only  “suggestion?'’ 
I  presume  it  is  the  latter,  as  1  know  fr^m  exiiericnco  that  some  of  the 
weaker  kinds  will  not  grow  when  double  worked  upon  strong-growing 
and  prolific  varieties.  One  double  works  Pears  upon  Quince,  bocau.se 
some  kinds  refuse  to  grow  upon  the  Quince  direct;  but  I  do  not  see 
any  advantage  to  be  gained  by  double  woiking  Apples,  and,  neeilless  to 
say,  the  cost  of  the  two  would  be  much  enhanced  by  this  double 
operation  and  risk. 
I  do  not  intend  to  follow  your  correspondent  through  the  other 
stocks  he  names,  but  I  would  point  out  that  several  of  them  are  only 
useful  for  certain  varieties  of  the  fruits  recommended  to  be  grown  ujiott 
them  ;  for  instance,  not  all  Cherries  will  grow  upon  the  Mahaieb,  and 
I  should  like  to  ask  him  wliat  varieties  of  Peaches  and  Apricots  will 
succeed  upon  the  Myrobalan  ?  Some  Plmris  will  succeed  upon  it  and 
make  vigorous  standards  ;  but  surely  when  one  finds  it  much  tea 
vigorous  for  dwarf  Plums,  it  would  not  be  suitable  for.  Peaches. — 
A.  11.  Pearson,  Chilwell,  Notts. 
