120 
Feljruary  5,  1903. 
JOURXAL  OF  HORTICULTUllF 
Agapetes  niacrantha. 
This  semi-tropical  hardwoodecl  plant  is  another  of  those 
subjects  of  incomparable  beauty  but  which  are  almost 
entirely  neglected  in  British  gardens,  which  remaiks  we  had. 
occasion  to  make  when  writing  of  Jacobinia  chij  sostephana 
and  of  Paullinia  thalictrifolia.  The  reason  is  not  far  to  seek. 
Agapetes  macrantha  is  not  a  plant  to  supply  quantities  of 
“cut  flowers.”  It  was  introduced  so  far  back  as  1851  by 
Messrs.  James  Veitch  and  Sons,  Limited.  Plants  of  it  were 
staged  by  them  in  January,  1901,  at  a  meeting  of  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  in  London.  Our  present  representa¬ 
tion  is  from  a  photograph  kindly  contributed  by  Mr.  MTlliam 
Gardiner,  of  Harborne,  Birmingham,  whose  notes  we  append. 
The  flowers  are  of  a  waxy  consistency,  deeply  fine-ribbed, 
cream-coloured  flushed  wuth  pink,  and  with  deeper  V-shaped 
bars  of  the  same  colour.  They  are  Sin  long,  with  the  stalk. 
The  plant  belongs  to  the  Vaccinium  family  (Vaccinacese). 
.  Mr.  Gardiner  says:— “The  photo  is  of  a  plant  of  the 
remarkable  and  rare  Agapetes  (Thibaudia)  macrantha,  grown 
by  Mr.  Latham  in  the  Botanical  Gardens,  Edgbaston,  and 
which  has  proved  interesting  to  several  high  authorities  iii 
matters  horticultural.  I  remember  that  Mr.  Burbidge,  of 
Dublin,  a  few  years  ago,  in  one  of  the  horticultural  papers, 
drew^  special  attention  to  the  plant  in  question  when 
describing  a  visit  to  the  Edgbaston  Garden  as  a  remarkably 
fine  specimen  of  its  kind.  The  photograph  represents 
the  old  specimen  in  the  most  floriferous  state  it  had  ever 
attained,  having  since  the  repotting  a  year  or  tw'o  ago 
made  extra  strong  growth  after  being  confined  and  somewhat 
neglected  for  several  years  previously.  Its  curiously  barred 
and  otherwise  iiiarktd  Chinese-laiitern-like  corollas,  which 
are  persistent  for  several  weeks,  ever  afford  much  interest  to 
the  visitors  to  the  Gardens.  The  plant  growvs  in  one  of  the 
cool  greenhouses.” 
Worth  Park,  Sussex. 
AVorth  Park  is  an  estate  of  considerable  size  and  magnificence, 
in  Sus.sex,  the  palatial  residence  being  within  easy  walking- 
distance  of  Three  Bridge.s  .station,  on  the  London  to  Brighton 
railway,  and  not  far  from  Crawley.  It  was  purchased  by  the  late 
Mr.  Joseph  Montefiore,  nepliew  of  the  rvell-known  philanthropist, 
ami  liis  widow  still  maintains  its  good  features,  in  companion¬ 
ship  with  her  son,  Sir  Francis  Montefiore,  the  first  baronet  ofthe 
.second  creation.  The  gardens  are  in  high-class  keeping,  and  the 
grounds,  as  distinct  from  the  garden,  are  furnished  with  those 
tall  and  well-clothed  ornamental  Conifers  and  .stately  deciduous 
trees  which  at  all  times  enhance  the  scenic  splendour  of  private 
policies.  The  flower  garden,  the  grounds,  and  the  site  of  the 
fruit  and  kitchen  gardens  were  designed  by  Mr.  Henry  Milner, 
V.H.M.,  perhaps  the  most  noted  of  English  landscape  gardeners 
at  the  present  day. 
My  visit  to  Worth  was  made  on  the  same  day  that  the  National 
Chrysanthemum  Society  travelled  (for  their  annual  picnic)  to 
Paddockshurst.  and  as  I  also  undertook  a  journey  to  Jilgate 
House  and  walked  over  The  Forest  to  Sir  Weetman  Pearson’s 
estate  during  the  afternoon,  I  need  not  say  that  my  visits  to  each 
place  was  the  antithesis  of  leisurely.  My  impression  of  Worth 
Park,  however,  was  distinctly  sati.sfactory,  and  even  as  I  pen 
my  notes  at  this  distance  of  time,  I  can  i-ecall  the  lengthened 
avenue  leading  from  Three  Bridges  (or  near  there)  to  the  resL- 
-dence  and  the  gardens,  and  I  rvas  delighted  with  the  smooth  grass 
verges,  hacked  by  magnificent  clumps  of  Rhododendrons,  and 
these  again  merging  into  “virgin  forest,”  from  the  midst  of 
which  one  heard  the  peculiar  cockle-call  of  male  pheasants.  It 
.struck  me  too,  as  an  omen  of  good  things  in  store  in  the  garden 
proper,  when  I  saw  a  ivorkman  severing  the  seed  pods  from  the 
Rhododendron  shoots  as  I  advanced  along  that  avenue,  and 
assuredly  these  gorgeous  flowering  shrubs  will  repay  such  labour 
spent  on  them. 
The  garden  was  reached  from  a  path  near  the  mansion 
through  handsome  wooden  doors,  and  busy  among  his  Malniaison 
Carnations  ivas  Mr.  C’.  Allen,  the  head  gardener,  a  tall,  robust 
looking,  florid  man  of  most  amicable  disposition,  and  with  whom 
I  Avas  at  once  at  ease.  In  passing  to  the  body  of  the  garden,  Mr. 
.Alien  dreiv  attention  e.specially  to  a  .splendid  Mangolia  grandi- 
flora.  famous  for  its  longevity,  its  present  vigour,  size,  and  flori- 
AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
ferousness,  for  the  Mangolia  that  bespangles  itself  Avith  a  hundred 
siioAvy  globlets  nearly  every  spring  is  surely  to  be  called  fertile, 
and  fair  to  look  upon.  It  occupies  a  beautifully  .sheltered  corner, 
just  by  an  arcliAvay  on  the  gable  end  of  the  bothy,  and  near  a  glass 
range.'  Naturally,  Sir  Francis  Montefiore  is  proud  of  his  plant. 
Before  entering  the  plant  houses  Ave  traversed  the  hardy-plant 
and  fruit  garden,  and  though  I  had  insufficient  time  to  make 
note  of  Aarieties,  yet  Avas  there  evidence  of  things  Avell  Avorthy  of 
a  reference,  and  the  general  appearances  bespoke  a  .sy.stem  of 
judicious  practical  gardening.  A  chief  feature,  and  one  that 
must  be  very  enjoyable  to  lovers  of  hardy  flowers,  Avas  a  bed 
lately  filled  Avith  those  beautiful  Japanese  Iri.ses  that  are  gaining 
a  hol’d  on  the  public  taste,  and  having  Lily  of  the  Valley  and  the 
Improved  Old  CloA^e  Carnation  almost  by  the  side  of  them.  It 
Avas  a  very  happy  picture. 
Proceeding  to  the  kitchen  garden.  Avhich  is  reached  through 
a  strip  of  .shrubland  outside  the  Avalled-garden,  a  notable  feature 
here  is  a  tramsverse  frame  arcliAvay,  85yds  in  length,  covered  Avith 
cordon  and  other  foimis  of  Pear  trees.  This  kitchen  garden  is 
practically  ncAv,  and  the  soil  being  of  a  clay  and  lime  admixture, 
it  produces  an  excellent  quality  of  vegetables.  The  Wineberry 
and  bush  fruits  are  here  groAvn. 
In  noticing  this  Pear  arcliAvay,  one’s  mind  recalls  the  Camellia 
corridor  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  garden,  and  this  corridor  is 
correctly  named.  It  is  a  corridor  around  a  crescent  AA’all,  and, 
entered  from  the  ornamental  grounds,  leads  in  a  Avide  bend  round 
the  Dutch  garden  to  the  residence.  The  back  Avail  cf  thi.s  covered 
Avalk  bears  Camellias,  Avhile  the  other  side  is  of  glass-casing,  and 
electric  lights  from  the-  hou.se  are  fitted  along  the  roof.  The 
Dutch  garden  is  one  of  the  best  of  its  style  I  have  seen.  Added 
to  these  features  are  a  maze  and  a  lake,  both  on  the  north  side  of 
the  house,  Avhich  is  surrounded  outAAardly  by  a  park,  and  it  com¬ 
mands  magnificent  .sylvan  A’ieAvs. 
Amongst  the  trees  and  shrubs  Avere  some  AA’ell  developed 
Philadelphuses,  Negundos,  Prunus  Pissardi,  Lady  Eleanor  Cath- 
cart  Rhododendrons,  Golden  Cupressus,  huge  buslies  of  Lavender, 
and  a  magnificent  aa  bite  Poplar  Avhose  .silverj'  leaves  tAvittered  and 
flashed  in  the  sunlight.  Ro.ses,  including  handsome  Crimson 
Ramblers  on  pillars,  groAV  Avell ;  and  of  Conifers  there  Avere  a  good 
group  of  Cedars,  and  a  handsome  Abies  pungens  glauca. 
But  it  is  time  to  tell  of  the  glass  house  occupants.  Carnations 
have  been  mentioned,  and  that  charming  A’ariety  Mrs.  Leopold  de 
Rothschild  filled  the  entire  space  of  one  house.  In  the  different 
sorts  2.000  are  groAvn  annually.  At  the  back,  .so  to  speak,  of  the 
Carnation  houses,  Avere  Violet  pits  likely  to  yield  a  goodly  harve.st, 
and  in  pots,  if  I  remember  aright,  there  AAas  a  batch  of  St.  Joseph 
Strawberry  plants,  to  yield  fruits  during  October.  By  being  in 
pots  the  plants  could  be  .shifted  about  and  kept  in  the  shadie.st 
quarters. 
The  earliest  Peach  fruits  AA'cre  gleaned  on  Alay  21,  for  Mr. 
Allen  endeavours  tO'  have  both  early  crops  and  late.  By  the  aid 
of  the  estate  men,  he  transformed  a  lean-to  peachery  into  a  good 
span-roofed  house,  and  there  it  stands  quite  stout  and  sound. 
ImproA^ements  had  been  effected  on  a  vinery  of  Alicante  Grapes, 
AA'lio-so  tAventy  years  of  age  sit  lightly  on  them.  Entil  Mr.  Allen 
built  a  loAv  AA  all  Avithin  the  house,  there  had  been  nO'  inner  border, 
but  the  making  of  this  was  naturally  of  A'erj'  great  assi.stance  to 
the  Vines.  Melons,  Cucumbers,  and  Tomatoes  are  each  .success- 
fidly  cropped.  Begonia  Gloire  de  Lorraine  AAas  seen  luxuriating 
in  a  lean-to  house  facing  Avest,  the  plants  being  placed  on  fibre 
and  kept  n\oist  and  Avarm.  Asparagus  Sprengeri  clothed  the  back 
AAall,  Avhile  out  of  sight,  beneath  the  stage,  the  Rhubarb  croAvns 
are  forced  in  early  spring. 
Gardenias  are  a  speciality,  and  one  had  only  to  Avitness  the- 
plants  here,  to  make  sure  of  that.  Cuttings  are  .struck  in 
January,  and  by  July,  Avhen  I  aaus  there,  they  had  formed  bushy 
little  plants.  Perhaps  Mr.  Allen  may  be  tempted  to  send  a  line 
or  tAA'o  to  the  Journal,  detailing  his  very  successful  method  of 
culture.  In  one  of  the  houses — a  vinery  I  think — I  observed  a 
quantity  of  cut  Grasses,  all  of  them  tall,  ornamental  kinds 
harvested  from  the  Avoods,  fields  and  brooks  around,  and  laid  on 
the.  stages,  here,  to  dry  and  stiffen  for  use  in  table  decorations 
during  the  dull  months.  The  Palm  house  AAas  very  effectively 
arranged,  Avith  a  virgin  cork  erection  as  a  feature,  this  being 
draped  Avith  Lygodium  scandens  and  other  suitable  Ferns.  These 
useful  floAverless  plants — the  Ferns — Avere  also  utilised  to  clothe 
the  stage  AA’alls  in  the  Odontoglossum  house,  for  of  these,  and 
Cattleyas  and  Cypripediums  and  Dendrobiums.  there  is  a  fine 
collection.  A  plant  of  Cattleya  Mossise  bore  six  large  floAvers, 
and  C.  Aucklandiae  had  so  many  as  fifteen.  But  here  I  must 
conclude. 
The  short  visit  to  Worth  Park  Avas  quite  refreshing,  and  I 
Avill  look  foi’Avard  to  a  repetition  of  its  scenes  at  a  future  date. 
Mr.  Allen  has  been  at  Worth  for  eleven  years — for  some  time  as 
foreman — but  .succeeded  to  the  headship  in  1898.  He  served  as 
an  apprentice  at  Castle  Hill,  North  Devon,  and  Avas  afterAA'ards, 
for  three  years,  at  Billingbear  Park,  Berks;  one  year  at  Hindlip 
Hall,  Worcestershire,  and  one  year  at  Leith  Hill,  Surrey. — 
J.  H.  D.  ■ 
