June  4,  1903. 
492 
JOURNAL  CF  HORTICULTURE 
AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Dou"lasi,  Sycamores  (plain  leaved  and  variegated),  forest  Pines, 
Horse  t'kestnnt.s,  Limes,  Hollies,  Cedars,  and  similar  .stock. 
I  he  Me.ssrs.  Dickson  make  a  speciality  of  the  beautiful  Cu- 
pre.vsus  macrocarpa  lutea,  of  which  they  have  plants  and  birshes  in 
every  stage  of  growth,  all  uniformly  healthy  and  vigorous.  The 
golden  Lahnrnuin,  to  name  a  deciduous  tree,  was  also  most  excel¬ 
lent.  The  original  tree  was  found  by  our  late  Dr.  Robert  Hogg  in 
front  of  a  cottage  at  Worcester.  The  doctor  .said  to  Mr.  Smith,  the 
niu*seryman  there,  that  he  should  propagate  a  stock  of  it,  wdiich 
advice  was  acted  on,  and  hence  the  plants  one  now  sees. 
The  Sycamore  and  Plane  are  very  fine  trees  for  planting  in 
the  streets  and  avenues  of  large  towns  and  cities,  as  also  are 
soine  of  the  varieties  of  Acacia  (Robinia)  p.seudo-acacia,  A.  Bes- 
soniana  and  A.  Decni.sneana  being  specially  fine.  The  variegated 
Maple,  Acer  negundo  argentea  variegata,  is  a  most  effective 
plant,  and  if  afforded  a  little  shelter  from  early  cutting  winds, 
may  be  planted  to  great  advantage.  These  are  largely  grown 
both  as  standard  and  bush  trees  at  Chester.  Weeping  trees 
abound  in  great  variety,  and,  judgin'^  by  their  healthy  appear¬ 
ance,  receive  .special  and  .skilful  attention.  Prunus  Pissardi,  the 
beautiful  i3urpl6-leaved  Plum,  is  here  in  great  ev'idence,  cover¬ 
ing  large  brakes  of  land,  and  forming  a  lively  contrast  amongst 
its  surrounding  neighbours.  A  choice  collection  of  shrubs  are 
grown  in  pots,  which  contain  many  rare  and  popular  plants. 
These  are  plunged  in  the.  open  ground,  thus  enabling  their 
being  planted  at  any  season  of  the  year.  Acers  are  grown  in 
(|uantity  at  Chester,  and  wherever  a  garden  is  sufficiently 
sheltered,  Acers  might  well  be  planted.  They  are  typically 
garden'trees.  Another  feature,  too,  was  tha  American  Weep¬ 
ing  Willows  so  nicely  cared  for,  and  with  them  the  Rowan  tree 
(Pyrus  Aucuparia),  and  numerous  Copper  and  Purple  Beeches. 
The  popular  Pimnus  Pissardi  furnished  a  whole  huge  brake. 
Cfioicer  shrubs,  like  Choi.sya  ternata,  Cistus,  and  Cyti.su.ses  in 
variety,  are  grown  in  pots  and  plunged  out  of  doors,  so  that 
these  can  at  any  time  be  despatched  and  planted  in  any  garden 
with  success,  given  due  care  in  the  planting. 
As  a  beautiful  pergola  plant,  or  climber  for  trellis  or  fence, 
the  golden  Hop,  so  quick  in  growth,  may  be  recoinmended. 
Dicksons  pos-sess  quite  a  large  stock  of  stools  and  plants,  and  as 
the  variety  was  sent  out  by  them  five  years  ago,  it  is  doubtless 
but  little  known  yet.  Roses  are  very  liberally  cultivated. 
All  the  newer  sorts  are  included,  and  saying  that,  it  is  hardly 
necessary  to  enlarge  further.  Roses  are  ever  popidar,  and  the 
love  for  them  strengthens,  as  also,  the  knowledgev  of  them  gains 
headway.  Jfoth  in  pots  under  glass,  and  out  of  doors  in  brakes, 
the  plants  were  clean,  and  really  good. 
Tnderwoods  occupy  acres  of  land.  The  entire  nursery  area, 
I  may  say,  approaches  500  acres  of  varied  grounds,  well  exposed, 
and  thoroughly  adapted  for  the^  cultures  upon  it.  One-year-seed¬ 
ling  Mahonias,  to  others  a  yard  high,  can  be  seen;  while  Bays, 
xVucubas,  Buxus,  &c.,  are  each  very  plentiful. 
Podocarpu-s  japonica  should  be  tried  by  all  who  do  not  know 
it,  and  the  nundjer  who  do  not,  is  large.  It  is  such  a  distinct 
Conifer,  as  are  the  Podocarpuses  generally,  that  plants  of  it 
would  lend  intere,st,.  The  Podocarpuses  are  somewhat  deliberate 
in  their  growth,  and  never  attain  a  greater  height  than  12ft. 
Abies  pungens  glauca  finds  a  ready  call,  and  the  supply  is  kept 
up  as  well  as  imssible.  The  Chester  plants  are  of  splendid  form, 
and  will  doubtless  colour  nicely  as  the  season  advances.  '  Abies 
(correctly,  Picea)  pnngens  glauca  was  formerly  called  A.  Engle- 
manni  glauca,  and  some  named  it  A.  Parryana  glauca,  and  the 
j)resent  and  recognised  name  seems  to  have  been  adopted  from 
America.  The  plants  I  saw  vary  in  size  from  young  seedlings 
to  finely-.shaped  specimens  of  good  habit  and  very  fine  colour. 
C’lose  by  were  some  specimens  of  a  di.stinct  weeping  form  (A. 
pungens  glauca  pendula),  which,  from  its  graceful  habit  and 
line  colour,  should  have  a  remarkable  future.  Amongst  other 
ornamental  Abies  are  A.  Hockeri,  with  graceful  branches  and 
small  dark  leaves;  A.  canadensis,  also  very  fine;  and  A.  polita, 
a  handsome,  robust  evergreen,  assuming*  an  amber  tint,  ancl 
having  very  sharp  .strong  leaves  arranged  all  round  the  shoots. 
Thuya  americana,  a  hardy  species,  and  the  still  more  resistive  , 
T.  sibirioa  were  quite  unscathed  by  the  frost,  while  Cupressus 
Lawsoniana.,  which  surely  ought  to  be  hardy  enough,  was  much 
affectecl.  The  variety  of  Lawson’s  Cypress  named  Silver  Queen 
is  very  bright  and  distinct  at  all  seasons.  C.  Westermanni  lias  a 
golden  tint  in  winter.  The  growths  droop  in  heavy  cin.sters, 
giving  much  character  to  the  tree. 
Downside,  Deatherliead,  Surrey. 
This  is  the  name  of  the  estate  of  Alfred  Tate,  Esq.,  whose  great 
fondness  among  flowers  lies  particularly  with  Roses,  of  which 
he  has  acres.  The  great  and  varied  Rose  garden  made  and 
planned  under  his  own  immediate  direction,  is  brought  close 
round  the  noble  mansion  with  its  far-di.stant  views  over  the  Surrey 
l.*owns  and  Dorking  woods — brought  up  to  the  nearest  windows,  as 
:t  were,  so  that  their  beauties  and  their  fragrance  may  be  seen  as 
often  and  a.s  fully  as  possible.  Yes,  this  is  the  waj*^  to  enjoy  a 
Rose  garden  ;  have  it  round  your  feet,  enswathing  the  walls  of 
your  dwelling,  so  that  be  ye  dining,  reading,  writing,  or  playing. 
the  Roses  are  your  company,  from  the  dawn,  with  its  dew  and  its 
coolness,  till  midday  and  evening,  when  every  flower  is  opened 
radiantly.  In  the  *•  Century  Book  of  Gardening  ”  there  is  a  beau¬ 
tiful  photograph  of  this  Downside  Rose  garden.  Many  beds,  and 
arches,  and  groups,  and  bowers  of  Roses  are  here,  and  the  plants 
are  .studied  by  their  owner.  In  the  fulness  of  the  season  I  may 
see  them  again,  and  be  able  to  write  more  particularly  of  them 
than  I  can  now. 
It  is  at  Downside,  too,  that  the  head  gardener  (Mr.  W.  Mease) 
grow.s  those  exhibition  Chrysanthemums,  the  fame  of  which  has 
reached  the  ends  of  England.  Here  he  has  thousands,  and  from 
their  rude  state  of  health  at  the  present  time,  it  is  highl,y  pro¬ 
bable  that  he  will  once  again  greet  the  boards,  and  not  without 
success.  This  notice  is  not  intended  to  be  a  full  description  of 
the  gardens,  for  I  merely  “  dropped  in,”  as  the  saying  is.  when  in 
that  neighbourhood  recently,  after  a  visit  to  my  old  friend 
Mr.  Douglas.  I  was  able,  however,  to  see  a  splendid  stock  of 
HippeauStrums  in  full  bloom,  and  the  Olivias  were  worthy  of  a 
special  note  as  well.  Mr.  Tate  has  many  of  the  newest  seedlings 
here,  and  some  crossing  has  been  done  among  his  own  plants.  The 
residt  Is  that  the  trusses  seen  bore  heavy  displays  of  round¬ 
mouthed,  open  flowers  of  rich  and  varying  colours.  Another  set 
of  plants  that  greatly  interested  me  here  wa,s  the  Nerines, 
numbers  of  which  were  bursting  their  small  pots,  through  sheer 
pre.ssure  of  growth.  From  a  cultural  point  of  view  this  was 
exceedingly  satisfactory.  I  asked  the  courteous  foreman  how  he 
managed  to  get  such  plump,  fat  bulbs.  “  By  high  feeding  after 
they  have  flowered,”  he  replied.  Now  that  the  growth  is 
diminishing,  the  jxits  will  be  set  up  on  a  dry,  sunny  shelf,  in  order 
to  have  the  bulbs  as  well  ripened  as  possible.  I  counted  twenty- 
five  to  thirty  well  developed  bulbs  in  one  Sin.  pot.  They  are  con¬ 
fined  to  as  small  pots  as  are  compatible  with  vigour. 
Amongst  other  plants  that  are  cultivated  in  goodly  quantities 
(and  all  are  highly  well  grown)  are  Solanums  for  winter  use  ;  small 
bushy  Myrtles  in  oin  pots,  Carnations,  both  Tree  and  Malmaison, 
Zonal  Pelargoniums,  Trachelium  caeruleum  (which  is  a  grand 
winter  or  spring  companion  for  Calceolaria  Burbidgei),  Kalanchoe 
flammea.  Gloxinias,  Calla  Elliottiana,  Calanthes  and  Gardenias. 
The  latter  are  grown  as  young  plants  each  year,  and  are  in  5in 
pots  at  the  i^resent  time.  The  Carnations  are  especially  strong 
and  healthy.  Mrs.  T.  W.  Lawson  was  much  in  evidence,  and 
Princess  May  was  equally  as  popular.  Mrs.  Martin  Smith  Mal¬ 
maison  is  highly  spoken  of,  being  so  very  showy  in  groups  or  in  a 
collection.  Nell  Gwynne  variety  had  reached  a  yard  in  height, 
it  being  exceptionally  vigorous.  The  plants  were  layered  the  first 
week  in  August. 
Named  Sweet  Peas  in  pots  are  another  feature  of  interest, 
now  that  this  delightful  annual  is  in  such  vogue.  In  passing,  I 
would  name  Newport’s  Lobelia,  which  those  in  charge  of  the 
garden  look  upon  with  the  utmost  favour  as  a  bedder.  Tall, 
columnar,  bright  green,  feathery  pot  plants  of  Juniperus 
Bermudiana  are  much  used  in  the  furnishing  of  the  conservatory 
which  adjoins  the  house. 
In  the  fruit  section  there  are  some  excellent  standard  Peach 
trees  bearing  good  crops  in  pots.  The  peach eries  are  quite  a 
delight  to  see',  every  tree  being  healthy  and  well  furnished,  both 
with  fruit  and  branch.  Cucumbers  are  grown  all  through  the 
winter,  and  the  favourite  varieties  are  Matchless  and  Sutton’s 
Everyday.  Melons,  Figs,  Pines,  arid  Tomatoes  are  each  well 
represented.  The  glass  houses  are  numerous,  well  furnished,  and 
compact,  and  altogether  Downside  is  a  very  handsome,  or,  as  the 
Americans  would  say,  elegant,  garden. 
Species  of  Narcissi. 
The  following  are  the  principal  cultivated  species  and  distinctive 
hybrids  (*)  of  Narcissi; — 
Name.  Height.  Ciiown  or  Tru.mpet.  Perianth. 
ins.  in=. 
N.P.-N.  major . 
12  to  15 
yellow  . 
yellow 
Ps0udo-Nareis.sus  bicolor 
9  to  12 
bright  yellow . 
creamy  white 
9  to  12 
yellow  . 
bright  canary 
P.-N.  moscliatiis . 
8  to  9 
Avhite . 
white 
6  .... 
yellow  . . . .  . . 
yellow 
Culbocodium  . 
6  to  6 
bright  gold 
yellow 
0  to  7 
orange  . . 
primrose 
*Barri . 
15  to  18 
orange-red  . 
creamy  primio.se 
*incomparabilis . 
15  to  18 
golden  yellow . 
pale  cream 
*  Leeds!  . • . 
12  .... 
white  . . 
white 
poculiforiiii.s . 
9  .... 
pale  ivory . 
white  (flowers  droop) 
Huinei . 
12  .... 
rich  yellow  . 
primrose 
Macleai  . 
12  .... 
golden  yellow . 
nearly  white 
♦Backhouse!  . 
12  to  15 
rich  deep  j  ellow  .... 
suiphury 
♦Bernard! . 
9  .... 
rich  yellow  . 
sulphury 
odorus  . 
9  .... 
yellow  . 
yellow 
♦Burbidgei  . 
12  .... 
yellow,  edged  crimson 
white 
poeticus  . 
12  to  15 
orange,  with  red  edge 
white 
biHorus  . . 
12  .... 
yellow . '..... 
milk  white 
.Joiiquilla  . 
9  .... 
yellow . 
yellow 
gracilis  tenuior . 
6  to  8 
bright  canary . 
pale  primrose 
orientalis  . 
12  .... 
light  orange . 
pale  sulphur 
calathinus .  .. 
8  to  12 
white  or  pale  sulphur 
white  or  pale  sulphur 
triandrus  . 
8  to  12 
white  . 
white 
juncifolivrs  . 
G  .... 
bright  yellow . 
bright  yellow 
Tazetta  . 
12  to  15 
bright  yellow  . 
white 
elegans  . 
6  to  12 
yellowish . . 
pure  white 
— Wandering  Willie. 
