JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
DecAiiber  6,  1900. 
iiOS 
number  of  bushes,  for  conservatory  and  house  decoration,  and  a 
splendid  display  they  make  ia  that  structure.  Such  fine  old  varieties 
as  Mias  D.  Shea,  W.  Seward,  and  Duke  of  York  are  still  grown,  on 
account  of  their  characteri.-tic  colour,  but  a  few  new  sorts  are  also 
obtained  each  year,  some  of  the  most  prominent  being  Yellow  Carnot, 
Lady  Isobel,  G.  \V.  Palmer,  and  El  za.  AH  the  blooms  were 
particularly  good  in  colour,  and  the  plants  well  clothed  with  foliage  to 
the  rim  of  the  pots. 
Many  fine  specimens  of  Ferns  were  also  growing  in  the  con- 
servatary,  Nephrolepis  tuberosa  and  Woodwardia  radicans,  as  well 
as  Adiantum  cnneatum,  being  specially  good.  On  the  rather  lofty 
roof  the  magenta  coloured  Tacsonia  made  a  brave  show,  and  few 
climbers  are  more  suitable  for  such  positions.  Camellias  planted  out 
were  in  luxuriant  health,  and  growing  in  a  large  pot  was  the  finest 
specimen  of  that  old  greenhouse  Rhododendron,  Princess  Alice,  that  I 
have  yet  seen ;  with  a  little  tying  out  it  could  easily  be  made  6  feet  in 
d  ameter  and  as  much  in  height. 
The  culture  of  that  brilliant  winter-flowering  plant.  Begonia  Glare 
de  Lorraine,  is  evidently  well  understood  at  Ardencote,  as  I  noticed  a 
number  of  dwarf  profusely  flowered  examples,  the  bloom  being  large 
and  of  high  colour.  Mr. ’Styles  finds  the  plants  delight  in  a  lair 
amount  of  heat  and  abundance  of  moisture  during  the  growing  season, 
with  plenty  of  shade  duiiug  bright  weather.  Primulas  and  other 
greenhouse  plants  are  also  well  grown.  Let  me  here  call  special 
attention  to  a  most  attractive  plant  for  covering  a  greenhouse  wall — 
viz.,  Streptosolen  Jamesoni.  If  grown  in  a  large  pot  it  makes  rapid 
progress,  and  produces  flowers  of  an  attractive  apricot  colour  for 
several  successive  months.  Habrothamnus  Newelli  is  also  grown  in 
preference  to  the  older  variety  elegans  on  account  of  the  brighter 
colour  of  the  flowers.  The  stove  was  well  furnished  with  beautifully 
grown  Dracaenas,  Crotons,  and  Pandanus  of  the  right  size  for  decorative 
work. 
Vegetables  are  well  and  largely  grown  at  Ardencote.  •  In  addition 
to  the  space  devoted  to  them  in  the  walled-in  garden,  other  large 
breadths  are  grown  in  a  field  in  order  to  maintain  a  continuous  supply 
throughout  the  year.  The  soil,  being  stiff,  was  at  one  time  difficult 
to  work ;  but  by  the  application  of  opening  materials  for  a  number 
of  years  the  surface  has  become  more  porous,  and  will  by  degrees  be 
made  lighter  to  a  good  depth,  and  bo  then  better  adapted  for  both  fruit 
and  vegetable  culture. 
Pyramids  and  horizontally  trained  cordon  fruit  trees  growing  round 
the  sides  of  walks  as  a  rule  bear  good  crops  of  fruit,  to  which  the 
full  condition  of  the  fruit  room  this  year  testifies.  When,  however,  the 
roots  get  down  to  the  cold  clay  subsoil,  canker  often  sets  in.  The 
trees  are  then  lifted — abundance  of  drainage  given — and  replanted, 
after  which  improved  results  are  obtained.  If  the  soil  at  Ardencote 
had  an  underlying  stratum  of  rock,  such  as  is  found  in  fruit  growing 
counties,  it  would  prove  far  better  for  fruit  culture. 
In  the  borders  on  either  side  of  the  main  walks  large  quantities 
of  herbaceous  plants  are  grown ;  most  of  the  best  really  good  things 
are  added  to  the  collection,  and  during  the  spring  and  summer  months 
must  make  a  fine  display.  To  note  their  charms  I  hope  to  pay  another 
visit  at  a  more  suitable  season. 
The  lawns,  flower  gardens,  and  shrubberies  are  kept  in  excellent 
condition,  and  clearly  show  the  supervision  of  a  master  hand.  They 
contain  a  fair  collection  of  flowering  trees  and  shrubs,  which  are  well 
cared  for ;  seldom  have  I  seen  the  Strawberry  Tree  (Arbutus  Unedo) 
thriving  so  well,  some  of  them  are  from  10  to  12  feet  in  height  and 
pictures  of  luxuriant  health.  There  are  also  several  fine  bushes  of 
Rhus  Cotinus  (the  Flame  Tree),  choice  varieties  of  Rhododendrons 
giOiving  splendidly  in  prepared  soil,  Crataegus  are  admirably  disposed 
in  jositions  where  they  have  plenty  of  room  to  develop,  and  are  seen 
to  advantage  ;  this  year  they  are  laden  with  berries  of  a  particularly 
bright  colour. 
In  the  Rose  beds  large  numbers  of  bulbs  have  been  planted  to 
provide  a  display  at  a  time  when  such  places  are  usually  un¬ 
attractive,  The  combination  is  a  good  one,  the  appearance  of  the 
Roses  clearly  showing  that  the  bulbs  do  not  injure  them  in  the 
least.  In  front  ol  the  mansion  is  a  fine  open  space,  commandimr 
a  charming  view,  and  there  the  principal  group  of  flower  beds  is 
situated.  Wallflowers,  Polyanthuses,  Violas,  and  Daisies  are  especial 
favourites,  and  as  a  matter  of  course  are  largely  grown,  the  beds 
being  thickly  planted  with  them;  and  as  bulbous  plants  have  also 
been  planted  beneath,  the  spring  bedding  at  Ardencote  must  indeed 
be  a  brilliant  one. 
Miss  Phillips  is  an  ardent  lover  of  gardening,  and  takes  the 
greatest  delight  in  watching  the  progress  made  in  her  gardens  at 
various  seasons  of  the  year,  and  in  Mr.  W.  Styles  she  has  a  gardener 
whose  brains  and  hands  are  ever  on  the  alert  to  keep  his  charge  in 
the  best  possible  condition.  His  efforts  are  fully  appreciated,  and 
be'.weeii  employer  and  employed  there  exists  that  mutual  under¬ 
standing  and  goodwill  which  is  so  potent  a  factor  in  securing  good 
results  in  every  walk  of  life. — Onward. 
Decorative  Chrysanthemums — Bush  Grown  v.  Exhibition  Plants. 
Your  correspondent,  “  H.  R.,”  is  correct  in  saying  that  the  beauty 
of  well-grown  blooms,  even  if  not  grown  for  exhibition  purposes, 
cannot  be  denied,  and  though,  as  he  rightly  says,  their  culture  i& 
somewhat  of  a  luxury  in  these  days  of  gardening  for  profit,  there  are 
yet  an  average  number  of  gardens  in  which  a  portion  of  the  stock  is 
treated  for  producing  specimen  blooms.  Though  always  admiring  the 
grandeur  and  perfect  development  of  the  show  bloom,  I  have  never  _ 
lost  sight  ot  the  great  value  of  the  bush-grown  stock.  With 
these  such  a  long  season  can  be  covered,  and  with  much  more  certainty 
than  pertains  to  the  show  bloom.  The  latter  can  be  had  easily  enough 
from  mid-October  to  the  middle  of  November,  but  it  is  not  so  easy  a 
matter  to  govern  the  supply  of  big  blooms  after  that  date  as  it  is  the 
smaller  flowers  produced  in  sprays. 
There  is  no  denying  the  superb  effect  obtained  by  the  use  of  the 
specimen  blooms  in  large  rooms  or  halls  in  town  or  country  mansions; 
and  for  shooting  parties,  which  generally  occur  during  -their  season, 
they  have  an  inestimable  value,  and  are  always  sure  to  please  both 
host  and  guests.  But  these  massive  blooms,  which  suit  large  rooms 
so  well,  are  out  of  place  in  small  ones,  and  this  is  where  the  bush 
varieties  have  a  value  that  is  never  denied  them. 
Everyone  responsible  for  a  regular  and  continuous  supply  of 
winter  bloom  must  admit  that  bush  plants  require,  as  “  H.  R.”  says, 
to  be  well  treated,  and  not  crowded  together  until  they  become  a  mass 
of  mildewed  and  dry  leaves.  As  much  care  should  be  bestowed  on 
their  daily  needs,  though  feeding  with  stimulants  will  require  less 
attention,  as  is  given  to  exhibition  stock.  -Liquid  manures  form  one 
of  the  best  stimulants  for  bush  plants,  and  soot  water  is  valuable  as  a 
change  of  diet. 
What  is  required  in  bush  more  perhaps  than  in  the  large  bloom  is 
a  decided  colour;  many  of  the  mixed  and  almost  indescribab’e  shades 
that  constitute  some  of  the  show  sorts  would  be  worthless  in  a  bush 
variety.  White,  yellow,  and  bronzy  shades  and  some  pinks  are  the 
most  telling.  Of  crimsons  there  are  lew,  and  these  fade  sooner  than 
do  others  of  a  lighter  and  brighter  colour.  iSome  of  the  exhibition 
varieties  are  equally  as  good  for  this  phase  of  culture  as  the  typical 
decorative  sorts.  A  few  of  these  1  have  put  under  trial  this  year,  and 
they  have  made  good  growth  and  produced  plenty  of  flower  buds, 
some  of  them  not  yet  open.  The  popular  Miss  Nellie  Rockett  is 
excellent  in  a  bush,  as  are  Madame  Philippe  Rivoire  and  Madame 
Ferlat,  the  latter  giving  some  exquisite  sprays.  Pi.oebns  makes  a 
very  fine  bush,  and  produces  a  wealth  of  excellent  full-coloured 
flowers  suitable  for  cutting.  Bonnie  Dundee,  though  scarcely  equal 
to  the  last  named,  is  good  ;  its  stiff  stems  can  be  cut  of  good  length, 
and  the  colour,  as  is  well  known,  is  of  the  brightest.  As  a  vase  plant 
for  rooms  there  are  few  varieties  that  can  compare  with  the  uwarf 
bushy  single  Miss  Rose,  and  for  cutting  Mrs.  Langtry  is  extremely 
pretty.  The  plant  grows  much  taller  than  Miss  Ro  e,  and  is  thus  not 
so  useful  as  a  vase  plant.  In  conservatory  groups,  however,  its  taller 
growth  and  Marguerite-like  character  gives  it  a  higher  value. - 
America  this  year  is  better  than  usual,  and  is  a  good  single  of  the 
larger  class,  useful  for  aoy  purpose.  Souvenir  de  Petite  Amie  gives 
freely  flowered  and  dwarf  plants  of  the  purest  white,  and  Mrs.  E.  G. 
Whittle  nice  sprays  of  salmon  pink,  very  distinct,  that  will  keep  for 
Christmas. — R.  A. 
Propagating  Chrysanthemums. 
The  insertion  of  Chrysanthemum  cuttings  for  next  season’s 
display  is  a  matter  which  now  claims  attention  from  all  classes  of 
growers  of  the  “  autumn  queen.”  Of  course  it  is  not  indispensable 
that  all  the  stock  eventually  to  be  grown  should  be  propagated  forth¬ 
with,  but  when  naturally  late  flowering  varieties  are  required  to 
develoD  their  blooms  earlier  it  is  of  material  assistance  if  ]  iants  are 
raised  early  so  that  a  s  itable  bud  may  bo  produced  in  time  to  be  of 
service  for  exhibition  or  other  purposes. 
