224 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  September  4,  1902. 
added  just  a  little.  Here  a  Phyllostachys  there  a  mass  of 
Crimson  Rambler  Rose,  some  groups  of  Golden  Riders, 
and  anon  a  batch  of  named  distinctive  Rhododendrons, 
and  each  harmonises.  By  a  pretty  cascade  m  this 
Wilderness  scene,  there  are  more  Bamboos  and  broad-leaved 
herbaceous  Gunneras,  and  completing  the  perfection  of  the 
features,  we  find  the  beautiful  Japanese  Irises.  These  have 
become  fully  established,  as  have  also  the  Bamboos  in  variety, 
and  other  shrubs  as  well.  The  grace  of  the  Dragon-flies  among 
the  Reeds  and  Water  Lilies,  rivals  the  pleasure  one  has  in 
seeing  the  red-skinned  gold  fish  in  the  limpid  depths  of  water, 
or  the  snow-white  swans  gliding  over  its  glassy  surface.  ,  , 
Water  Lilies  are  Marline’s  hybrids,  and  are  now  thoroughly 
established  here.  .  m..  ,  , 
Liliums  are  another  speciality  at  Tilgate,  and  one  may  see 
many  little  grouplets  peeping  up  from  the  edges  of  the  Rhodo¬ 
dendron  and  shrubbery  belts.  Mice  prey  upon  the  bulbs  even 
out  here  in  the  open,  but  a  very-  fine  wire  netting  around  each 
lot  tends  to  save  them.  I  noticed  Lilium  Browni  doing  hand¬ 
somely,  and  others  were  excelsum,  croceum,  giganteum,  and 
Henryi,  the  latter  seemingly  as  fine  as  any  in  the  open.  Named 
Rhododendrons  I  have  referred  to,  and  among  them  Pink  Pearl, 
the  loveliest  and  best  of  all  the  hardy  hybrids,  was  seen  in  robust 
health.  Groups  of  Penzance  hybrid  Sweet  Briars,  with  beds  of 
fine-foliaged  Japanese  Aeers  further  added  quality  to  the  general 
collections.  .  .  ,  v,  „ 
Azalea  mollis,  in  variety,  have  recently  been  liberally 
planted  in  the  new  American  garden  (a  term  that  is  almost  in 
desuetude  now)  which  is  being  formed.  It  is  very  satisfactory  to 
know  that  both  the  Messrs.  Nix  are  keen  and  experienced  at 
gardening.  Mr.  John  A.  Nix  is  a  member  of  the  Floral  Com¬ 
mittee  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  and  Mr.  Charles 
G.  A.  Nix  sits  on  the  Fruit  and  Vegetable  Committee.  The 
collection  of  fruit  shown  in  the  Drill  Hall  last  September  from 
the  fruit  ranges  at  Tilgate  elicited  much  comment,  and  a  Silver 
Knightian  Medal  was  awarded  for  it. 
Hardy  flowers  are  not  greatly  in  evidence,  but  there  is  an 
interesting  little  rockery  which  contains  just  those  rare  tit -bits, 
showing  if  to  be  in  the  hands  of  a  real  lover  of  Alpines.  Hardy 
fruit  on  the  open  walls  are  growing  and  bearing  in  a  manner 
which  shows  that  skill  is  brought  to  bear  on  their  culture.  The 
soil  by  the  walls  in  which  they  are  planted  is  all  “  forced”— that 
is,  it ‘is  specially  selected  soil  brought  and  put  there.  Whom¬ 
ever  the  estate'  carter  is  out  and  about,  if  his  cart  is  to  be 
empty-  on  the  homeward  journey,  he  has  orders  to  seize  the 
opportunity  and  bring  back  road-soil  or  turf  parings  if  the 
latter  are  found.  .  . 
Cherries  were  heavily  laden,  all  varieties  alike.  Governor 
Wood  and  Black  Tartarian  are  favourites  and  much  grown. 
Pears  and  espalier  Apples  form  quite  a  feature.  Strawberries 
are  grown  under  permanent  screens  which  are  6ft  high,  the 
supports  and  rails  being  of  iron.  Roses  are  excellent  and 
plentiful  in  the  borders,  and  vegetables,  too,  are  well  attended 
Indoor  fruit  is  placed  in  the  forefront  at  Tilgate,  and  many 
handsome  houses  with  their  trees  and 'crops  are  to  be  seen. 
Mixed  houses  of  Vines,  the  latter  carrying  heavy  bunches  and 
so  many  as  sixteen  and  seventeen  on  each  rod,  were  excellent 
in  June,  and  no  doubt  London  folks  will  be  able  to  see  some  of 
the  samples  before  long.  All  of  these  are  certificates  of  able 
cultural  attention.  Muscat  of  Alexandria,  even  in  June,  was 
richly  coloured,  and  it  is  seldom  one  sees  the  amber  tint  even 
at  a  later  date. 
In  a  new  lean-to  house,  admirably  erected  by  James  Gray,  of 
Chelsea,  a  number  of  standard  trees  have  been  planted  in  the 
centre  of  the  border,  their  branches  being  trained  up  the  wires 
towards  the  top.  What  is  the  object  ?  This,  to  makefile  most 
of  space ;  for  while  the  younger  trees  are  being  trained  from 
the  bottom  upward,  and  gaining  space,  the  top  portion  of  the 
roof  is  yielding  a  crop.  The  standard  trees  will  come  out  in  a 
couple  of  years,  or  less.  So  many  as  1,000  fruits  are  yearly 
sent  to  the  oAvners  during  their  stay  in  Scotland. 
Roses  under  glass  are  another  feature  Avorthy  of  remark, 
Mme.  Lambard,  Anna  Olivier,  Marechal  Niel  and  Niphetos 
among  many  others,  being  robust  and  prolific  of  blossom.  Palms 
and  decorative  plants,  both  in  the  ranges  and  in  the  conserva¬ 
tory  attached  to  the  house,  are  varied,  clean,  shapely.  Carna¬ 
tions  and  Gloxinias  among  floAvering  plants  seemed  to  be 
popular.  And  so  the  visit,  though  brief,  AATas  very  pleasurable, 
the  more  so  as  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Neal  did  everything  to  add  to 
the  enjoyment  of  it.  Tilgate  House  is  quite  in  the  country — I 
had  almost  said  the  Avilds  of  the  country,  but  it  is  hardly  that — - 
but  just  far  enough  out  from  towns  and  villages  to  make  it 
truly  rural  and  agreeable  to  those,  aaTio,  like  the  owners  here, 
can  appreciate  the  charms  and  interest  of  the  country  and  what 
it  contains,  because  they  have  studied  and  understand  some¬ 
thing  of  it.  The  journey  by  foot  through  the  aforementioned 
Forest  (an  old  historic  forest)  AA-as  boldly  undertaken,  and  though 
I  had  Mr.  Neal  as  guide  over  half  way,  thrice,  like  the  babes 
in  the  wood,  AA'as  I  lost,  though  not  for  long.  Thus,  au  revoir. — 
J.  H.  D. 
Pears  Destroyed  by  Grabs. 
I  am  much  obliged  for  information  supplied  through  the 
Journal  re  the  Marie  Louise  Pears  eaten  with  grub.  With  regard 
to  the  strips  of  tin  cure,  I  am.  afraid  that  would  be  a  very  labo¬ 
rious  cure  in  the  case  of  a  gridiron  trained  tree  some  8  yards  long 
on  Avail.  HoAvever,  I  shall  try  the  kainit  and  the  removal  of  the 
top  soil.  Had  it  not  been  for  this  pest  I  ghould  have  had  some 
400  fruits  of  Marie  Louise,  Avhereas  there  are  about  two  dozen  left. 
As  I  mentioned  previously,  Doyenne  du  Comice  and  Williams’ 
Bon  Chretien,  on  the  same  wall,  are  untouched  by  the  fly  in 
question,  but  pyramids  of  the  same  and  Louise  Bonne  have  suffered 
in  the  same  rvay. — W.  Scott. 
Theoretical  Training :  A  Defence. 
May  I  again  be  alloAved  to  trespass  on  your  space  Mr.  Editor? 
In  extenuation,  I  may  say  it  is  directly  due  to  “  An  Old  Boy  ” 
and  one  of  his  proteges  that  I  ever  possessed  the  necessary 
temerity  to  figure  in  your  columns.;  Did  not  the  former  petition 
you  in  those  articles  I  referred  to  last  Aveek  for  space  for  our 
then  ’prentice  efforts?  I  am  glad  “An  Old  Boy”  read  my  con¬ 
tribution  in  the  spirit  in  which  it  was  intended,  and  I  thank 
him  for  his  kind,  fatherly  acknoAA-ledgment  and  good  Avishes,  and 
hope  we  may  again  hear  from  him  at  some  future  time.  I  thought, 
hoAvever  (1  hope  I  am  not  mistaken),  the  sentence  in 
“Ivepouros”’  article,  Avhich  runs :  “The  dingling  sound  of  triangles 
— a  sic  unchristian,  not  to  say  uncabbage-like  learning — leads  to  a 
peculiar  form  of  mental  aberration  immensely  inimical  to  the 
right  about  attention  so  necessary  in  the  duly  equipped  practi¬ 
tioner  in  the  art  of  gardening,”  seemed  remarkably  like  an  insi¬ 
dious  “  by  break.”  Though  in  no  Avay  wishing  to  score'  off  it,  I 
must,  in  self-defence,  endeavour  to  play  it,  and  keep  my  end  up 
with  a  straight  bat. 
Directly  I  read  it  I  began  to  suspect  him  of  being - a  pro- 
Boer?  Oh  dear  no!  his  letter  would  tend  to  point  the  other 
way — but  one  of  the  “  horticultural  Joshuas,”  into  Avhose  aspira¬ 
tions  (!)  with  regard  to  the  “Sun  of  knoAvledge”  a  correspondent 
gave  us  an  insight  some  time  ago.-  If  we  pleaded  guilty  to  the 
indirect  impeachment  of  conceit  in  one  thing  above  another,  it 
Avould  be,  perhaps,  that  Ave  AA-ere  level-headed,  and  endeavoured 
to  see  both  sides  of  things  as  they  are,  and  not  as  Ave  would  have 
them,  that  is,  of  course,  those  things  over  Avhich  our  individual 
or  united  efforts  can  haA-e  no  control ;  and  we  are  not  aAvare  that 
any  knoAvledge  we  may  have  acquired  has  in  any  of  us  produced 
that  species  of  mental  aberration  Avith  its  attendant  baneful 
effects  to  Avliicli  “  K.”  refers,  and  on  Avhich,  apparently,  he  is 
Avell  qualified  to  express  an  opinion.  We  certainly  do  not  wish 
it  to  be  assumed  that  Ave  have  imbibed  so  deeply  at  the  classic 
fountain  as  he  appears  to  have  done,  nor  had  we  in  our  mind  the 
probability  of  the  various  exigencies  arising  Avhich  lie  named,  and 
for  which  he  evidently  is  prepared,  and  which  AA-e  therefore  resign 
to  his  greater  learning. 
It  may  be  that  he  is  best  acquainted  with  those — pardon  me 
if  I  introduce  the  dingle  once  more — triangles,  Avhose  angles  are 
said  to  possess  the  quality  of  obtuseness,  and  that  consequently 
the  metaphor  I  used  Avas  just  a  little  far-fetched  for  his  mind. 
I  Avill  not  tire  your  readers  by  rendering  it  as  it  should  be  literally. 
WTe  did,  however,  in  our  poor,  simple-minded  AA’ay,  think  it  just 
possible  we  might  be  asked  to  work  out  a  geometrical  design  in 
the  parterre,  or  mark  out  an  elliptical  bed  in  the  pleasaunce,  or  may 
be,  an  exact  square  might  be  Avanted  for  a  tennis  or  cricket 
ground,  with,  perhaps,  a  calculation  as  to  quantities,  levels,  &c. , 
or  Are  might  require  to  knoAv  Iioav  much  head  room  a  certain 
length  rafter  AA'ould  give  us  in  a  house  of  stated  width,  and  it 
may  be,  a  plan  to  scale  might  be  required  for  some  proposed 
structural  alterations  Ave  might  like  to  effect,  and  in  our  afore¬ 
mentioned  poor,  simple-minded  Avay,  AA'e  concluded  that  a  know¬ 
ledge  of  geometry  and  kindred  subjects  \A-ould  assist  us  in  those 
little  difficulties,  and  this  too,  as  our  friend  puts  it,  “needs  no 
demonstration,  but  is  a  self-evident,  truth.”  Further,  we  both 
hold  and  assert  that  a  gardener  first  and  foremost  must  be  essenti¬ 
ally  practical,  and  this  we  have  demonstrated  in  ourselves  to  the 
satisfaction  of  those  whom  it  most  intimately  concerns,  but,  un¬ 
fortunately  for  us,  the  testimony  of  practical  men  of  high  stand¬ 
ing  does  not  rank  as  influence  in  securing  situations,  nor  do  Ave 
find  it  such  in  effect. 
The  knowledge,  too,  which  Ave  may  haA-e  gained  is  to  the 
cultured  mental  palate  decidedly  cabbage-like,  so  much  so,  that 
at  times  we  would  fain  that  peculiarity  had  been  less  pronounced, 
