208 
Siippjement  iij 
JOl.mXAL  OF  HORTICULTURE 
ran  easily  lie  wrapped  ai’onnd  them,  and  the  pride  of  having 
such  noble  plants  and  gorgeous  blossoms  is  ample  repay¬ 
ment  for  the  trouble. 
Amongst  other  trees  and  shrubs  in  the  garden,  we  may 
briefly  mention  as  of  interest  the  following :  Azara  micro- 
phylla  with  its  shining  dark  green  leaves  ;  in  this  case  it 
reaches  to  the  unusual  height  of  14ft.  Mr.  Chapman 
observed  that  he  prunes  Azara  rather  hard,  to  induce  strong 
new  growi/hs.  The  rock  garden  by  the  water’,  as  we 
observed  at  the  beginning,  is  distinguished  by  the  uncom¬ 
monly  beautiful  and  large  Acers  in  variety ;  while  here 
also  we  find  golden  masses  of  the  double  flowered  Gorse, 
a  shrub  which  is  very  far  from  being  justly  appreciated  for 
decorative  effect.  It  is  a  wai’in,  furnishing  under-shrub, 
and  succeeds  on  dry  banks  and  amid  loose  stonework  where 
only  one  or  two  other  shrubs  can  grow ;  yet  that  is  no  reason 
why  it  should  be  starved.  The  Phillyreas  are  sacrificed — we 
can  call  it  nothing  else — to  Box  and  Bay,  .and  Pi'ivet  and 
Mr.  A.  Chapman. 
other  never-ending  shrubs  in  hundreds  of  gardens,  and 
while  one  must  say  nothing  ill  agamst  these  indispensable 
subjects,  the  day  has  surely  come  when  a  little  greater 
variety  might  be  arranged. 
These  remarks,  however,  are  a  homily  aside.  Phillyrea 
intermedia,  constitutes  a  large  and  fine  feature  here,  and 
P.  latifolia  with  its  very  handsome  dark  leaves  is  also 
l)resent.  Various  species  and  genera  of  what  are  compre¬ 
hensively  called  Bamboos,  as  well  as  some  fine  weeping 
Hollies,  are  other  subjects  that  tend  to  make  this  garden 
one  of  exceptional  note.  Thuyopsis  dolobr.ata  attains  fine, 
tree  like  proportions  in  Devonshire,  notably  at  Killerton  ; 
))ut  in  Gloucester,  we  think,  it  does  not  usually  form  very 
good  “leaders.”  One  Westonbirt  specimen,  nevertheless, 
is  25ft  high.  Here,  however,  it  is  well  sheltered  by  tall 
trees.  Carpenteria  californica  is  sixteen  ye.ars  old,  and  has 
the  advantage  of  a  wall.  Nandina  domestica,  which  Avith- 
stands  the  frosts  of  Haddingtonshire  (at  Tyninghame),  and 
is  grown  under  glass  at  Kew,  Surrey,  400  miles  south,  is 
seen  doing  rvell  in  the  open  air  here  in  Gloucester.  The 
huge,  spreading  leaved,  superlatively  handsome  Dimor- 
l)hanthus  mandschuricus  variegatus,  for  which,  alas !  there 
is  no  shorter  or  better  known  name,  impresses  the  visitor 
by  its  dignity  ;  and  the  tine  Berberis  fascicularis  are  other 
subjects  one  can  hardly  pass  by.  A  Yerv,  said  to  be  300 
years  old,  stands  near  the  fountain. 
One  could  name  a  long  list  of  interesting  plants  of  the 
foregoing  nature,  for  if  it  has  not  been  said  before  it  may  be 
s,aid  now,  that  Captain  Holford’s  garden  is  celebrated  espe¬ 
cially  for  three  things  :  its  trees  and  shrubs,  its  orchids,  and 
its  Amaryllis.  Beyond  this,  there  is  the  rem.arkable 
l)inetum  ;  but  this  being  at  a  distance,  and  our  time  being 
limited,  a  visit  could  not  be  made. 
Every  feature  of  gardening  is  in  excellent  condition,  as 
proof  of  the  knowledge  and  care  of  the  head  gardener.  The 
orchid  houses,  of  course,  arc  under  the  charge  of  Mr.  H. 
AXD  COTTAGE  GARDENER,  March  lO,  1904. 
Alexander,  .and  their  contents  were  described  apsome  length 
on  pages  441  and  442  of  this  journal  for  May  21  la.st  year. 
We  will,  therefore,  merely  observe  that  since  then  the 
visitors  to  the  Drill  Hall  exhibitions  of  the  Royal  Horti¬ 
cultural  Society  have  seen  additional  evidence  of  the  quality 
of  these  truly  noble  flowering  plants,  some  of  w’hich  have 
cfirried  away  certificates.  The  collection  is  being  gradually 
added  to,  for  the  esteemed  owner — who  is  a  member  of  the 
R.H.S.  Council — is  very  partial  to  the  charms  of  orchids. 
From  orchids  to  wild  gardening  is  an  awkward  move, 
but  we  may  compromise  and  use  the  better  term — the 
naturalisation  of  hardy  exotic  plants  (Crocuses,  Squills  and- 
spring  bulbs  of  all  sorts).  These,  together  with  Primroses 
and  hosts  of  other  plants  such  as  were  mentioned  recently 
in  the  notice  of  Oakwood,  Wisley,  are  a  brilliant  adjunct  to 
both  grass  and  ground. 
Under  glass?  Well,  from  M.arch  till  May  you  will 
assuredly  find  Amaryllis  ;  but  not  content  with  that,  Mr. 
Chapman  retarded  some  bulbs  last  year,  and  then  startleil 
everybody  ,at  the  ShreAVsbury  ShoAV  in  August.  Never 
Avas  a  man  more  enamoured  by  the  charms  of  a  genus. 
Compared  Avith  the  collections  in  Avhich  Mr.  Chamberlain 
interests  himself  at  Highbury,  and  Lord  Rothschild  at 
Tring,  that  of  Captain  Holford  can  easily  claim  precedence. 
But  though  our  notes  on  them  are  someAvhat  extensive,  in 
the  interests  of  the  patient  reader  it  is  necessary  to  hasten 
oiiAA’ard  without  further  dilation. 
Let  us  turn  to  Strawberries — Str.aAvberries  forced.  A 
picking  of  15lb  at  once  in  the  month  of  March  requires  con¬ 
siderable  numbers  of  pl.ants.  Six  fruits  only  are  taken  per 
pl.ant ;  and  it  may  at  once  be  said  th.at  for  Aveight,  size, 
coloui’,  and  flavour  the  Royal  Sovereigns  here  tasted  could 
not  be  bettered :  they  Avere  of  exceptional  merit.  The 
plants  ax’e  groAvn  on  shelves,  not  suspended  from  the  roof, 
but  by  the  side  of  Ioav  span  houses,  close  to  the  roof  glass, 
Stx’aAvberries  ixi  March  are  early,  but  to  have  frixits  of  these 
in  October  is  a  tx’iumph  at  the  other  end  ;  .and  Ave  Avex-e 
px’ivileged  to  see  qu.antities  in  both  months  ;  the  late  ones 
being  at  Sproughton,  IpsAvich.  The  variety  British  Queen 
is  gx’OAvn  in  the  open  gx’ound,  the  laxid  being  heavy. 
The  indoor  fruit  trees,  of  course,  were  not  at  their 
fruiting  stage,  bixt  good  bearing  subjects  Avere  noted.  There 
are  only  indoor  borders  ;  the  houses  are  Avell  equipped. 
Roses  form  a  feature  ixidoors,  and  Violets  in  fraxxies  Avere 
good.  At  the  loAver  end  of  the  “  cutting”  garden  there  is  a 
huge  spx’eadixig  specimen  of  Fortuxie’s  YelloAv  Rose  which 
Avas  brought  from  Italy  and  planted  Avhere  it  has  since  so 
successfxxlly  established  itself. 
This  “  cutting  ”  gardexx — so-called  because  qixantities  of 
floAA^ers  are  here  to  be  cut  for  decorations — in  the  early  pax't 
of  the  year  contains  beds  of  bulbous  Irises  (21ft  by  4ft), 
Darwin  Tulips,  Anemones,  Ranunculuses,  and  Narcissi. 
Summer  flowers,  as  Paeonies,  Poppies,  Pyx’ethruixxs,  Del- 
phiniuxns,  &c.,  folloAV  on. 
The  Tulips  and  the  Narcissi  represent  the  best  varieties, 
soxixe  of  thexn  very  costly.  Amongst  Narcissi  Avere  noted 
Seagull,  King  Alfred,  Torch,  Lucifer,  Albatross,  Weardale 
Perfection,  .and  Mme.  Plemp  ;  while  of  the  Tulips  there 
Avex’e  Clara  Butt,  Bouton  d’Or,  &c.,  and  Avhat  is  uncommon, 
a  considerable  collection  of  excellexit  florists’  varieties. 
The  fruit  and  kitchen  garden  is  Avell  cropped,  and  barge 
demands  are  made  upon  it,  as,  for  instance,  Avhen  four  dozen 
C.abbages  are  sent  off  in  one  d.ay.  Stone  fruits  do  Avell, 
for  though  heavy,  thex’e  is  naturally  a  barge  quantity  of  lime 
in  the  soil  OAving  to  the  geological  forxnation  of  the  district. 
Mr.  Chapman  prunes  his  Apricots  hard,  and  has  no  qualms 
about  their  guxnming.  In  Peaches  he  is  able  to  point  to  the 
x’ecord  of  one  13oz  fruit,  and  his  .average  number  of  fruits 
per  tree  (indoors)  is  twexity-four  dozexi  ('288).  The  trees, 
AA’e  must  state,  cover  roughly  2,000  square  feet  of  superficial 
area.  Apples  are  rather  subject  to  canker  here,  and  bate 
frosts  have  usually  to  be  suffered. 
Though  a  personal  visit  to  the  Pinetum  Av.as  a  pleasure 
outside  our  circumstances,  yet  I  am  enabled  by  the  kindness 
of  Mr.  Chcapman  to  append  some  records,  .and  his  contribu¬ 
tion  here  folloAvs  :  — 
“The  Pinetum  is  situated  about  half  a  mile  south-Avest 
from  the  mansion,  and  is  divided  into  several  large  avenues. 
The  acreage  is  about  120  acres.  It  contains  large  clumps  of 
choice  Rhododendrons,  a  complete  collection  of  Coniferax, 
Acers,  Oaks,  Cratsegi,  and  other  choice  trees  and  shrubs. 
Amongst  the  fine  specimens  are  Abies  Alberti.ana,  100ft 
high  ;  A.  Douglasi,  A.  orientalis,  P.  monticolor,  P.  excelsa, 
P  Ayacahuite  (?),  which  cones  freely  every  year,  P.  Strobus, 
