Although the season was far advanced, yet the blushing, sweet face of bonnie May was still smiling upon the vernal scene, made beautiful by her flowery presence in forest, field and garden. Momentary glimpses of pretty spring blossoms on bush and tree suddenly appeared and disappeared like kaleidoscopic flashes, as the traindarted through a pleasing landscape among cultivated fields and green meadows profusely sprinkled with wild flowers. The ever changing features of harmonious Nature, as I joyfully gazed on her charms while speeding along, seemed as beautiful as ever; when, presto, like a dissolving view, they were gradually obscured and faded away as I approached the unromantic Jobstown station.

Situated about a half a mile from where the locomotive left me is the celebrated Rancocas farm and gardens of P. Lorillard, Esq. The courteous and intelligent chief of the horticultural department, Mr. John G. Gardener, kindly admitted the writer to view the extensive hothouse structures, gardens and grounds over which he successfully presides. The continuous range of five hundred feet of forcing houses is unbroken to the centre, from which a span-roofed projection runs out forty feet to the front, and which is planted on each side with a row of thrifty-looking Black Hamburg grape vines.

To facilitate the production of flowers, fruit or vegetables, and where different temperatures are required while forcing, convenient sized compartments, divided with glass partitions, are arranged consecutively from end to end. All the stages, shelves, boxes, benches, etc., inside are exact duplicates, and can be readily changed or removed as circumstances require. And the whole of this vast area of glass, besides the long outside rows of pits and frames, are effectually heated with a number of Hitching's large-sized boilers, which can be used separately or combined, according to the heat ' required. The furnace room is a spacious cellar, placed under the centre of the structure, from which ramify the hot water pipes to every compartment, and by simply turning a valve or two the temperature may be increased or diminished at the will of the operator.

An automatic steam engine for forcing warm or cold water into every house, pit or frame, acts like a charm, expedites the work and saves much manual labor. No insidious green fly, destructive caterpillar, evil red spider, sly thrip, treacherous mealy bug, sinister plant louse, or other Vile insect can exist where exasperated "Pluvious," with his aqueous weapons attacks them. And in support of my assertions I need only to refer to Passiflora quadran-gularis and Gardenia florida, either of which may aptly be termed the home of Aphis lanigera, or where "they most do congregate," which were here to be seen as clean, vigorous and floriferous as I ever saw them. The first-named plants occupied the back of one of the houses and were trained on a trellis overhead, and from which hung a fine crop of good sized, oval shaped fruit. The peculiar flavor, to those who fancy them, is considered delicious; while the latter, with their snow white purity and exquisite perfume, seemed fit for the goddesses of to-day.

In the center of a house fifty-three feet long some early sweet corn was planted on the 14th of May as an experiment, to which a high temperature will be given as soon as the last large cauliflowers are cut from the sides. From the 24th of December Mr. Lorillard's table has been daily supplied with fine, tender, fresh cauliflowers. Another similar sized house had each day amply furnished quantities of dwarf or snap-short beans from November 1st; successive sowings of which are made to keep up the supply, as each crop bears picking about a month. The portable shelves, which run through the whole range of houses, are suspended near the glass, and on them are placed pots of strawberry plants for early forcing.

Suitable pots, of Mr. G.'s designing, are used. They are not so tapering as the ordinary kinds and nearly straight in shape, with a larger hole than usual in the bottom, through which the roots are encouraged to grow into a bed of prepared moss and bone dust, kept constantly moist, and with astonishing results. Sir Charles Napier is an excellent kind to force, fruit of which was first picked February 9th. The same may be said of Stuart, Topeka and Sharpless.

In a house devoted to tomato growing, from which continuous pickings had been made from the first week in October, was still bearing the kind known as "Perfection;" and in four others of the same dimensions, viz., fifty feet each, flourished luxuriant plants of the handsome Ran-cocas seedling tomato. Well may Mr. Gardener be proud of his superb seedling, a cross between Acme and Trophy. It is much superior to its famous progenitors, and may be considered the ne plus ultra of its kind. Like the melons, grapes and cucumbers, of which there were excellent examples of successful cultivation, the tomatoes were trained on wire trellises, near the sashes, from which beautifully formed, clean, red-ripe fruit hung in amazing profusion.

Early peach forcing is also extensively carried out; and among the first to mature is the Early Rivers, which ripens in sixteen weeks from the time of blossoming. The next to follow is Early Louise, which requires two weeks longer. Royal George still maintains its good character, while the good old Grosse Mignonne continues to favor its admirers with abundance of large, rich, juicy fruit, some twenty weeks after the time of blooming. Diamond, too, is a gem of the first water.

Growing figs in pots is also a success. The two favorite kinds are Black Ischia and Black Italian. Ripe Black Hamburg grapes were cut early in April, and from one year old vines, in pots, eight pounds each were gathered. There is also a house of fine and vigorous Muscats, which promise well for the future. The same may be said of the pineapples, which were strong, healthy plants for their age.

Among the many attractive features of this unique establishment are two rose houses, well stocked with good blooming plants in pots. One was filled with choice Teas, principally Pearl, Mermet, C. Cook, Niphetos, etc., and the famous old Malmai-son which, as a good, steady bloomer, is not to be excelled. The hybrid perpetual house was chiefly occupied with Jacqueminots, Paul Nerons, Anna des Diesbachs, Baroness Rothschilds, Countess of Oxfords, with some of John Hopper, which for perfect form and fragrance has no equal.

Of Orchids were some good Calanthe Veitchi's and a beautiful pure white seedling, raised from a cross between C. Veitchi and C. occulata rubra; splendid Dendrobium chrysanthum, Oncidiums, Laelias, Gongoras, Phalaenopsis, Vandas, Brassa-volas, maxillarias, etc. Vanilla aromatica seemed as much at home here as in its native habitat. The beautiful Tacsonia Exoniensis was grand indeed. The same applies to Eucharis Amazonica, whose pure white, sweet-scented flowers are much admired. To supply the immense demand for this lovely flower several hundred fine plants are grown.

Splendid large specimens of Allamanda Schot-tii, in full bloom, for lawn decoration, were ready to put out, and which must have a charming effect throughout the season.

Of ferns, chiefly Adiantum cuneatum and A. Farleyense were grown, in large quantities for bouquet making. Prominent among a variety of beautiful plants stood a huge plant of Phormium tenax var., or striped New Zealand flax.

Both indoors and outside were large tanks containing a choice collection of aquatics, from the magnificent Victoria Regia to the beautiful odoriferous Nymphias, interesting Nelumbiums and Papyrus, curious Cyperus, singular floating Pistia, with a number of other pretty water plants, such as Villarsia, Pontederia, Aponogeton, Sarracenea, etc. For the first time I saw a fine plant of the truly elegant Asparagus plumosus nanus, which is far more beautiful than A. plumosus scandens. Nothing herbaceous could possibly more closely resemble pretty little green feathers than the plant under notice. As yet it is new and scarce and somewhat difficult to propagate, but will become more popular than either ferns or smilax for florists' use when more abundant.

The large mushroom house, in which immense quantities are grown, as well as the well-stocked vegetable garden of fourteen acres, which supplies, besides the family, the heads of departments with first-class vegetables, are sights to see. There are five acres of asparagus for forcing, two acres of which are annually used for that purpose, and two more are planted yearly to be ready to keep up the stock. The excellent condition of all these things I briefly mention attest the skill and good management of Mr. Gardener, of whom it may be truly said "he is the right man in the right place;" and, happily, his princely employer duly appreciates his worth.

In conclusion, what a gratification Mr. G. must experience when he sees "how doth the little busy bee improve each shining hour" beneath a canopy of glass in the winter time. The novel idea occurred to him of introducing a hive of bees into the forcing houses to fertilize the peach and strawberry blossoms. Holes for ingress and egress were made in the glass partitions, through which they passed from house to house and did their work most effectively. Many ingenious devices have been tried to produce artificial fertilization, but these skilful little operators have a far better method of impregnating flowers than man can devise with all his wisdom. Not a blossom seemed to escape their delicate attention, as no abortive flowers were seen.