APRIL. 101 



It ought not to be forgotten that rain-water is charged with salts of 

 ammonia, which are stimulating to the growth of plants. It is there- 

 fore desirable that such water should percolate slowly through the soil, 

 and enable the roots to absorb the soluble food thus afforded ; but, 

 having parted with its nutritious elements, it should not remain to 

 stagnate and chill the soil, excluding air, lowering its temperature in 

 summer, and raising it in winter — an unnatural course. 



I have often seen gra^s fields injured by shallow draining, producing 

 much less grass than they did before. This arises from the rapidity 

 with which the fertilising summer and spring showers pass off into the 

 drains, with all their nutritious ingredients, while in deeper drains 

 there is time for the roots to assimilate the saline matters. 



Shallow drains run quickly and rapidly soon after heavy rains ; they 

 discharge turbid water, loaded with the inorganic constituents of the 

 surface soil Such drains — say at two feet deep — soon become choked 

 with the silt which is washed into them ; while deeper drains do not 

 run for some time after, and discharge clear water, minus its nutritious 

 salts, and are not liable to derangement by choking. 



I have seen a great extent of shallow drains which were perfectly 

 useless, their annual derangement involving an annual outlay ; these I 

 have seen pulled up and replaced by four-feet drains which discharged 

 a pipe full of clear water, the pipe being six inches in diameter, and 

 this, too, in a soil where it was said the shallow drains were too deep. 



With the remark that shallow drains soon cease running after rain 

 ceases, I will close this digression upon drainage by referring to the 

 gardens at Strathfieldsaye for an illustration of what I have advanced. 



The park at this place is large, but little varied in surface. It con- 

 tains many fine trees, particularly in a part called "Switzerland," 

 where the Silver Firs are of gigantic size. 



The house is a plain and unpretending edifice, quite in keeping with 

 the unostentatious character of the late Duke. All the rooms are fitted 

 up with double sashes, thus economising the heat generated in them, 

 and giving a hint which might be applied with much advantage and 

 economy in other mansions. From the house the ground slopes gently 

 to the river Lodden, immortalised by Pope as the nymph " Ludena." 

 Adjoining the house is a conservatory, in which are two Araucaria 

 excelsa, 22 feet in height — a Dacrydium cupressinum, 20 feet — 

 Eugenia myrtifolia, 20 feet; very handsome specimens. The pleasure- 

 grounds are extensive, but unvaried as to surface. They contain many 

 fine trees — as Cedars, Pines, &c. Among them, the following are 

 worthy of record : — 



HEIGHT. 



A very handsome Diospyros Virginiana . . .50 feet. 



Tulip-tree 90 „ 



Several Scarlet Oaks 90 „ 



Cedar of Lebanon 103 ,, 



Spruce and Silver Firs . . varying from 80 to 110 „ 



Weymouth Pines . . . . • • • 95 „ 



Hemlock Spruce . . . . • • . . 50 „ 

 „ „ 180 feet in circumference of branches. 



Flowers are but sparingly introduced, but there are fine breadths of 



