DECEMBER. 359 



it; its aspect is therefore north-east, in an inclosed garden. It has 

 much overswollen the Briar at the point of union. It is 5| inches in 

 girth at 7 feet high, and is 27 feet 7 inches in full height. It is in the 

 shape of a fan, and is a very pretty tree. Its top branch forms an 

 arcade with No. 3. Between these two is a Glou Morceau Pear, alias 

 Delices des Hardenpont, from which I have this day eaten some excel- 

 lent fruit. It is a pity that either No. 2 or 3 had not been planted 

 where this Pear stands. — No. 3 Cloth of Gold is a very fine tree, the 

 loftiest and most extensive of any Cloth of Gold that I have yet seen. 

 This tree is on a 1-foot Briar, which it has much overswollen, at the 

 north-east corner of the gable, opposite to No. 2. It was planted (a 

 very small plant), by Mr. Gill, in 1849. It is in an inclosed garden, 

 with a draughty door close to it. The tree has been trained with a view 

 to avoid Glou Morceau. It has two main stems, and out of one of these 

 is a long rider. The two stems are in girth, at 12 feet from the ground, 

 5 J inches ; the main body is (east aspect) 36 feet high. A long branch 

 runs west against the north side of the house, 31 feet in length, and 

 out of this branch another, 25 feet 2 inches, runs under the garden 

 wall thatch, northwards. The growth of the terminal shoot of this 

 branch, this year, is 9 feet 4 inches. On the 10th of October, at the 

 top of the 36-feet department, I saw sixty fine buds. 



With regard to cutting the Cloth of Gold, Mrs. Fowler told me that 

 the effect was, that she got lots of long wood and less flowers. This I 

 believe to be the case with most Noisettes, Hybrid Chinas, and Hybrid 

 Bourbons. Finally, observe that four of these Cloths of Gold face the 

 east. These are the finest and best wall trees known to me. 



As I am " in the prose line," I must leave it to " Punch," who is at 

 Rushton, to enliven the article with a little poetry, in which, it is 

 probable, he will express himself " rather freely" at some (! ! !) people's 

 expense. 



" FIRST STAVE. 



" Five glorious Cloths of Gold, three Solfaterres, 

 No amateur to visit long defers. 

 Ophirie, too, and Jaune both wanton here, 

 In Dorset, and Lamarque is very near, 

 With lengthen'd branches reaching to the skies, 

 A noble sight to gladden human eyes. 

 Punch is, as all know, a funny fellow, 

 Hates the Austrian, loves the Persian Yellow, 

 Loves best of all the glorious Cloth of Gold, 

 Whose gilded glory never can be told. 



" SECOND STAVE. 



" Come, then, to Rushton, ply your knife and fork; 

 'Twill amply pay you for your journey's work. 

 Gloede said, ' I ne'er felt bliss before' 

 (Forgetting nuptial bliss and wedding lore) ; 

 1 I '11 come in June, and visit here once more.' 

 R. hopes he will. He '11 gladden all our hearts, 

 And tuck in English beef and Raspb'ry tarts. 

 One thing he '11 see, which made Punch vacant stare, 

 Nimrod's not Eleanor, much less Adair. 



