108 THE FLORIST. 



space within the fences. On entering the gardens from the castle, 

 among the first things that attracted attention were some vigorous 

 trees of the Ribston Pippin Apple, from grafts brought from the 

 original tree at Ribston some half a century since, by the late Duke. 

 These are upon a south wall, and we were informed that the annual 

 produce is extraordinarily fine and abundant. Further on, upon the 

 same wall, is a house erected over the original Raby Fig tree; this is 

 a magnificent tree still, although it had undergone very severe pruning 

 when we saw it (the 23rd February last), it having, during these last 

 few years, been allowed to become very wild ; it is a most delicious Fig, 

 and deserves a place in every garden ; it is a free cropper and early. 

 Behind this wall is the kitchen garden ; it is entered at the S. E. 

 corner ; and a broad walk, with flower borders on each side, takes the 

 visitor away to the south side of the garden, and on to the N. W. 

 corner, where the gardener's cottage is situated. The first object here, 

 in the way of houses, is a lean-to Peach house, with the trees planted 

 out in the centre of the house, and trained over a table-like trellis ; 

 these trees have a very old and contorted appearance ; they, however, 

 had tolerably good wood upon them, but Mr. Short (the gardener 

 here) intends cutting them out by degrees, and replanting the house ; 

 and instead of the present table-like supports, he is putting up flat 

 wall-like trellises from the underside of the rafter to the ground, so that 

 the trees are trained as upon a wall ; he misses every other rafter, but, 

 in the intervals between the trees, he proposes placing fruiting trees in 

 pots. He considers that by this plan he gains a very considerable 

 space : and those trees in pots, and those likewise upon the trellises, 

 will get the full advantage of the sun and air. Further on, is a very 

 ornamental span-roofed conservatory. This house was very gay 

 indeed with some splendid Azaleas, Camellias, Roses, very fine ; 

 Hyacinths, Tulips, Dielytras, Laburnums, Deutzias, Cytisus, Lilacs, 

 Oranges, Epacris, Ericas, Clianthus, &c. Further on, was an early 

 Peach house, with an excellent crop of fruit, just ready for stoning ; 

 and an old vinery here too had some most excellent old Vines in it, 

 very strong and well-ripened ; but we understood there was some 

 difficulty in ripening off the wood last autumn. We next came 

 to the garden cottage, upon the walls of which, on each side of the 

 door, were two splendid plants of Jasminum nudiflorum, which were 

 literally covered with their golden flowers, and we were told that they 

 had been so all the winter through. No garden (see page 99) ought to be 

 without this invaluable winter-flowering plant, especially where much cut 

 flower is required. Immediately in front of the gardener's cottage is 

 a piece of ground, planted with the original Raby Currants. These 

 are annually cut down to within a few inches of the ground, as this 

 sort will not break its buds except terminally, consequently, to keep it 

 within bounds, it has to be thus treated. Two very antique clipped 

 Yew hedges run across the garden, from north to south ; these 

 tend very much to break the winds, which are very violent here some- 

 times ; between these two hedges lies the only portion of flower garden 

 There are also two walls which run across this garden, upon 

 which are principally Pear trees ; these were undergoing a very severe 



