410 THE GARDENER. [Sept. 



more or less valuable for their flowers or foliage. Lighting up borders of Rhodo- 

 dendrons, or lending a radiance to the sombre hues of huge clumps of shrubbery, 

 can be seen vigorous-growing heads of Acer negundo variegata ; and with these are 

 also used other ornamental-foliaged plants to aid the production of similar results. 

 The greensward is most deliciously verdant; all the summer through it has been 

 kept watered by a long tube composed of iron and leather, and running on wheels ; 

 portions of the tube are finely punctured with holes, and a stream of water forced 

 into the tube at a high rate of pressure " distils a gentle rain " over a consider- 

 able portion of turf surface. It plays in one position for about twenty minutes, 

 and then is removed to another part of the lawn. A man can work it and fill up 

 his time about the flower-beds. 



One of the flower-gardens gives lines of basket-beds, with a wire-fencing round 

 the margin, and handles also, over which climbing Roses, &c, were growing. 

 Decided colours are sparingly used ; neutral and soft tints, with plenty of foli- 

 aged plants, are employed, and a charming effect results. All the beds have an 

 outer margin of some foliaged plant, such as Cineraria maritima, Stachys lanata, 

 Pyrethrum Golden Feather, &c. Some beds of a dark-coloured Heliotrope were 

 very fine and somewhat unusual, as the Heliotrope is somewhat sparingly used 

 as a bedding-plant now. A mass of Coleus Verschaffeltii, edged with a silvery- 

 leaved plant, was very fine indeed. Dotted about the ground, mostly under 

 the shade of tall trees, or filling up open spaces, were fine beds of Cannas, 

 Castor-Oil plants, and suchlike, with suitable edgings. Some mixed sub-tropical 

 beds, having Abutilon Thompsoni, Dracaena terminalis, and other foliaged plants, 

 plentifully mingled with Lilium auratum and similar rare flowering-plants, were 

 very fine indeed, and a pleasant study, so many different kinds of plants being 

 used in their composition. Another flower-garden on the north-west side of the 

 house gave a huge circular bed filled with Stella nosegay Pelargonium ; round 

 this was a broad gravel walk, and then a circular line of small round beds, each 

 planted with Mrs Pollock, and banded together by means of a low archway of 

 Convolvulus major trained over from one to the other. Round this circular 

 line was another of beds in the shape of segments of a broad circular band, edged 

 with box, each of which was filled with Christine Pelargonium ; and all encircled 

 with a series of iron archways over which were trained climbing and pillar Roses. 

 Round the large piece of ornamental water are clumps of fine trees and banks of 

 Rhododendrons, and at intervals fine plants of the Pampas Grass in threes, that 

 are grand objects in autumn, when the waving silvery spikes are reflected in the 

 shining waters beneath. Huge clumps of Arundo conspicua were very fine also, 

 some of the plants having many heads of the peculiar silvery inflorescence it 

 produces. 



The front of the mansion has a broad terrace-walk, on which are placed in the 

 summer months Orange-trees, Fuchsias, &c. From this point there gradually 

 falls away, towards another piece of ornamental water in the distance, one of the 

 most charming sloping banks of turf our eyes have this season been refreshed by, 

 happily without an obtrusive flower-bed to desecrate it. Almost in the middle 

 of this slope stands a trio of majestic Elms : — 



"Grandeur, strength, and grace 

 Are here to speak of Thee. Not a prince 

 In all that proud old world beyond the deep 

 E'er wore his crown as loftily as these 

 Wear the green coronal of leaves with which 

 Thy hand has graced them : " 



and others of equal imposing proportions screen the dwelling from the noon- 



