252 THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY [August, 



HOW I SPENT AN HOUR AT LORILLARD'S 

 RURAL RKTREAT. 



•or more. I was told to have faith in the animal — some rattlesnake in every mountain, some serpent 



she knew more than to put herself in danger. It in every paradise. However, I fancy I shall have 



is a good thing to have faith. But somehow, when much to tell that will interest the readers of the 



I turned my face aside to look at the fine trees or Gardeners" Monthly before I get through. This 



handsome flowers, or to glance at the glorious letter is only written to let the publisher know that 



landscape thousands of feet below, my faith failed the Editor, so far, is still happy in plodding along 



me, and I would have to look again at the animal's on hib marked out way. T. M. 



head and see how it behaved ; and it was strange 



how it would behave. To go up a mountain trail 

 we zigzag to and fro, and at every angle my pony 

 would stop and look straight over, surveying the 

 scene below as if she enjoyed it as we might, but ''^' ^^'^^- i"- harding. mount holly, n. j. 

 to me looking as if she was going crazy and might Although the season was far advanced, yet the 

 at any time take a fancy for a flying leap over the blushing, sweet face of bonnie May was still smil- 

 precipice. However, we had a glorious day in ing upon the vernal scene, made beautiful by her 

 spite of all our little vexations, till, on returning flowery presence in forest, field and garden. Mo- 

 down the mountain, we found the riderless horse mentary glimpses of pretty spring blossoms on 

 ■of one of our botanical friends. He had chosen to bush and tree suddenly appeared and disappeared 

 ride on before, having a faster walking horse than likekaleidoscopicflashes, as the train darted through 

 us, and then he would dismount, collect plants and a pleasing landscape among cultivated fields and 

 put them in his portfolio. But there was his plant green meadows profusely sprinkled with wild flow- 

 press on the pommel of his saddle, but no botanist ers. The ever changing features of harmonious 

 anywhere to be seen. We shouted " Doctor, Doc- Nature, as I joyfully gazed on her charms while 

 tor," and "Yo ho! Yo ho!" till we were hoarse, speeding along, seemed as beautiful as ever ; when. 

 Whether a bear had taken him, or an Indian had presto, like a dissolving view, they were gradually 

 ran off with him, or he had fallen over a precipice, obscured and faded away as I approached the 

 •or some similar trouble had befallen him, was can- unromantic Jobstown station, 

 vassed over and over again, but all this was set Situated about a half a mile from where the loco- 

 aside as untenable. The guide settled it all by de- motive left me is the celebrated Rancocas farm and 

 daring that the Doctor's "disappearance war mys- gardens of P. Lorillard, Esq. The courteous and 

 terious," and we could get no further. It lell to intelligent chief of the horticultural department, 

 my lot to lead the Doctor's horse, v^ith his plant Mr. John G. Gardener, kindly admitted the writer 

 press, down the mountain side, while my wife to view the extensive hothouse structures, gardens 

 would every now and then ride to my side and and grounds over which he successfully presides, 

 wonder how she could meet the poor Doctor's wife The continuous range of five fiundred feet of forc- 

 when we got down to our rendezvous for the night, ing houses is unbroken to the centre, from which 

 It spoiled all our pleasure for the rest of the day. a span-roofed projection runs out forty feet to the 

 But all was well in the end. In the dim twilight front, and which is planted on each side with a row 

 we saw our lost friend at the cabin door. His of thrifty-looking Black Hamburg grape vines, 

 horse had slid by him while he was gathering a To facilitate the production of flowers, fruit or 

 plant, and no amount of "wo, John," would induce vegetables, and where different temperatures are 

 him to stop. If the Doctor walked fast, the horse required while forcing, convenient sized compart- 

 walked faster, and when the Doctor ran, the horse ments, divided with glass partitions, are arranged 

 ran too. At length the Doctor thought to head the consecutively from end to end. All the stages, 

 creature oft' by cutting across one of the zigzag shelves, boxes, benches, etc., inside are exact du- 

 stretches, but it so happened on this occasion there plicates, and can be readily changed or removed 

 was no stretch there, or he missed it among the un- as circumstances require. And the whole of this 

 ■derbrush, and there was nothing left for him to do vast area of glass, besides the long outside rows of 

 but to work his way down the mountain side, pits and frames, are effectually heated with a num- 

 among the rocks and around precipices, among j ber of Hitching's large-sized boilers, which can be 

 deer brush, mountain mahogany and nutmeg used separately or combined, according to the heat 

 bushes, which, by good luck, he accomplished , required. The furnace room is a spacious cellar, 

 with only torn pantaloons and a little scared. So placed under the centre of the structure, from which 

 there is always something to mar our pleasures — j ramify the hot water pipes to every compartment, 



