12 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAKDENER. 



[ Joauoi-y 4, 1873 



the Great Northern system, and the North-Westeru and the 

 MiiUaud lines each have branches to Stamford, so that perhaps 

 no town of equal, if not greater, population is so well provided 

 with railway accommodation. It is not improbable that the 

 opposition to this in the first instance was the best thing that 

 could liave happened, for, the want being felt, the railway com- 

 panies were all the more anxious to meet it. 



The principal entrance to the park is on the Great North 

 Koail, but there ai-e others in different directions leading 

 through avenues variously planted with Limes, Ekus, and 

 Cliestnuts. The mansion faces a little to the west of south, 

 consequently the other side has a north-easterly aspect ; it is 

 on the latter side that the carriage circle is situated, but it 

 strikes one that something is wanted to break the flat appear- 

 ance of the wide circle of tuif enclosed by the broad gi'avel 

 drive, say a statue or a fountain, wliich must, however, be of 

 a character to accord with the building — not necessarily gor- 



geous, like the richly-gilt wTought iron gates which give access to 

 the house on this and the west side — but noble in its appear- 

 ance. Round the outside of the circle is a nairow border which 

 in summer is occupied with Dahlias, Hollyhocks, and other 

 flowering plants interspersed among the dwarf shrubs which 

 are the permanent occupants. On the west side the most 

 notable object is a small-leaved Lime tree planted by Queen 

 Elizabeth, and therefore more than 300 years old; its trunk 

 is about 7 feet in diameter, but though preserved with all the 

 care due to so ancient and venerable a tree, its years are 

 numbered, for its limbs, though chained together and propped 

 up, creak ominously, and must eventually give way before 

 one of those strong " sou '-westers " to which it is so much 

 exposed. But there is life in the old tree j-et, and when such 

 a catastrophe shall have occurred the stump, which will pro- 

 bably be left, will doubtless throw out fresh branches, and 

 ' thouglr then for many years the tree will be little better than 



a pollard, it will still remain as a memorial of the Virgin 

 Queen and her far-seeing minister. On the south, or more 

 strictly south-west front, of which we give a view, are a thriving 

 young Oak — at le:ist, young as Oaks grow — planted by Her 

 Majesty when on a visit to Burghley in 1844, and a Lime tree 

 planted by the Prince Consort. Extensive views over the lake 

 and park are obtained in this dii-ection, in one of which a 

 bridge of tlnee arche.5 is seen spanning the water. Eight 

 handsome standard Portugal Laurels in tubs are ))laeed along 

 the terrace walk and sloping lawn in front of tlie mansion. 

 On the east side is what is called the Orange Court, in which 

 are several stone-edged oval beds grouped round rockwork, in 

 the centre of which is a fountain with an oval basiu about 

 16 yards long by 12 in its shorter diameter. The bashi was 

 empty, having been cleared out to be stocked with tish arti- 

 ficially hatched. The orangery, like a great many others in 

 this country, has been turned to other purposes than plant- 

 preserving, though it contains a few Camellias. 



Bm-ghley has no conservatory, and the only plant houses 

 are three substantially-built lean-to's, with stone shelves iu 

 front and stages at the back. These are chiefly occupied with 

 old plants and cuttings of Geraniums, by Azaleas, Cinerarias, 

 and plants for house and table decoration, such as Draea;nas, 

 Coleuses, Ferns, and a number of excellently -bloomed Chinese 

 Primulas, of which Mr. Russell, who manages thi^j pai't of the 

 garden, finds the double-white very useful for bouquets, as the 



petals do not drop so readily as those of the laigcr-flowered 

 and more sho\^'y single kinds. 



The pleasure gi-oimds surrounding the house cover between 

 thirty and forty acres, including a large extent of kept gi-ass, 

 which of course involves a heavy amount of labour, and owing 

 to then' situation being a breezy upland, it must be difficult to 

 keep the lawns so free of leaves as they were when we saw 

 them. There is an .American garden occupying a large circle 

 under the lee of a mount, likewise a rosery ; and near the 

 shores of the lake is a garden of 14.5 small geometrical Box- 

 edged beds, wliich must be very difficult to plant, as the beds 

 form complete designs from various points of view, and still 

 more difficult to keep in order from tlieir small size, many 

 angles, and exposed position. At the head of the lake there is 

 also a series of long beds on one side of the walk along a bank 

 probably artificially formed, and on the otlier the gi'ound 

 rajiidly descends, and is densely clothed with Laurels and 

 other shrubs. Laurels both Common and Portugal, but espe- 

 cially the former, are planted iu great numbers b^- the sides of 

 the pleasure-ground walks, as they thrive so well under the 

 trees. Of these there are many noble specimens of the Cedar 

 of Lebanon, one having a stem nearly 5 feet iu diameter at 

 the base ; there ai'e several others almost as large, but not so 

 handsome, having lost some limbs through wind and snow. 

 There are good trees of the Hemlock Spruce and some other 

 Pinuses, but the number of those not indigenous to tliis 



