April n, lb72. 1 



JOUllNAL OF HORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



313 



views across the water in various directions, in which occur 

 fine trees of the Hemlock Spruce, graceful Birches, and noble 

 Beeches— one 14 feet in circumference of stem — Cupressus 

 semperrireus 25 feet high, Red Cedars, Cupressus Lawsoniana, 

 Cryptomerias, a Welliugtonia 26 feet liigh. Sequoia semper- 

 •rirens, and many more. To the north-east lies a natural 

 valley with the sides clothed with Box, Laurels, andl-sy, and in 

 beds beneath Pampas Grass and a variety of herbaceous plants. 

 This is also a pretty spot, especially in summer. 



Crossing the park, in wliich, by-the-by, from Star Point 

 five or six churches are to be seen terminating as many vistas 

 thj-ough avenues of Oak trees, we reach Fort Hemy, a favourite 

 pic-nicking place in summer — a place for boating parties on 

 the extensive lake, and a place which must be thoroughly enjoy- 

 able by the shade of the great trees, the idea of coolness which 

 the water gives, and the soUtude of the spot. There is a 

 prettily wooded island in the lake, and on the banks ah-eady 

 the early Primi-oses were peeping foi-th. In summer all the 



grass is kept neatly mo-wn, yet, verj- judiciously, the borders 

 are not planted with gaudy bedding-out flowers, but are 

 allowed in a great measure to preserve a natural appearance, 

 whicli better accords with the accompanying scenery. We 

 noticed here an Elm with a stem 26 feet in circumference at 

 the base. A spacious band house betokens that the solitude 

 is not unbroken by sweet sounds. 



We shall next proceed to the kitchen garden, which within 

 the walls is five acres in extent. It is one of the best kitchen 

 gardens in England, and, this said, it need scarcely be added 

 it is admirably managed. Its situation, however,' especially 

 near the south side by the ornamental water, must render it's 

 crops liable to suffer from spring frost, and the soil, though 

 not perhaps absolutely stiff, evidently requires to be worked 

 with care, without undue haste, otherwise crops would luiger 

 that would otherwise flourish. It is divided by five walks 

 running lengthwise, with one across the centre, and they are 

 7 J feet wide to allow of the passage of a horse and ear-t. The 



Estcn Pleasiue Giounds and Clinrcli. 



south-aspect wall — we will call it such, though it does not face 

 due south — is 1-5 feet high, and has a 20-feet border. As usual 

 it is covered with Peaches and Nectarines ; of the foimer 

 excellent trees of Early York, Barrington, Late Admhable, 

 Bellegarde, and Grosse Jlignoune ; of the latter Prince of 

 Wales, Eivers's Grange, and Pine Apple. On the same wall, 

 over the central gate, is a fine old JlulbeiTy which is very fruit- 

 ful, and at the end near the houses Figs. Fronting the wall, 

 on the opposite side of the walk, is a row of young dwarf 

 pyramid Pears. The other walls with east and west aspects 

 are also well clothed with trees — Plums, Chenies, and Pears, 

 but. as already remarked, there is no wall on the south side to 

 which the garden lies open — rather too much so we think. 



Nothing could be better than the appearance of the vege- 

 table quarters, nothing could be neater, and the crops above- 

 ground and those that would soon be underground, gave 

 promise in the one case, as they gave evidence in the other, 

 that the results obtained were highly satisfactory. The true 

 London Colewort and the London Market Cabbage were ex- 

 cellent ; so, too, was the Broccoh, which was protected by shak- 

 ing a little Bracken among the plants. It may be remarked 

 that those grown in hard gi'ound were the cailiest to head, 

 which is quite in accordance with what we know of a similar 

 condition inducing a tendency to flowering in other kinds of 

 vegetation — a tendency to be taken advantage of in some 



I eases, to be carefully avoided ui others. Peas and Potatoes 

 I of different kinds had been extensively sown and planted for 

 trial, although Mr. Smith, from past experience, was far from 

 sanguine as to the superiority of some of the new varieties. 

 After discarding the worst he is again puttmg on trial those of 

 which he has the best hopes. Strawberries, too, he is trying. 

 Of President, Lucas, and Sir Charles Napier he speaks highly, 

 and Elton for late use is a gi-eat favourite. Many of his trial 

 plants are in pots, but those on which he relies are planted in 

 a large quarter where the ground is never disturbed by the 

 spade, but weU manured, and at the end of three years the 

 plantation is destroyed. Of the quarters of Gooseberries, 

 Currants, and Raspberries more need not be said tlian they 

 were large and well-ordered; of the pjTamid trees planted 

 about the garden, that they were excellently managed; and 

 that several old overgrown espalier trees would be replaced Iiy 

 pyramids. 



The extent of glass is small relatively to that of the gardens 

 ^aU the more reason that it should be made the most of, and 

 it is made the most of. The Cucumber and Melon pits, lean- 

 to's, 8 feet high and the same in width, contained, besides 

 cuttings, splendid crops of Cucumbers, Telegraph being the 

 kind piincipaHy grown, and plants from cuttings preferred to 

 those from seed as being more prohfic. The Pines are chiefly 

 grown planted out in beds ; abundance of heat, both top and 



