Jlay 16, 1872. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



407 



Plain of Nnadhat. This well expresses the position of Carton, 

 which stands on an extensive table land about 200 feet above 

 the sea level. The vast estates of the Duke stretch out on every 

 side in unbroken fertility. 



Looking at the outside of the demesne of Carton there does 

 not appear a leading approach — that from Ma.-vniooth is the 

 most important, as the spacious avenue connects the town \Yith 

 :\ chief entrance gate. In former times straight avenues were 

 admired features of Carton ; we think there is no form of 

 planting can produce such grand effect as a well-designed 

 iivcnuc ou ground and sjiaee like that at Carton. As we walked 

 down the Mayuopth avenue rcceutly the stunted unhealthy 

 trees on each side seemed to say, " Pity us, we are outside 

 the gate, speak of our wants to our noble master; if it be 

 requu-ed let us be removed, and more fit subjects planted in 

 our place, but we cannot bear to be a reproach." Tliis appeal 

 we felt so strongly that we submit it to the Duke himself, who 

 never turns a deaf ear to pity's call. No amount of cultural 



skill will make these trees worthy of the liosition. If this 

 avenue should be replanted it should not be done in single 

 lines, which will always appear naked on such an open plain 

 and in such a spacious avenue. Acer macrophyllum and the 

 English Elm are perhaps the best two trees for planting the 

 outside lines of this avenue. It is after entering the park 

 within the gate that regret is so much felt that the avenue 

 trees are not in any degree to be compared to the healthy trees 

 everywhere seen over the breadth of the park. 



The chief tree in the park is the Beech ; there are some 

 goodly-sized Oaks, but comparatively few with the character of 

 an " old Oak.." There is but a small proportion of evergreen 

 trees about Carton; there are some ijne specimens of the Silver 

 Fir, especially those by the slip of water ou the east of the 

 kitchen garden. Ou entering from Maynooth the impression 

 is that we are in rich pastures and a tame wooded landscape, 

 but when we apjjroach the front of the mansion the scene is 

 of groat grandeur; the splendid frontage of the mansion, the 



quaint Italian garden, the spiral fvrr^rccnr, the f.ne glades 

 expanding out into undefined dist;'.iice, wUh herds of fine 

 cattle browsing iu such quiet rt-pose, and tl.(u the (yo rests 

 on the distant Dublin and Wieklow mountams. This is a 



and is a fine illustration of a ducal le- 



rare compos 

 sideuce. 



Furtlier remarks will be confined to details of the gardens 

 and gai'deniug at Carton. 



FOECED STEAWBEEEIES FAILING. 



Havino been very successful in forcing the Strawberry for 

 some years until now, I am not able to say why I have been so 

 unfortunate this season. The kind I force is Eclipse, and when 

 the berries have well set after the blossom most of them re- 

 main stationniy, and cease to swell, and when those that do 

 are nearly fuU-sized spot comes on and rots them. 



I have occasionally observed something of this kind in other 

 years, but it was very partial, and I have thought that the 

 cause was too much damp in the house and syringing ; but that 

 is not the cause this season, as I have only syringed twice, and 

 have not had (he house so full of moisture. The watering I 

 attend to myself, and I have air on night and day. The plants 

 have not experienced any check that I am aware of. They 



looked strong and healthy when first put into geutk heat. 

 They are on a shelf near the glass, about 2 feet from it, under 

 the ridge of a span-roof, but there is nothing to obstruct the 

 light, as the ridge is narrow, running east and west, and thty 

 are near to the ventilation. If you can throw a little light on 

 the cause of my failure, so that I may avoid it in future, it 

 would be doing me good ser^uce. — E. T. J. 



[With your care in watering, ventilation, Ac, we ai-e sorry 

 to say that we cannot discover the cause of the failure in yorr 

 Strawberries. Ours, though fair, have not done so well as 

 last year, and we attribute tliis chiefly to the want of the 

 thorough ripening of the buds in the autumn, and the great 

 amount of dull, damp weather this spring. \Ye would tiy 



