JOUKN.iL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENEK. 



[ May 23, 1872. 



'-^^t'S^^^St^^^^.^^ -^y,^e noted 

 foi uf«e<fuU« tyand as an example of what a practical man 

 ^ItLno" of a house which is constructed m the extreme 

 ^nosUe of what modern horticulturists deem essential for 

 successful culture. This house is in a pai't of the frame ground 

 Sdi^ appearance gives one the idea of a lecture hall or grand 

 Mand^ The back ^d ends are of soUd masonry ; he front 

 and riof is glass in heavy frames. The length o the house 

 fs oVei 40 feet! the width 15 feet, and the front glass at leas 

 15 feet uprigh . The roof may be described as fla . At about 

 10 eet from the floor a wooden gallery is erected the ^hole 

 length of t'Se house, resting on the back waU and the front 

 supported on pUlars. On this gallery is erected a stage having 

 sW Ikies of shelves. On these shelves we saw a very good crop 

 'o^S^a'b nS!i^i pots, notwithstanding the 'IfBtance from the 

 Sght. Vines are trained up the front and under the roof and 

 on these Vines we have seen veiy good fruit. The house is 



"""Mnch'forcing is done at Carton by the old hotbed frame, 

 and ri"ht well done ; but a well-ordered range of properly 

 heatec pits would be a great advantage to this estabhshment 

 and save a large amount of uncertahi labour, especiaUy eaily 



""orcrftical pomts we have no intention to enter, and leave 

 this fine garden with much pleasure and admn;ation. 



Between the kitchen garden and the mansion there are a 

 yaiiety of walks, some good shrubs, fine Beech trees, tlie giea t- 

 est number of Cedar trees we have seen "^ M^nd of au 

 growth and well planted as to position ; a chilcb-en s gaiden 

 with tea-house, and an interesting space-a sort of open garden 

 at the end of the Cedar walk. Here at many pomts is observed 

 a judicious improvement in reducmg the common Laurel and 

 dug borders, and widening the space to mtroduce a new class 

 of trees ami shrubs, which wiU produce a more varied and 

 lightsome effect. ' , .,, • „ i 



The views we pubUshed in our last number will give a good 

 idea of this splendid mansion on the garden front, ihe chaste 

 grouping of the mferior ofQces at the extreme wmgs could not 

 be shown, but these buildmgs have much effect on the appeai'- 

 ance of this classic mansion, which was designed by K. Lastie, 

 who died at Carton m 1751. It is no part of our object to 

 speak of the splendour or furnishing of this mansion; it is 

 enough to state that the building extends m a straight hue 

 for 400 feet, with a breadth of 56 feet. The centre of the 

 oar-den front, which appears in the engravmg on page 400, has 

 I fapade of 200 feet, with two wings each 85 feet, and these 

 are continued as shown on page 407. _ 



The gaxden m front (page 421), seems appropriate, and was 

 laid out from designs of the late duchess about thii-ty-five 

 years ago. The hedges, or rather mouldings, round the fom- 

 compartments are of Yew, and stand about 2 feet high and 

 the same through. The keeping of these is extreniely neat, 

 and at this time of year the young tips give all the effect ol a 

 beautHul bronze moulding. The space from the outer to the 

 second hedge is 8 feet m gTass, and the beds are laid out in 

 geometric form, with a figure on a pedestal in the centre of each 

 square. The beds are filled at this tune with sprmg flowers, 

 of which Wallflowers and Pansies are the most teUing. With 

 bulbs, Mr. James uses a carpet of SUene and such-like plants, 

 and this gives a very nice furnished appearance. The set of 

 half-scroll beds on the grass between the gravel walk and sunk 

 fence do not coi-respond with this garden, and having no back- 

 ground, however well planted, they mar the pictm-e. 



The Yew avenue dividing the flower garden is a distinct 

 feature, admired by some, and not understood by many. This 

 avenue,' as wUl be seen on the plan, divides the garden com- 

 partments. It is 60 feet wide, and about 300 yards long. 

 This glade of grass is kept hke a carpet. We are extremely 

 glad to see that every alternate Yew is being taken out. The 

 close line of Yews had become far too much of the hedge form ; 

 now what is thinned out looks light and ornamental. 



We take another look back the Cedar walk, and Mr. James 

 pleases us with the idea that the fence wUl be thi-own back, 

 and a line of young Cedars planted to match those we adimre ; 



this would make a fine avenue, and we see nothirig to prevent 

 its broming so. We could hnger long here, but time warns, 

 iTid we nroeeed to the Cottage garden. 



Tircottaee is about a mUe from Carton, and we pi;oceed to 



extra expense to add to one or more of the islands mstead ot 

 "°4^'n::rly*o;pS-the Cottage in a .weet mo m ^^ 

 Mav with such sim'ing of birds, with such a breadth of budding 

 amfv^ri^d leafy trefs, with such quiet repose, the eurlmg 



iHlie^{rZn-f^?av-^^-^P^^t 



^"^X^tig^^ts^ovj^^'i^trd:!^ - — 

 E£^^rt;^H^^^s^^5 



La^i at ifast 100 feet high some fine evergreen Oaks^^^^^^^ 

 f- Vt=e ht:te^n7aSlf l^'^Ul'dr ITS o^nT. 

 |:pofthe CoUage ^|»^en t^^- TnThlrLTd^l 

 lets"' ^^reCelmf sttr^o'n'i&e.b'readth of park be 

 ween ns and the boundary, and we obtain a gbmp^e of the 

 rocks and Furze in the distance by the " black bridges. 

 '"Wewii not attempt any description of the mterio of th^ 

 Cottage- it may be simply described as fauy lan I. ine 

 '^BheTr'oom" is the creation of the late duchess, and it is a 

 mSous example of systematic --■Jf^fcUt^^'/f ^'=^. 

 industrv The garden is m harmony with the Cottage, a pait 

 Eose part Aowlr, part rock garden all - g°-^^^f P-^'^.^^ 

 as vet not clothed in its summer dress ; the banks, however, 

 dehgbted^s. Mr. James is clearing away rubbish and intro- 

 ducing -wild flowers -with charmmg effect. 



OuihWd visit to Carton, and pressure of business, have 

 noVailowed us to enter so fuUy into details as we -^^^^ t°/^ 

 ret'ardmg the gardening and gai'iiens at Caiton, and we rear 

 r^any of" our notes will give but a f.^f f/^.^ ^Z *^\f^ 

 nlace We have onlv to express a wish that Mr. James wril 

 C" be spared to rule over the gai-dens he now so weU dnrects. 

 and an earnest hope that the style of flower-gardemng may 

 find, as it deserves, more adopters m Ireland. 



THE EOYAL HORTICULTUEAL SOCIETY'S 

 BIRMINGHAM SHOW. 



Os mv way to the Manchester Exhibition I made a dctour 

 toIroZoTs (pardon the mixtui-e, which is not so barbaric as 

 &ac^:ur),lrthepurpose of observing thesprmg^a^^^ 

 at Mr OuUter's at the Lower Grounds, Aston, of whicn i uaci 

 he^d aVeatdeal, but of which I can say ''."^e ha^ -^ °° 

 told me "-more of this another week-and '"^ .^°^f,^° }J.^^ 

 enabled to obtam some mfoi-mation with regard to tl^e foith- 

 commg meetmg, which may not be ?^^'=«f,f ,t^": /.jS'^^ 

 the opportunity of jom-neying to Derby with t^^J^f ^^^^^f | 

 Secretary of the Local Committee, Mr. E. Badgei, ^Jio >* 

 worldn7at the ean7ing-out of the details with a vigour- and 

 energy that will materiaUy help success. 



The tent is rapidly approachmg completion ; it will be 

 much larger than that at Nottmgham, and will be arranged on 

 Smewhat the same plan, all the plants being placed on the 

 grrsswhile other tents will be devoted to frmt, cut fiowers, 

 St'able decorations. All the appearance of f-^lf^^-^^" 

 tidiness which were conspicuous m the grounds at Kolting- 

 hamwill be avoided, for Mr. Quilter is a man of order^ No 

 vans or horses, nor Utter of any kind, wiU be left on the 

 gro4d; and m order to show his enterprising character, I may 

 Mention that he has agreed with the London and North- 

 Westem BaUway Company to erect a permanent station at 

 the bottom of his grounds, which will cost him nearly £000, so 

 ihatS-s from ill pai-ts will be able to set down at the very 

 place itself. 



