504 



JOUBNAL OP HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



[ Jime 20, 1872. 



ality enabled him to overcome mauy clifficulties. Previous to 1 

 BOiBg to the Eoyal Gardens be was eleven years gardener at 

 Floors Castle, and bis excellence was higbly appreciated by 

 the Duke and Duchess of Eoxburghe. About four years back 

 he was chosen to fill the important situation of bead gardener 

 to the Queen at Windsor, which jiost be filled in a most 

 exemplaiy manner, being kind, courteous, and just to all. 

 The gardening profession has lost a good friend, more espe- 

 cially the young gardeners, for be strove hard to raise them 

 and the profession to a proper standard, giving every facility 

 for study, attending to their comforts in the garden rooms or 

 bothicB, better pay, and, above all, making a proper distinction 

 between the young gardener and the garden labourer. Many 

 head gardeners have the same opportunity, and I should be 

 glad to see them ' do likewise.' " 



WOODSTOCK PARK.— No. 3. 

 The Residence of the Eight Hon. W. F. Tighe. 



Eefore leaving the rock garden two plants deserve note — 

 viz., Pinus Hartwegii and Fortune's Dwarf Palm ; the former 

 is a tree of grand effect, and the latter is gi'owing-up as fresh 

 as the native Fenis around it. This Palm should be largely 

 planted in Ii-eland. 



On again entering the pleasure gi-ounds our walk skirts the 

 wooded deer paddock, and the ground rises very considerably 

 all the way to " Knox's Bower." A spur of Mount Alto is the 

 Ijaokground, and from this point blends finely into the park. 

 By this walk we meet the Ehododenilrons in broad masses, 

 and as single specimens, especially the large seai'let ones 

 near the fountain. Here, too, is a gi'eat mass of the Medi- 

 tenanean He.ath fi feet in height ; also many fine shrubs that 

 time will not peiinit to note. On the left of this walk ai-e a 

 fine tree of Sequoia sempenirens, a good specimen of the ma- 

 jestic variety of Cupressus torulosa, and some grand examples 

 of Pinus insignia. Here we are introduced, through a belt of 

 Ebododendrons, to a line of young Araucarias planted at 

 eijual distances; they have been planted about five years, and 

 we have never seen such vigorous growth in this tree. This 

 curved line of trees promises to add a giand feature to the 

 place in a short time ; besides the shaping and draining of 

 tlip ground for these trees, at least forty cartloads of stones 

 :ind fresh earth were put as a base for each tree, and well the 

 trees repay the trouble. On coming on to the walk again there 

 is a splendid specimen of Thuja gigantea, over 25 feet high ; 

 lliis tree was, in .Tune, 18fi.S, put in as a small plant. At this 

 |ioint, the south-east outside of the kitchen-garden wall is a 

 pretty sight with the exuberant covering of choice hardy 

 climbing plants. .A. few are noticeable as being unusually 

 lai'ge — Fieus repens covers a large space, Pnssiflora coprulea is 

 very large ; Edwardsia grandiflora, large ; and Mahouia fascicu- 

 laris, large and very handsome. The Solanum jasminoides is 

 also fine. 



Farther up, in a corner sheltered by large trees, is the circle 

 bulb garden, with a fine Laurustinus hedge round it. This 

 garden is interesting, but it wants renewing. Around this 

 there is a great variety of interesting plants ; a very fine Thu- 

 jopsis borealis and a Funereal Cypress are striking objects. A 

 fleanotbus divaricatus, 1'2 to 14 feet liigh, with its dark shining 

 leaves, and so full of flower, is a rare sight, mixed with Ehodo- 

 dendrons. 



Now we are in front of " Knox's Bower," standing on the 

 edge of a gentle, natural-lookiog slope. This bower is of elegant 

 design and exquisite workmanship, and it commands a beauti- 

 ful view of Brandon and the country to the east of it. Here 

 we find at an outside suitable point, nine fine young Arau- 

 carias planted on a curved line. These have been planted 

 about three years ; the sites were treated like those of the 

 others already spoken of, and the trees are equally promising. 



From this turning point the walk winds round the upper 

 p.art of the grounds, and the higher part of the park is screened 

 from it by forest trees and a great bank of Ebododendrons. 

 At the first turn we come upon an egg-shaped Eose garden, a 

 pretty style, with an arched trellis round it. On the edge of a 

 sloping glade by the side of this garden stands the great Ai-au- 

 caria, a most perfect tree, about 45 feet high, and the massive 

 wavy branches sweeping the grass. The ghth of the stem 

 near the ground is now 7 feet 10 inches. In the last four years 

 it has increased 1 foot 2 inches in girth, or at the rate of 

 3J inches a year. This tree is now showing cones for the first 

 time. It is generally beheved that the soil at Woodstock is 

 favourable to the growth of the Araucaria ; the reverse is the 



case. All over the declivity on the north-west side of Wood- 

 stock demesne there is underlying the surface a sulphury iron 

 pan, and whenever the Ai'aucaria roots touch this pan rapid 

 disease commences. It so happened that this great tree, 

 now the admiration of every visitor, was planted on artificial 

 ground made by the levelling for the Eose garden. A match 

 tree was planted at the same time on the opposite side where 

 the ground is natural : that tree died more than twenty years 

 ago. The tree we are admiring began to sufl'er from the wet 

 seasons ten years ago — the branches on the upper side showed 

 unmistakeable signs of decay. A drain was then made at some 

 10 yards from the tree, and 10 feet deep, and tilled to the top 

 with stones, which cut off the water from the high ground. 

 The ground was otherwise improved on that side of the tree, 

 and the growth has been uniform since. 



Although the Araucaria imbricata is perfectly hardy in this 

 climate, we are convinced, from careful study of tliis tree, that 

 it will only be seen of a healthy tree size where the gi'ound 

 formation is naturally suitable, or is made to suit its require- 

 ments. Its physiological construction is distinct from any 

 other tree adapted to our cUmate, and this is easUy accounted 

 for by the climate of the natural habitat of the Chili Pine, 

 which is for a considerable period of the year within the track 

 of the south-east trade winds. 'ttTien our summer sun come^ 

 north the belts of perpetual winds and calms arc affected, anil 

 the north-west wind plays counter to south-east, whicli causes 

 the deposit of moisture on the region of the Chili Pine; but 

 this moisture never affects the roots of the tree, i 'an anyone 

 inform us where a liealthy Ai-ancaria 10 feet high is to be seen 

 on a wet subsoil ? 



Near this there is quite a new class of trees and shrubs fruni 

 what we have seen in the lower part of the grounds. A fail- 

 sized scarlet Oak attracts the eye by its beautiful golden leaves ; 

 a tree of the Butter-Xut (Caryocar nuciferum), near it, is veiy 

 stiiking in the expanding foliage ; a great shrub-like mass of 

 the brilliant-coloured Erica austraUs has a charming effecl. 

 Here we have a large Mabaleh tree, a group of curious Crat.T-gus , 

 and another of Hollies, among which is noticeable a good plait 

 of the latifolia variety. A belt of Ebododendrons screens tliis 

 from another piece of lawn, where we are hi front of another 

 ornamental bower, from which a straight walk runs across the 

 flower-garden terraces, and seen on through the ornamental 

 gates of the kitchen garden, and the eye rests on a part of the 

 massive ornamental wall far away at the new teiTace garden - 

 a grand garden scene without a single interrupting element to 

 mar it. Close beside us are vei-y fine specimens of the foUowinj' 

 trees ; — Cedar of (ioa, with a veri- large head ; Cunningbaniia 

 sinensis ; Pinus Lambertiana (it sirrely cannot be true there is 

 any intention of cutting down this fine specimen :'l, and Abie^ 

 Morinda, a grand tree with brancblets hanguig down ti feet. 

 Picea cephalonica is of gi-eat size and a perfect model of this 

 fine tree. Abies Menziesii is growing rapidly, and of a fine 

 glaucous colom'. This large tree was transplanted ten years 

 ago. The last we mention here is Pinus apulcensis. This is n 

 vei-y beautiful Pine, and quite a picture here. 



We are now looking at the south-west outside wall of the 

 kitchen garden, also beautifully clothed with cMmbing plants, 

 of which there are fine masses of the Smilax, Tasmania aro- 

 matiea, Olea excelsa, Anagyris indica, Correa rufa, Viburnums, 

 Garrja latifolia, and Magnolias, with many wall plants rarely 

 seen out of doors. 



The flower garden is not yet planted, but we admire its 

 style and surroundings. There is no change here since Mr. 

 Fish described it so admuably in this Jounial some yesrs ago. 

 This garden is the design of Lady Louisa Tighe, it consists of 

 two terraces and a set of Tx-double beds along the foot of the 

 ornamental waU, and we cannot imagine anything more com- 

 plete than the design and effect of this garden when well 

 planted. 



The cousen atory standing at the end of the terrace garden 

 is one of Turner's best style of circular houses, more need not 

 be said. The beautiful Phoenix Palm that used to furnish the 

 centre of this bouse overgrew its place, and is now planted in 

 a sheltered spot near the old greenhouse, and throwing-up new 

 leaves. The old fronds are about 15 feet and in a healthy 

 condition. It will be a rare sight if the Date Palm take to 

 grow at Woodstock. 



Here, again, we find a new variety of garden Mnbellishment 

 — borders edged with cheerful quartz stones, varieties of ever- 

 green hedges, quaint-looking marks of an old garden, a wide 

 border of rare shrubs and trees nursing, ranges of forcing 

 houses in good order, and the products of first-class culture. 



