October 9, 1873. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTDBB AND COTTAGE GAEDENKB. 



275 



sometliing worse, rendered it not advisable for the traveller to 

 venture through them alone. But more peaceful times have 

 come round, and the great natural wood is being intersected 

 with good roads, with here and there dwellings above the class 

 of those occupied by the ordinary cottager ; while from Nash 

 Court are seen two if not more churches, whose spires rise 

 amongst the trees of this once-notorious forest — Hernhill and 

 IHinldrk — and the mansion of Lord Sondes is also close at 

 hand. 



Northward of Nash Court the ground is more tame but ex- 

 cellent in quality ; but to the south and also south-west it is 

 like the cast side, well-timbered and well-cultivated, orchards 

 and Hop gardens alternating with arable laud, while green 

 fields and woods and coppice give ample diversity, the space 

 between the mansion and the highway being partly dressed 

 and partly half-dressed pleasure ground. Near the house there 

 is an excellent croquet lawn margined with high trees, while 



the noble avenue of Chestnuts is growing on ground having a 

 more park-like character. One of the trees which Mr. McCrow 

 kindly measured was upwards of 18 feet in circumference at 

 a feet from the ground ;- others were K!, 15, and 14 feet in 

 circumference at the same distance up, all being very healthy, 

 and promising to live for many generations. In the park I 

 noticed a Walnut tree, of which the spread of branches was 

 upwards of 'JO feet in diameter. The soil was mostly inclined 

 to be gravelly ; but it would appear that the term so often 

 given to a soil of this kind, " hungry gravel," could not well 

 be applied to it, tor most trees and shrubs, except some 

 Khododendrons on the north side of the mansion, were in the 

 best possible health ; notably so were some Pinuses and shrubs 

 that concealed the offices and stables. 



Having described the general features of the place, we now 

 come to the garden, which, taken in its entirety as represent- 

 ing the rosery and flower and kitchen gardens, is placed at 



rLOWER GARDEN AT NASH COURT. 



A. A, Ribbon Borden?. 

 , B, B, Plant Honses. 



c, Conserratorr. 

 D, Orchid Hcus^ 

 , Mixed Borders. 



E, Early Viueiy. 



F, Late Vinery 



A, Vase. 



G, G, Grass. 

 H, H, H, "Walks. 



1. Porpio Kin;; and Foxhunter Verbenas. 



li. Ivy-leaved Pelargonium, L'Elfgftnle. 



.3. Hilver-varieKated Pelargonium, Flower of Spring. 



4. Sweet-scented white Verbena (seedlinK). 



5. Mixed Phlox Dmramondi. 



G. Two parts of bed next walk Verbena Defiance ; one pai-t, centre. Apera- 

 tom. ring of Lady Cullum Oeranium, edged with Tom Tlmrab 

 7, ft. Yellow Calceolai-ia, .Maid of Kent. [Ageratmu. 



0. Glory of Waltham Geranium, edged with variegated Alyssum. 

 10. St. Fiacre Oerjnium, edged with GolJen Pyrethmm. 

 H.' Le Grand Geranium, eilged with Gazania .•^pleudons. 

 12. Donblo Pelargonium Madame Lemoiue, edged witli Gazania spleu- 

 denfi. The above four circular beds have a standard Rose in the 

 centre of each. 



north and north-west sides of the mansion ; but imme- 

 diately adjoining the latter is a considerable breadth of turf, 

 with walks leading through it to the other portions of the 

 gronnd ; and a large space, bounded by the wall of the kitchen 

 garden, has been planted with Rhododendrons in judicious 

 gronps or clumps, but the soil does not seem to suit them, as 

 their propress has hardly been satisfactory. Some Magnolias 

 planted against the garden wall referred to were promising 

 better. A Rose garden occupying a parallelogram a little to 

 the west of the mansion was divided by turf walks into eight 

 diamond-shaped beds and four triangular ones at the corners. 

 This was planted entirely with standard and half-standard 

 Ro.^cs of the best kinds. The wall separating this from the 

 next compartment was also covered with climbers, and a good 

 breadth of turf forming what, in fact, might have been another 

 diamond-shaped figure, was left open. I was told the Roses 

 bad done well ; certainly their appearance justified such an 

 assertion, and I am informed new varieties are added occasi- 

 onally. 

 Adjoining the Rose garden is the flower garden, also a 



13. 



14. 

 15. 

 16. 

 17. 

 18. 

 19. 

 20,21. 

 22. 

 2.-!. 

 24. 



•a;. 



2G. 



Centre, standard Rose, clump of Perilla nankinensis, mass of Stella 



Geranium, edged with flirs. Pollock. 

 Lady Cullum Geranium. 

 Katue as No. 4. 



Beauty of Calder^lnle Geranium. 

 Scarlet Verbena, Foxhunter. 

 Same as No. 6. 

 Same as No. 5. 

 Same as Nos. 7, 8. 

 Same as No. 11. 



Amy Hogg Geranium, edged the same as Nos. 11, 12. 

 Piuii Chrietine Geranium. 

 Same as No. 9. 

 Same as No. 18. 



parallelogram of upwards of 200 feet long by more than half 

 that in width, the glass structures forming the northern bound- 

 ary to it; but I will first describe the flower garden, or rather 

 annex Mr. McCrow's plan of it, which, as will be seen, con- 

 sists of a number of beds of a simple yet agreeable pattern 

 cut out on grass, and which at the time of my visit (the early 

 part of August) were well filled and in excei'jnt order. 



I will now proceed to the forcing houses, of which there are 

 seven in one range. The central house, laiger and wider than 

 the others, is the conservatory. It has ii ridge-and-fnrrow 

 roof, and presents a neat appearance ; the other houses are 

 lean-to's, and, commencing at the west end, they occupy the 

 following position; — First, a Peach house; second, a Pine 

 stove; third, a house for hardwooded greenhouse plants, 

 c, the conservatory, which faces the central walk through tho 

 flower garden ; n. Orchid house ; e, early vinery ; and r, the 

 late vinery. 



Taking the contents of these houses in detail, I may say 

 that the Peaches had all been gathered some time before my 

 visit, but the trees looked all that could be desired, and I 



