28 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEK. 



[ July 14, 1863. 



table, based upon the regulations in practice with Sir Went" 

 worth Dilke's prizes at Kensington. We cannot attempt to 

 criticise this ; siiffici; it to say, that in no one instance were 

 either birds, beasts, or fishes exhibited. 



[Oiu' reporter having taken the fu-st prize is the reason 

 for his silence. We extract the foUoB-ing from the Lincoln- 

 shire Express: — "That showed '>y Mr. W. Earley, gardener 

 to F. Pryor, Esq., of Digswell. Welwyn, was an excellent 

 specimen of aa-t, and secui-ed the fu'st prize. Mi-s. Walker, 

 of Stamford, obtained the second prize. This lady's design 

 was exceedingly pretty, the top consisting of three cornu- 

 copias combined, containing Chenies, Grapes, and Straw- 

 ben'ies. Mrs. Jos. Phillips exhibited a vase of flowers which 

 for elegance and taste displayed in the arrangement was 

 unequalled. The pi-izes for the groups of flowers, itc, were 

 awarded by a jiu-y of ladies. There was also exhibited in 

 this tent a very atti'active bouquet of artificial flowers, con- 

 structed by EUza Mary Hunt, of Burley-on-the-HiU, who 

 has been an invalid from childliood."] 



For the same reasons we cannot pass any remarks upon 

 hand-bouquets, &c., though each had classes and were well 

 competed for. 



Pkuit. — There were some good samples of frait. Mr. 

 Matheson, gardener to the Mai-chioness of Exeter, showed 

 fine collections, as also two fine Black Hamburgh Vines in 

 pots; the two when arched together counting at least 

 twenty-foiu- good-sized bunches. Mi\ Bowman, gai'dener to 

 John Hardy, Esq., Grantham, had exceedingly fine samples 

 of the Golden Hamburgh Grape, good Black Hambiu'gh 

 Grapes, and Green-fleshed Melon, with each of which he took 

 the first prizes. 



In conclusion too inuch cannot be said in praise of the 

 unifonn courtesy of the two Honorary Secretaries, Messrs. 

 Laston and Hewitt. — W. Eakley, Digswell. 



STUDLEY ROYAL. . 



Studlet Eotal, near Eipon. Yortsliii-e, is the residence 

 of Earl de Grey and Kipon. The pleasui'C grounds are cele- 

 brated for theu- beauty and extent, and by many ai-e con- 

 sidered the finest of their kind extant. John Aislabie, Esq., 

 a good old countiy gentleman, assisted by his gifted gai-- 

 dener. Mi-. Fisher, formed the grounds at Studley Royal 

 about the year 1720 ; and his successor William Aislabie, 

 Esq., spent a long life in beautilying and extending' what 

 his father had founded. 



The pleasure grounds are situated in a nan-ow deep dell, 

 called the Skell, with steep, m-egular, wood-covered sides, 

 and traversed by a stream. The situation must have been 

 very beautiful in its natural condition, and, consequently, 

 requii'ed a tutored eye to bring it into its present improved 

 pictm-esque state. The eye and uund must have been well 

 acquainted with what forms a good landscape pictm-e, and 

 not only that but with the combinations which produce one. 

 The proprietor as well as the gardener had, judging from 

 the results of their efforts, a sound knowledge of pictorial 

 effect. They were not forming a picture for themselves 

 only, but one that time would improve and which now may 

 be said to have attained the height of its beauty. 



An adequate account of all that is worthy of note in these 

 gi-ounds would almost form a lai-ge volume ; I must, there- 

 fore content myself ivith noticing a few of the principal 

 featui'es. 



AiTived at the pai-k lodge a noble avenue of Limes is 

 entered, shutting out tlie view of the vroodlands on each 

 side; but at times a glimpse is caught of the many fine 

 Oais \vith which the park abounds, some of them gu-ting 

 30 feet a foot above the ground, and a view of the mansion 

 to the right. Midway in the park, tm-ning to the left, along 

 an avenue of Beech trees of stately growth, I presently came 

 to the beautiful Uttle valley of the SkeU. To the left of the 

 entrance to the grounds is a lake covering twelve acres, into 

 which the water or stream from the gi'ounds empties itself 

 by a fall of about 6 feet. The fall is accompanied by a low 

 tiUTCt baleony-wall, and on the lake were iiquatic fowls, 

 now and again uttering their peculiar cries, -iscending a 

 steep bank from the lake, shaded by a canopy of Beech and 

 Chestnut ti-ees, the gates aire reached. 



The entrance to the grounds is by an iron gate witli some 



inadequate lodges by its side, where each visitor pays Is. 

 and enters his name in the visitors' book. Great and small 

 do this ; and as this nominal charge is applied to keeping 

 in order grounds which contribute largely to the enjoy- 

 ment of the public, no one can ca\il at the sum, for very few 

 people would like to keep at their own cost some hundreds 

 of acres for the good of the manufacturing community. The 

 kind and generous feeling of those who allow then- gTOunds 

 to be seen by the pubhc, who for the most part are shut 

 up week after week in the smoky, impure ah- of our lai-ge 

 towns, cannot be too highly eulogised. 



These gTounds ai-e open every day except Sunday, ;uid 

 guides are ready at the gates from seven o'clock in the 

 morning until five in the evening, to conduct and point out 

 interesting objects to the visitors. 



Passing along a broad and comfoi-table walk canopied 

 by foliage and with a dense tall screen of Yew to the left, 

 shutting out the view of the other side of the valley and 

 the water in the hollow, yet with a few openings, embrasure- 

 like, that reveal some of the beauties, a pleasing featui'e is 

 reached. This is a steep bank planted wiih common Laurels 

 pegged down so as to hide the whole of the ground, and 

 kept about 2 feet high by cutting back the shoots once or 

 twice during the summer. 



Beech trees of large dimensions overshadow the walk ; ajid 

 as the eye catches a glinqjse of an octagon tower situated 

 on the opposite side of the vijley a cast, said to be lead, of 

 two contending gladiators ueai- the water below, is seen. 

 There is stUl a dense wall of Yew to the left and its canopy 

 overhead, but an opening is reached that has taken many 

 by sui-prise, being a prospect of the valley in its widest part. 

 A little to the right stands a building called the Temple of 

 Piety, well backed by the foliage of the trees of a neighbour- 

 ing slope. Beneath is a level piece of ground, where the 

 water fr-om the upper part of the gi-ounds is exjianded into 

 spaces of lake with accomp.anying statues of Neptune. 

 Bacchus, and Galen. 



A lover of fine trees can hardly pass some to the left that 

 stand near glades of lawn sloping fi'om the eye to the water 

 edge. A Nonvay Spruce (Abies excelsa), near the walk, but 

 somewhat entangled with the adjoining shi-ubs, is straight, 

 without any apparent deviation to the top, and displays a 

 luxiu-iance I have not seen elsewhere. It is 12(! feet high, 

 and the stem more than 12 feet in circumference above 

 the roots. Another, neai-er the stream and less enclosed by 

 other trees, attracts readier attention : it is not, however, so 

 lofty, and is but 11 feet in cfrcumference of stem. A North 

 American Spruce on the other side of the grassy opening 

 to the NoiTvay Spruce is 14 feet in cu'cumference of stem, 

 and 13.5 feet high. Almost adjoining .stands a fine example 

 of the Hemlock Spruce (Abies canadensis), 70 feet in height, 

 with a stem neaily 8 feet in cu'camference. Supposing those 

 trees to have been planted by Ma'. Aislabie about 1720, a 

 usefid criterion of growth is fm-nished to subsequent planters 

 of Conifers. 



Passing on you begin descending the declivity under the 

 shade, and perhaps, may see as much beauty in a Sycamore 

 tree 70 feet liigh without a branch, as in a gorgeous flower 

 parten-e. Evergi-eens and groves adorn the declivity, and 

 from a cavern a stream issues overshadowed by a dense 

 mass of Beech foliage. 



The eye scai'cely loses sight of this before a view is gained 

 across a bank of Yew and Laiu-el, overhung with nobler 

 foliage, of the long canal as it is called, the moon and 

 crescent ponds, with their grassy teiTaces, and of the lake 

 in the park, backed up \vith wootUand scenery. The statues 

 in the valley and an octag'on tower to the right rising from 

 a clump of Firs ai-e iilso interesting objects. 



Continuing my joiu-ney, I have another peep thi'ough 

 the La\u-els, and see the statues Hercules and Antseus in 

 contention, in the narrowest pai-t of the dell. Diverging to 

 the left instead of following the path through the woods, 

 but stm overshadowed by old trees, I crossed to the other 

 side of the valley by a rustic bridge, where the stream glides 

 sUently along. On the bank of an irregvdar pool called 

 Quebec ai-e several natiu'ally-iniu-ehed trees, none of them 

 being more than 15 inches in cu-cumference of stem. On a 

 smsiil island in this water stands a monument to the memory 

 of the gallant General Wolfe, and beyond I soon found 

 myself in a formal yet beautiful valley, in which is a build- 



