September 22, 1S33. ] JOtTENAL OF HOETICULTTJEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



231 



thinning out to three plants in each hill, and earthing-up as 

 the plants grow strong enough ; and it is better to strip oif 

 aU superfluous side shoots, as ii promotes the growth of the 

 plant and the size and quality of the Corn. After a warm 

 shower in June or July the Corn grows very rapidly, and 

 when fully developed attains the height of 5 and 6 feet. 



A large purple variety of the Egg-plant is another culinary 

 curiosity. The seed is sown on a hotbed, or in an early 

 grapery if that is available, in February, grown on in pots, 

 then transplanted to the open ground by the end of May, 

 in rows 3 feet apart, and by the end of August the fruit are 

 ready for cooking. 



Celery is sown in a favourable situation in rows in April, 

 and then planted out in July, on the two-fold system of 

 single rows, and a bed planted in rows ; for this two-fold 

 reason — the single rows are lifted by the end of October, 

 carefully and tightly packed upright in trenches 3 feet deep, 

 then covered over with leaves or straw for daily use through- 

 out the winter, the bed being earthed over to the depth of 

 2 or 3 feet, and opened in eai-ly spring when that in the 

 trenches has given out. The bed becomes, of course, one 

 frozen mass, and the task of unearthing is, therefore, no 

 easy one. 



Pumpkins and Squashes are also grown in great variety ; 

 but the really useful sorts for a garden are limited to a few. 

 Amongst Squashes, the Early White Bush for summer, and 

 the Boston MaiTOw for fall use are the best. This can be 

 planted with economical advantage betwist the rows of 

 Sweet Corn, and soon covers the ground when the Corn is 

 cleared away. The Cheese Pumpkin, so called from its 

 shape, is the most useful variety in its class, and can be 

 used in various ways. From it is made the Pumpkin-pie so 

 much and justly prized in every American household, like- 

 wise a first-class preserve, and last year I tasted an excellent 

 jelly as clear as the finest White Currant, extracted from it 

 by a neighbouring gardener's "wife, so that British house- 

 wives may see that their American sisters are in noways 

 behindhand in this very useful department of domestic 

 economy. The Mammoth Pumpkin is often grown to a 

 great size, but is only fit to look at. There was one ex- 

 hibited last year weighing 264 lbs., at the oiKce of the 

 "American Agi'iculturist," New York, where throughout the 

 year there is generally some curiosity or monstrosity of the 

 vegetable kingdom to be seen. 



Melons are most admirably adapted to this climate, and 

 do not require a tithe of the trouble requisite to their suc- 

 cessfiil cultivation at liome ; but instead of one or two being 

 sent in occasionally, they must be supplied in quantity every 

 day during their season. They are divided into two distinct 

 classes. Musk and Water Melons, each class having again 

 its varieties more or less excellent. The Musk Melon has 

 an entire cordate leaf, the well-netted fruit resembling the 

 finer varieties of the Trentham Hybrids. The Water Melon 

 has a more divided leaf, the fruit oblong-shaped, sometimes 

 attaining the weight of 40 lbs. ; size an indication of ex- 

 cellence ; skin smooth and dark green, the edible part when 

 fully ripe resembling frosted work of a deep pinkish colour, 

 and most deliciously cool when the thermometer is over 90", 

 as it has been every day for the last three weeks, and seldom 

 below 85° at night. Melons are sometimes sown in pots to 

 forward them a little, but I question if anything is gained 

 by this. The most generally adopted system is, to plant 

 them in hills 7 feet apart in weU-prepared ground, the lulls 

 being covered with small hand-lights until two or three 

 rough leaves are formed, when the plants will thrive better 

 by being uncovered. After this they only require a little 

 thinning and stopping. From forty to fifty hills with — say, 

 four plants in each, afford a good supply to a moderate- 

 sized family. 



Okra is sown in rows 4 feet apart, and is used when in a 

 young state for making a peculiar kind of soup called 

 " gombo." 



Citrons are treated the same as Melons, and are extensively 

 used as a presei've. 



The Sweet Potato is sometimes gi-own here, but more for 

 experiment than profit, as the cool evenings in the early fall 

 are apt to prevent it firom properly maturing; but it is a 

 most delicious vegetable when properly cooked. An Ameri- 

 can Potato, the Peach-blossom, received very favourable 

 notice at Kensington Gore last year, which it well merited ; 



besides other good qualities it is an excellent keeper 

 through the winter. 



A gardener here has many insidious and destructive 

 enemies in the insect world to contend against, most vege- 

 tables and fruit having an insect peculiar to that variety, and 

 some are favoured by the attentions of two or three. One 

 of the most destructive is the Asparagus bug, which at one 

 time threatened the total extu-pation of that most useful 

 vegetable ; but a gentleman who deserves great credit for 

 the ingenuity and simplicity of his device, has found out 

 that by quartering a few hencoops on the Asparagus-beds 

 and then letting the chickens run about at wUl they eagerly 

 devour the insect and speedily clear the beds. I have not 

 yet seen the least indication on the Apple trees of what we 

 used to term " American blight," and Long Island has long 

 been famous for its orchards of Newtown Pippins, of which 

 there are abundant existing evidences, many of the trees 

 being of a great age and yet in a good bearing condition. 

 — David Foulis, New York, August 17. 



[Mr. Foulis is now in partnership with Mr. Beattie, a 

 nephew of Mr. Forbes, of Wobm-n, the firm being Beattie 

 and Foulis, Seedsmen and Florists, 925, Broadway. — Eds. 

 J. OF H.] 



BAEE HALL, 



The Seat of Sik Francis Scott. 



A 3AK0NIAL mansion situated on an elevated spot bears a 

 commanding aspect, and may be seen afar off, but viewed 

 from a distance the exposed appearance gives not the most 

 pleasant ideas of comfort within. This cannot be said of 

 Barr Hall and park, in Staffordshire, about six or seven 

 mUes from Birmingham, belonging to Sir Francis Scott. The 

 HaU, neither elevated nor commanding, is scarcely seen 

 until you are within a few hundred yards of it, yet when 

 approached it appears to be aU that a gentleman's country 

 seat should be. It is certainly a beautiful building of square 

 form, with a neat chapel on one side of it, the offices, &c., 

 being at the rear. The grounds and park surrounding it 

 are the most beautiful I ever saw, due both to the nature 

 of the place, which is hiUy and wooded, and the way in 

 which it has been improved by art. 



At the back of the house you ascend by winding paths into 

 a thickly wooded region, beyond which you look over the 

 country, which is in a high state of cultivation, being varied 

 with corn fields and meadows, with here and there a wooded 

 spot. From the front of the building the ground is beau- 

 tifully undulating, and rather thickly wooded, and almost 

 facing it, about a mile distant, is a church half hidden by the 

 trees. 



The approach to the house after passing the lodge is by a 

 carriage drive of more than half a rmle in length, apparently 

 cut through a thick coppice, with a dense undergrowth of 

 Brakes and Brambles. After a long drive you come to an 

 ornamental piece of water of several hundred yards in length. 

 This is crossed first by a rustic bridge of wood for foot pas- 

 sengers, and further on by a more massive bridge for vehicles. 

 FoUoRing the caniage drive past the house, you arrive at 

 the kitchen garden, which is walled-in, and another enclosed 

 space containing the gardeners' residences, also the gi'een- 

 houses, vineries, &c., and beyond these is the orchard, and 

 beyond that again the farms. But I did not inspect any of 

 these very closely. . 



The pleasure grounds, properly so called, are situated m 

 the space between the house and the ornamental water. From 

 the front of the house a broad walk descends to the water's 

 edge, across which on the opposite side is a boat-house, 

 which you can see into, and at right angles with the house is 

 another broad path and terrace lawn. Below these is another 

 terrace, and below that again is another lawn reaching 

 some distance on either side of the mansion. This is orna- 

 mented with beds of flowers in the modem style of beddmg- 

 out. The bedding-out here has been done with a view to 

 the best effect. Looking at it fi-om either side it is one Oi 

 the most pleasing arrangements I have seen this season, 

 there being sufficient space to take off that crowded and 

 elaborate appearance often observable in the bedding system. 



Thinking that a description of the bedding-out might 

 prove interesting to some of your readers, I took down the 

 arrangement, and give it as clearly as I can. On each side 



