102 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ February 8, 1877. 



the background, the level, fertile, and richly-wooded plains of 

 Cumberland sweeping out to the eouth, with the belt of the 

 Solway glistening like silver through the woods in the distance, 

 and the massive peaks of the Cumberland mountains stretch- 

 ing along the southern horizon. Passing the inn a pleasant 

 road conducts you past Woodhouselees, Woodelee, and other 

 places well worthy of notice ; but a smart-looking house catches 

 the eye. It is the property of Mr. .lames Park, brother to Mr. 

 Park of Brooklyn Cottage, and here as a country gentleman 

 he is reaping the fruits of his professional career in America, 

 a sight that cannot fail to arouse emulation in every gardener's 

 breast. 



Here the beauty of the scenery culminates, for there, backed 

 by deep woods, is the mansion and grounds of Netherby, a 

 noble pile, and worthy of the noble line that for so many cen- 

 turies have been its owners. Tradition traces back the origin 

 to the family to the darkest days in England's history— the 

 wars between the houses of Lancaster and York. It is said 

 that in those troubled days a knight, son of the Lord of Mon- 

 teith, stung by the ingratitude of the Scottish king, for whom 

 he had braved death in many a bloody field, left him in disgust, 

 and with several of his clan came to the English border and 

 took up his abode in the Debateable Land. The lands of 

 Netherby were part of the border country cursed by being 

 part of what was known as " the Debateable Lands." They 

 were repeatedly laid waste by irruptions of the borderers. 

 James I. granted the Debateable Lands to the Earl of Cumber- 

 land, who sold them to Sir Biohard Graham, and the sale was 

 confirmed by Charles I. Since the Restoration the lauds have 

 been at peace. Netherby was a Eoman station, as is testified 

 by the numerous coins and monuments which have been found 

 there. The present mansion was chiefly built by Dr. Eobert 

 Graham, who died in 1782. 



Around his old tower, the Ivy-clad ruins of which overlook 

 the valley, the descendants of "the son of Monteith" grew 

 and multiplied, and by their indomitable Scots pluck became 

 the frontier defence of England; and in the reign of Charles I. 

 one of them named Eichard, by his winning manners aud 

 worth, became such a favourite at Court that he was created a 

 baronet. He also obtained sole possession of the parishes of 

 Artburet, Kirkandrews, and part of Bewcastle. Since then 

 the family has played an important part in the history of their 

 country, and in latter years Sir James Graham stands out 

 prominently in the history of the firet half of the present 

 century. The present proprietor. Sir Frederick Ulric Graham, 

 is the eldest son of Sir James, preferring the pleasures of 

 private life to the cares of state, and manifests a laudable 

 interest in his noble mansion, estates, and tenantry. 



My road leads down through the fields past the old tower 

 to the side of the Esk, on the opposite side of which stood 

 another castle of the Grahams, immortalised as the scene of 

 Sir Walter's " Lochinvar," and like that young gallant I must 

 " swim the Esk river where ford there is none," and I have 

 no " steed " good, bad, nor indifferent on which to accomplish 

 the feat ; but through the kind coueideration of Mr. Kerr, who 

 sfut a man to " boat me o'er," which was fully more comfort- 

 able, soon I am at Netherby Hall. 



Of the front view of this mansion (than which there is none 

 more interesting, notable and beautiful in all the border land), 

 I need not say one word, as the photograph speaks for itself, 

 but it gives an imperfect idea of the house, which extends 

 backwards and from which a view in many respects better 

 than the front can be obtained. Along the back of the house 

 is a cemented terrace 25 feet broad used as a skating rink, 

 then a grass verge 7 feet wide. A flight of steps leads down 

 to the flower garden, or " terrace garden " as it is called. This 

 was executed about two years ago, and is in keeping with the 

 mansion. During last summer the beds were very gay, having 

 been artistically filled with bedding plants by Mr. Kerr. This 

 garden is backed-up to the east by woods ; to the west and 

 Pduth lies a beautiful lawu studded with magnificent Beeches, 

 Sjcamores, Oaks, Limes, Elms, and Scotch Fire. Yet I am 

 told that little more than a century ago there was not a tree 

 to be seen in all the locality ; and it is impossible to look south- 

 wards as far as the eye can reach over the broad and fertile 

 acres of Nttberby, lying like a well cultivated garden, without 

 oontraeting the eylvan beauty of the scene with the wild deso- 

 lation of the times when these naked debateable grounds were 

 scoured by the moss-troopers. 



Netherby is a deeply interesting spot to the archseologist, as 

 the excavations made about it more than a century ago show, 

 as before mentioned, that it stands upon what has been an 



extensive and permanent Eoman station. Many rare articles 

 have from time to time been discovered, and as late as two 

 years ago during some alterations a small Eoman altar was 

 found in a good state of preservation. 



Now, with a short description of the gardens I will close the 

 notes of my deeply interesting day's ramble in Lower Eekdale. 

 Proceeding from Mr. Kerr's house in the direction of the 

 kitchen garden, and passing many cold frames (which were 

 filled with bedding and other useful plants), we come to a pro- 

 pagating pit, length 27 feet, width 11 feet. This is principally 

 filled with some fine young plants intended for table-work. 

 The second house is a quarter-span, length 34 feet, width 

 10 feet. This is used for growing Pines, and at the time of my 

 visit there were some very fine fruit in it. The sorts grown 

 are principally Queens with a few Charlotte Eothschilds. 

 Passing from this house you enter the kitchen garden, occupy- 

 ing about two acres surrounded by a good brick wall, which is 

 covered with Plum, Pear, and Cherry trees seeming to thrive 

 pretty well. Vegetables are exceedingly well grown and merit 

 special notice. In this garden stands the principal range of 

 forcing houses. The first of the glass structures we enter 

 is a Peach house, length 3(j feet, width 15} feet, filled with 

 healthy fruitful-looking trees. I may mention, that when Mr. 

 Kerr entered on his duties as gardener here he was very much 

 annoyed with scale on the Peach trees, and alter trying many 

 compositions all to no effect, he resolved on trying paraffin oil, 

 two wine-glassfuls to three gallons of water. After mixing it 

 thoroughly with the water he syringed the whole of the trees 

 with this mixture. The result is, he has never been annoyed 

 with scale since. 



The next house is a stove, length 44 feet, width 15J feet, 

 filled with a fine variety of specimens of such plants as 

 Crotons, Palms, Ferns, Begonias, Dractenas, Bananas, &o., 

 with Cissus discolor trained-up the rafters, which has a grand 

 effect. The whole are in perfect health. In passing through 

 this house Mr. Kerr gave me what he has found to be an 

 effectual cure for mealy bug. Thinking that it may be of use 

 to some one, with Mr. Kerr's permission I shall give the readers 

 of tlie Journal the benefit of it. To one pint of water add two 

 table- spoonfuls of paraffin oil. After mixing it well go over 

 the whole of the plant, leaves and branches, with a sponge. 



The next house is a vinery, length 48 feet, width 21J feet, 

 in which the Vines look remarkably well and bear fine crops 

 of fruit. Prom this we enter a greenhouse, length 37 feet, 

 width IGJ feet. This house is filled with a miscellaneous 

 lot of plants for house and table decoration. We then come 

 to a vinery, length 48 feet, width 21J feet, in which are 

 hanging some very fine bunches of Grapes. Mr. Kerr grows 

 all the leading sorts ; his favourites are Black Hamburgh, 

 Muscat Hamburgh, Duchess of Buccleuch, Frankenthal, Chas- 

 selas Napolerm, Koyal Muscadine, Mrs. Pinoe, Gros Col- 

 man, Lady Downe's, Euckland Sweetwater, and Muscat of 

 Alexandria. Waltham Cross has not come up to Mr. Kerr's 

 expectations, and I must say that I quite agree with his 

 opinion. It is pleasantly flavoured, but certainly without the 

 tine high perfume of Muscat of Alexandria and several other 

 Grapes. 'The next house is also a vinery, length 43 feet, width 

 15i feet. The Vines in this house also look well. At the end 

 of this we come to the last of the glass structures, which is a 

 Peach house 44 feet in length and 1-Vt feet wide, filled with 

 Peach and Nectarine trees, all in fine condition and bearing 

 remarkable crops of superior fruit. 



Midway between the house and kitchen garden is a geo- 

 metrical flower garden in gravel and edged with fancy tiles. 

 This goes under the name ol L^dy Graham's flower garden. It 

 looks well at all times of the year, but decidedly best when gay 

 with Tulips, as they show off the figures to the best advantage. 



Immediately outside the kitchen garden there is a consider- 

 able piece of ground used for growing vegetables, and at a 

 short distance from this is the orchard, unfortunately in a 

 very unfavourable situation for fruit trees, lying low and wet. 

 The trees are all very old and past their best. Mr. Kerr gave 

 them a washing with lime water, and mulched them with 

 manure a few years ago, which has assisted them greatly. 



Not far from this is the pinetum, in which most noteworthy 

 are the following trees : — Wellingtoniagigantea, Abies Douglasii, 

 Picea Nordmanniana, uobilis, and Webliiaua, Pinus austriaoa, 

 and Thujopsis borealis. Proceeding from this in the direction 

 of the house, you pass a square cemented enclosure surrounded 

 with an ornamental fence of wire netting. This is used for 

 lawn tennis. There are many fine and pleasant walks through 

 the parks and woods, where various grand peeps of scenery 



