April 10, 1877. I 



JOURNAL OF HORTICDLTDRE AND OOTDAGIl GARDEI^EB. 



289 



attains its amplest development in Mexico. Tlio Cypress of 

 Monteznma in the garden of Chepultepeo was a famoas tree 

 four hnndred years ago, and is 45 feet in circamferenoe. Hum- 

 boldt describes a tree in the village of Atlisoo that was 7G feet 

 in girth ; also one still more gigantic in the churchyard of 

 Santa Maria del Tule, 118 feet in circumference. Recent 

 travellers speak of other trees near the ruins of Palanqne equal 

 in size to the latter giant. The estimated age of those trees is 

 from four thousand to five thousand years. 



MINIATURE ROSE GARDEN 



AT COOMBE BANK, THE RESIDENCE OF THE MISSES CHKISTY. 

 Tnis garden, which was formed and planted by Mr. Moor- 

 man, is 11 feel in diameter; the middle, or No. 1, round bed 



being filled with Countess of Oxford and No. 4 with Victor 

 Verdier, No. 5 with La France, and No. 6 with Mdlle. Eugenie 

 Verdier. These beds are 5 feet in diameter, and the gravel 

 paths around them are 3 feet wide, each bed being formed 

 with Box for an edging. 



The outside ring or border is 6 feet wide, and planted with 

 Roses of all shades and colours, care being taken to plant 

 those sorts that are prized most for the quality of the blooms. 

 The outer ring is planted round with Yews, which form a close 

 compact dwarf hedge and enclose the garden, the only en- 

 trance being under an archway ; so that from the lawn the 

 rosery can be scarcely seen until entering it — a "pleasant 

 surprise." 



The soil was originally a poor gravel, which was carted away 

 and replaced by some more fertile. The ground rather rises 



Fig. 37.— Rose gabden at coombe bank. 



is 10 feet in diameter, and is planted with standards of rich- 

 coloured Uybrid Perpetual reds, such as Duke of Edinburgh, 

 Louis Van lloutte, Camillo Bernardiu, Alfred Colomb, Charles 

 Lefebvre, Dr. Andry, Due de Rohan, Xavier Olibo, Ac. The 

 four (No. 2) bods are each planted with four plants of Gloire 

 de Dijon worked on the dwarf llriar stock, and are kept trained 

 into cones or pyramids ; by this mode of training pruning is 

 almost dispensed with, and the twisting around of the gross 

 shoots made each season causes them to break well back, and 

 both in the early season and during the autumn are loaded 

 with hundreds of good blooms. 



All the other plants in the rosery are dwarfs on the Manetti. 

 Nos. 3 and 4 beds are planted to correspond in colour, No. 3 



at the back, so that the large circle forms a bank all round 

 and the small beds are in a pan below. — W. 



iVVe can testify that this is a pretty rosery, easily formed, 

 and well adapted for small gardens. The surrounding border 

 is a raised bank, and the boundary hedge, being Yew, affords 

 shelter from winds. — Eds.] 



SQUIRRELS, HEDGEHOGS, AND BULLFINCHES. 



" Wiltshire Rector " affirms that squirrels live on Beech 

 mast ; quite true, still the squirrel will seek a change of diet 

 even though millions of Beech nuts are at his command. I 

 have seen this and know it to be true. For instance, on a 



