AprU 1, 18C9. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTIOULTUUE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



effective pattern. The beds are bounded by Box edgings and 

 gravel walks, the latter in no instance being less than 1 feet 

 wide, so that the beds when planted and in their prime do 

 not appear crowded, which unfortunately is the case in too 

 many gardens. One of the vineries is furnished with a single 

 Vine of the Black Hamburgh, covering an area of upwards of 

 800 Euperlloial feot, and it could easily be made to cover three 

 times that extent, as it had been cut away to a considerable 

 extent to make some alterations. I was told that it invariably 

 produces excellent crops of good fruit, and with more room it 

 would be in a fair way to rival the celebrated Vine at Hampton 

 Court. The border its roots were growing in was sealed-up 

 under a gravel walk, thus proving that, externally at least, the 

 Vine's good condition was in no way owing to their present 

 position ; but, no doubt, its vigour was increased by judicious 

 treatment. Some plants were grown in this and the adjoining 

 vinery, but fruit was the main object. 



Inside the kitchen garden were three other vineries of more 

 recent construction, and excellent fruit in various stages of 

 growth was coming forward. These houses were heated by one 

 of Ormson's boilers, which are liked very much, and there 

 was plenty of piping inside. The Pine Apples were mostly 

 grown planted out in beds in pits, bottom heat being supplied 

 to the beds by hot-water pipes covered over with rubble, and 

 nothing could look finer than the Pine Apple plants. The 

 kinds chiedy grown were Prickly and Smooth-leaved Cayenne, 

 Jamaica, and Qaeen, with a few Trinidads, and one or two 

 Envilles, but the lirst-named were the favourites. A Cucumber 

 house had been in bearing a long time, and Strawberries, 

 Dwarf Kidney Beans, Melons, &c., were here produced in great 

 abundance. In the open garden the effects of the winter were 

 visible in the thinning the squares of Broccoli had received, 

 but all the spring crops seemed promising, and wall fruits good 

 for the season. The extent of wall allows of a great number 

 of trees being planted. One wall is devoted entirely to Morello 

 Cherries, which looked remarkably well, entirely covering the 

 wall from top to bottom. Strawberries were allowed more 

 room than is generally given them, about o feet by 2, and by 

 their robust appearance the space did not seem too much. 



We now come to the most important part of the pleasure 

 ground and llower garden, which lies on the north side of both 

 kitchen garden and mansion. The ground in this direction 

 rises to a considerable elevation, the lower portion being nearest 

 the mansion and kitchen garden ; in one place where it rises 

 abruptly there is a fine bank of Roses, while in another a re- 

 taining wall is substituted, but above this slope is an important 

 terrace, level for a considerable distance. The opening thus 

 formed extends a long way east and west, its southern boundary 

 being the back of the kitchen garden, which is concealed by 

 a shrubbery belt, while the Piose bank on the same side 

 mutes it with the mansion. Its northern boundary, I may 

 add, united with some other shrubbery, partially dressed, still 

 rising to the north. The .space thus formed by the level 

 terrace was partially occupied by a geometric set of flower beds, 

 appropriate to such a site, and studded round with some fine 

 examples of Pinus and other trees and shrubs, amongst others 

 being the finest specimen of the Litjuidambar that I have ever 

 met with, while many other rare trees had good representatives. 

 A Rose temple, planted many years before such things became 

 common, was also in good condition, and the noble Oaks which 

 overhung the northern bouudary of this terrace garden, fronted 

 as they were by an irregular line of shrubs almost as patri- 

 archal as themselves, gave sites for summer houses of various 

 kinds. A Grecian temple with its imposing favade stood pro- 

 minently forward in one place, while more retiring, as it ought 

 to be, was a rustic structure, and more secluded still one in 

 imitation of a cave, the character of the ground and its sur- 

 roundings affording suitable sites for all these and others with- 

 out a too great proximity. 



Communicating with the terrace garden are walks leading in 

 various directions round the hill which bounds it to the north, 

 as well as to the hill top. These beautiful walks, whilst occa- 

 sionally leading among and beneath shrubs and trees, here 

 and there open upon some beautiful landscape, whilst seats 

 invite us to sit down and feast our eyes on the rich but quiet 

 beauty of the view. The eye can discern in the distance tokens 

 of the great naval dockyards of Chatham and its sister towns. 

 On a favourable site of this kind a memorial in the shape of a 

 summer house had been erected to the honour of the great 

 landscape gardener, Repton, under whose direction the planting, 

 or probably the thinning, of the trees on the adjoining heights 

 had been done ; and it had been carefully and artistically done 



too, for I noticed a piece of woodland so treated, that while a 

 fence secured it, yet the fence itself was carefully concealed by 

 an irregular outline of trees standing singly outside. Continuing 

 our walk and obtaining other peeps at near and distant scenery, 

 wo come to a spot facing the north, whore another summer 

 house of classic construction forma a feature, also seen from 

 the distance, and commands an extensive view, which be- 

 comes still more extensive as we gain the top of the hill, 

 where the ground is but sparingly planted, and that only with 

 the choicest trees. Amongst others I noticed some fine spe- 

 cimens of Welliugtonia, which at the time of my visit promised 

 to succeed well ; other trees were also good, while adjoining 

 as well as bordering many of the walks, were those highly 

 ornamental shrubs which have given this place such a charm — 

 the Rhododendrons, whose numbers at Cobham at a time 

 when they were not to be had by the thousand, as they now 

 are, will ever remain a memorial of the taste of the noble pre- 

 decessors of its present owner, who so extensively planted them. 



Having described the kitchen garden and ornamental ground 

 to the north of the mansion, I will now glance at its other 

 surroundings, and may say that the principal carriage approach 

 is from the west, where it joins the park, and a short distance 

 from the west front stands a patriarchal tree, on which there 

 hangs an interesting legend, the particulars of which I oannotr 

 at present call to memory; other venerable trees judiciously 

 interspersed sufticiently clothe the fine undulating park in this 

 direction, until the eye rests on an extensive area of wooded 

 upland, to which one of the carriage roads points, and to which 

 I will presently allude. Before leaving the precincts of the 

 mansion, however, the lawn immediately to the south of it 

 must be mentioned. This is several acres in extent, partly 

 level and partly rising at the southern extremity, where im- 

 mense groups of Rhododendrons conceal its boundary, while 

 nearer the mansion is a series of flower beds. Beyond this 

 dressed ground on almost all sides is the extensive park stretch- 

 ing in every direction, many of its eminences being clothed 

 with timber, while views of more distant scenery are obtained 

 between. A very conspicuous object at the southern extremity 

 of the park is the mausoleum, an imposing pile of Eastern 

 design. 



Leaving this and retracing our steps by one of the drives 

 leading through the park to the north-west, we at length coma 

 to what appears in the distance a large tract of virgin forest, 

 but a nearer approach reveals the fact that a very liberal ad- 

 dition indeed had been made to the occupants of this forest by 

 one of the former proprietors of Cobham ; for immediately on 

 entering the gate we find the road lined on both sides with a 

 mass of Rhododendrons of very large size, and as we advance 

 we perceive the ground almost entirely covered with this shrub, 

 which, seeding and sowing itself, is reproduced in as great 

 abundance as Gorse or Furze is in other places. Besides the 

 carriage road which traverses this extensive wood, other drives 

 or walks intersect it in various directions, each being bordered 

 by that never-ending line of Rhododendrons, which, as has been 

 previously mentioned, are not confined to the edgings of the 

 drives or walks, but extend through to the next walk or drive, 

 the open space being no larger than is requisite to vary the 

 scenery. The number of miles of such drives is, I believe, very 

 great, and the acres over which these Rhododendrons extend 

 have been roughly estimated at upwards of 100, and may be 

 much more. The present noble proprietor of Cobham (the 

 Earl of Darnley), has for many years been in the habit of kindly 

 throwing this' extensive tract' of pleasure ground, as it may 

 properly be called, open to the public on certain days, when 

 the plants are in bloom, and the sight must be gorgeous. I 

 believe the boon is gratefully acknowledged by the number who 

 visit the place at that time, as the rising town of Gravesend is 

 not far off, and London sightseers also find their way hither 

 in great numbers. The fine clear air, with eminences fronr 

 which extensive views can be obtained, give the place a charm 

 which in spots nearer the seats of industry does not exist. The 

 trees interfering with the views from these heights have been 

 carefully removed, so that many parts of the Thames may be 

 distinctly seen, and other objects of note as well. 



It would be an omission in describing a place where the 

 Rhododendrons seem so truly at home, not to state what is 

 the soil that supports them. It is a dry peat resting on_ a 

 brown-coloured stone, the trees which overhang them being in 

 most cases scrubby Oaks of no great size, and Birch trees, the 

 latter evidently be'ing more at home, but neither presenting 

 that robust health which the Rhododendrons do. In the open 

 places were coming up myriads of Foxgloves, which of them- 



