Jnly 16, 1888. 1 



JOURNAL OF HOETIOULTtJEE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



43 



sewers, lukos, &(!., has been given to Mr. S. Campbell, tbo con- 

 traotor, of Liverpool, it is hoped that the woili will progress 

 quickly and favourably. 



The whole of the roads, drives, lakes, plantations, &a., have 

 been staked out, aud the good soil taken off and stored in heaps 

 for future use in formin); the pliiutations. 



One great and pleasing feature will be the rockwork, of which 

 it has been decided to employ a large quantity in the shape of 

 grottoes, waterfalls, &c., in the two streams which run down 

 the valleys towards the great lake. These works are being 

 carried out with great spirit by M. Combaz, of Taris, who, as 

 an artist in his particular branch, is well known in all parts of 

 the Continent. He has executed the rockwork in the Bois de 

 Boulogne, Bois de Vinoennea, aud new park of the Buttes- 

 Chaumout, in Pari^, and other works at Brussels, for the King 

 of the Belgians, Ghent, Lille, and Colo.'^ne. From what we 

 have seen of the work already executed by him in the Sefton 

 Park, we are certain he will please the public of Liverpool as 

 well as he has done the Parisians. 



The main attraction, vi.e have no doubt, will be that portion 

 immediately contiguous to the lake and streams. The longer 

 of these streams rises in a large grotto at the head of the valley, 

 and after running over several small falls and rapids, and 

 encircling small islands, flows into the main lake, twelve acres 

 m extent, at the junction of the smaller stream, which also 

 rises in a waterfall about 15 feet high, and runs over several 

 small falls into the main lake. 



On the banks of both rivulets, which will be broken here and 

 there with rough pieces of rock, summer houses and kiosks will 

 be erected at various points, where good views can bo obtained, 

 and on the islands huts will be built for the waterfowl to breed 

 in, &e. These objects, together with, the meanderings of the 

 rivulets and falls, will have, we doubt not, a charming effect, 

 as the visitor will have at every turn of the winding walks a 

 fresh scene with which to feast his eyes. Boat-sailing and 

 rowing will be allowed on the large lake, and will prove a great 

 boon to the inhabitants of the district, as, with the exception of 

 the Mersey, which is extremely dangerous on account of the 

 numerous eddies and strong tides, there is no place in the 

 neighbourhood where this healthy exercise can be indulged in. 

 Amongst other features which this park will possess, there will 

 be a large piece of land of a circular form, well sheltered, 

 nearly forty-eight acres in extent, set apart for the reviews 

 of the Volunteers of Liverpool. There will be ample space for 

 10,000 men to be mauceuvrod. 



Another portion is set apart for a cricket ground. It will be 

 oval in form, aud well wooded all round in order to shelter it 

 from the cold winds that often blow in this part of the country. 

 There is also to be a cricket pavilion, and two smaller pavilions 

 flanking it, one on either side, one for the scorers, and the other 

 for printing the cards. 



Among other architectural ohjects which will adorn the park, 

 will be a grand entrance, and two smaller ones, with lodges 

 flanked on either side by handsome iron gates. Curator's and 

 head gardeners' houses, two restaurants, several boathouses, 

 gheep cot, deer house in rustic wood, several rustic shelters for 

 horsemen, a large aviary, a band pavilion surrounded by three 

 rows of large trees, numerous kiosks, &c., and stone, iron, 

 rastic, wooden, aud rocky bridges. 



Such a multiplicity of architectural ornamentation might 

 sesm exaggerated, if one did not think of the immense area of 

 the park, and the large number of points of sight naturally 

 afforded by the undulations of the ground. 



The various plantations and clamps of trees which are, with 

 the lawns, the main adornment of a public park have been well 

 oared for, and will occupy large spaces. On the sides most 

 remote from the town they form complete woods, only cut here 

 and there by the lines of sight. It was necessary to give great 

 care and attention to the position of the planting, on account 

 of the barrenness of ground, which was formerly exclusively 

 onltivated fields, and they have been arranged so that the 

 plantations may shelter from the sea breezes, which blow there 

 thponghout the greater portion of the year. With the help of 

 aaoh shelter it will be quite possible to cultivate in the undu- 

 lations of the glades of Sefton Park, collections of nnmerous 

 ornamental plants, and even some of those beiutiful-foliaged 

 plants which have for soma years back formed the chief at- 

 traction in the Parisian parks and gardens, and in Battersea 

 Park, where Mr. Gibson uses them so tastefully. The use of 

 foliage for the decoration of gardens has been too much neg- 

 lected in this country, and we hope that trials in that direction 

 will end in giving to saoh plants the position they deserve. In 



this line Sefton Park will have a powerful auxiliary in the 

 now Botanical Garden. 



The Corporation piopose making a new Botanical Garden 

 to replace the old one, which is badly situated, and daily being 

 destroyed by the smoke of the town, and which is, together with 

 the conservatories, unworthy of a tow-n like Liverpool. Messra. 

 Audio aud llornblower have reserved in their dchign a piece of 

 ground, nineteen acres in extent, centrally situated in the best 

 part of the park, and with a southern aspect, for this ijurpose. 

 In the centre of this garden there will be a grand conservatory 

 300 feet long, from the raised terrace of which views of the 

 whole of the park are commanded. We shall give a more de- 

 tailed description of the Botanical Garden, if the scheme is, oB 

 it is hoped, to be carried out without delay. 



In the meantime the walks of the park are being actively 

 proceeded with,, and we have no doubt that it will he com- 

 pleted in the time specified. 



EARTH HEAT. 



(Coi.tbmul from page 4.) 

 Tonp Pits. — I will not say that our continental neighbours 

 did not first direct attention to earth heat, but previously the 

 horticulturists of this country had this agent actively at work, 

 and by it a great impetus has been given to horticulture. At the 

 time when earth heat was first brought prominently into notice 

 abroad, we had already the nucleus formed from which have 

 sprung greater results than from any other system. I allude to 

 the introduction of orchard houses by Mr. Elvers, and bis sub- 

 sequent invention of the Curate's or Ground Vinery, and other 

 economical structures for the cultivation of fruit trees. It is 

 tolerably plain that these structures are all dependant for any 

 heat they may possess beyond that of the open air on the ab- 

 sorption of the sun's heat, and their retention of it, thus 

 enabling the cultivator to secure several degrees more warmth 

 not only by day, but at night, and at other times when the sun's 

 rays are obscured, as they often are in our cloudy and fickle 

 climate, for the earth within the structure has then a greater 

 heat, which is being constantly radiated. Of these structures, 

 however, I shall have occasion to write hereafter, and I only 

 now allude to them to establish the facts: — 1st, That our 

 hortiulturists have been long conversant with earth heat ; 2nd, 

 That they have made as good a use of it as those of other 

 countries; and, 3rd, That they liberally diffused thiou^hout 

 the world the knowledge resulting from a life of careful obser- 

 vation and experience. 



Turf pits are not now so common as they formerly were, but 

 they still do good service in the temporary protection of plants. 

 I find them very useful, and that in two ways — namely, as a 

 means of protection, and for furnishing fibrous loam for pot- 

 ting. The situation for them should be sheltered from the 

 north, and it is well it the east and west winds are broken 

 by a fence of some kind at a little distance off, so as to deprive 

 the site of the sun's rays for as short a time as possible ; and 

 if there is a dry aud sandy or gravelly soil give that the pre- 

 ference ; in short, select a dry sheltered situation. Some take 

 out the soil and form a sort of pit, but this I consider a great 

 waste of time, aud altogether needless, for it is only seeking 

 damp, which is as destructive to plants as frost. Except for 

 large plants, I would not make a pit, but would have all above 

 ground. Mark out the size of the lights or other covering, 

 forming the pit so that the internal face shall be a few inches 

 within the outside of the lights or coverings, for it is necessary 

 that they should rest on the turf walls ; to throw off the wet 

 the lights must slope from north to south, and this inclination 

 of the roof will cause the bed to be narrower than their 

 length. For 7- feet lights the bed will need to be made 6 feet 

 3 inches wide within the turf walls. The back wall, too, will 

 be higher than the front, and the end walls will slope from 

 back to front. The back should be 1 foot 6 inches higher than 

 the front. 



Having marked out the size, and square, so as to fit the lights 

 or covering, the turf should be cut as thick as the fibres will 

 allow, but for potting purposes not thicker than 3 inches. The 

 pieces may be of any length and width, but are mist con- 

 venient when not too large. I like them 18 inches hy 9 inches, 

 but size is quite immaterial. In farming the walls commence 

 by placing a layer of turf all round, the same as bricks in build- 

 ing a wall, putting all headers, and then stretchers in the next 

 course, so as to cross the joints and bond the worlt, making 

 the inner face perpendicular to the ground, but sloping the 



