230 NOTICE OF A VISIT TO PITMASTON. 



maston Nonpareil, the Russet-coated Nonpareil, the White Fig, 

 and Pitmaston Green Gage Gooseberries, are all of first-rate 

 excellence. The Pitmaston White Cluster Grape has long been 

 known as one of the best and earliest for walls ; and Mr. Williams 

 has lately raised a variety between the Black Hamburgh and 

 Black Prince, called the Black Prince-Hamburgh, which colours 

 better than the Hamburgh. Many other kinds of fruits have re- 

 sulted fj'om his crossings. 



Pitmaston lies a short distance north-west from the city of 

 Worcester, only about half a degree north of the London 

 parallel of latitude ; and being rather sheltered, the climate may 

 be considered equal to that of the neighbourhood of London. 

 Besides it is less damp, having a warm soil resting on red sand- 

 stone of the secondary formation. From the lawn the Malvern 

 Hills are seen in the distance westwards. The fruit and kitchen 

 gardens are partly on a slope facing the south-east, and are situate 

 to the north-west of the house, from which however they are ex- 

 cluded by a large rockwork which bounds the lawn in that direc- 

 tion. Some large elms outside afford shelter from north and 

 north-east winds. The rockwork is backed by a wall, not seen 

 from the front, but pinnacles surmounting the wall at intervals 

 appear in view. The upper and strictly architectural portion of 

 these pinnacles arises from coarser workmanship in form of the 

 frustum of a cone, and this lower part was formerly covered with 

 ivy ; but the variety of ivy employed was considered too broad- 

 leaved and loose, and Mr. Williams intends to substitute narrow- 

 leaved varieties. The rockwork can be ascended and traversed 

 by winding paths. Beneath, a vaulted passage, with an ancient 

 groined roof, extends from one end to the other. 



One garden is enclosed by a circular wall, but Mr. Williams 

 does not suppose that this form affords any advantage, and there- 

 fore would not prefer it were he now to enclose a garden. In 

 particular localities I have observed almost a tornado generated 

 in an area enclosed by a circular wall. Besides it is well known 

 that any piece of ground not bounded by parallel straight lines is 

 comparatively more expensive to work. 



In this garden a brown Turkey fig, trained against a south- 

 west aspect, was bearing an abundant crop. The fruit was not 

 merely at the extremities, as is usually the case out of doors, but 

 at intervals all along from the bases of the'shoots upwards. For 

 example, a shoot 40 inches in length had 8 fruits, of which 4 

 were situated respectively at 3, 6, 15, 21 inches from its base : 

 the others were borne at somewhat variable intervals on the 

 upper portion of the shoot. The young figs which formed on 

 the shoots of last summer's growth, now the bearing shoots, 

 were all rubbed off last August. The branches were laid in 



