June 8, 1878. ) 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GASDENEK, 



419 



it prevents drip getting at the planta. Before potting, if not 

 started, they should be put in the stove or Gucamber or Melon 

 pit, where the heat ia between C0° and 80\ just to start them ; 

 then pot them in good fibrous loam, turfy peat, and half- 

 decayed leaf mould in equal parts, with a due proportion of 

 good sharp river sand and a little charcoal or powdered eea 

 Bhellfl run through a three-quarter-inch sieve. Drain well with 

 a little moss on the crocks, as it keeps the drainage perma- 

 nently open ; then place the plants in a good moist heat, as 

 near the glass as possible. While growing keep them regu- 

 larly watered, but never very wet. The Gloxinia always re- 

 quires slight shading, as by painting the glass inside with 

 milk and whitewash ; by so doing the foliage is preserved 

 beautifully green. 



Give the planta a second shift if yon find they require it. 

 They should never be syringed, as the leaves are so woolly 

 they hold moisture too long, which causes them to damp off. 



Treated in this way they will remain in bloom a long time, 

 and when done blooming gradually dry them off. — E. U. 



THOBBSBY, 



THE BESIDENCE OF EARL M4NVERS. 



This is well known as being one of the most princely of 

 country mansions. It is situated in a magnificent park ten 

 miles in circumference, and containing about five thousand 

 acres of land. It is well stocked with deer and Scotch 

 bnllooks, and studded with trees of all sorts ; Oaks that 

 have defied the storm of many a winter, lofty I3eeches, and 

 venerable Thorns clad in Mistletoe abound on every hand. 

 The Heather, Bracken, and golden Gorse were alive with 

 squirrels and rabbits, and resounded with the songs of the 

 woodland choir. On the north side the park joins the Duke 

 of Newcastle's estates at Clumber, while the west abuts on the 

 picturesque village of Budley. This village has a very rural 

 appearance, most of the houses being built in the Gothic or 

 Swiss style, and ia situated under a thickly wooded acclivity. 

 Earl Manvers is the sole proprietor of the village, and it is 

 looked upon as a very model of village comfort and beauty ; 

 and in truth it deserves such a distinction. The cottages 

 are all surrounded with neat and productive gardens, which 

 combine to maintain the village in all its simple beauty. 

 The river Meden runs on the south side of the village, and 

 also crosses the park. Half a mile west of the mansion it 

 swells out into a broad and spacious lake more than a mile in 

 length. Swans, waterfowl, and large fish are abundant, also 

 pleasure boats, and one full-rigged ship. The Hall has been 

 finished about three years, and is in the modern Elizabethan 

 style of architecture. It is built of the celebrated Mansfield, 

 Woodhouse, and Steeley magnesian limestone, and presents a 

 noble exterior. The site is well chosen — on a gentle rise of 

 ground near the rockery, and commanding very pleasant pro- 

 Bpects from the terraces and Hall windows. The old Hall, 

 which was built by the late Duke of Kingston, has been taken 

 down. It was celebrated as the birthplace of Lady Mary Wortley 

 Montague, whose writings are of world-wide fame. 



The carriage entrance is on the east front through massive 

 gates into a spacious courtyard. Ascending a flight of steps 

 we reach the terrace on the south side of the mansion. It is 

 a broad gravel promenade 160 yards long and CO yards wide. 

 It is surrounded by a low balustrading, and affords a most 

 charming prospect of the surrounding landscape. I must 

 notice two beds of flowers on this terrace that are worthy of 

 a passing remark. They are opposite two recesses, and are 

 uniform in size. They are about 50 feet long and 18 feet 

 wide, and surrounded by a massive stone curbing. The first 

 bed had next the stonework a broad band of Ivy, second a row 

 of Golden Feather, third a broad band of white Daities, fourth 

 Aubrietia deltoidea, fifth Forget-me-not, and the centre Wall- 

 flowers mixed. The second bed had Euonymus radicans for 

 the outside row, second Aubrietia, third Golden Thyme, fourth 

 a bright-coloured Pansy, the centre dwarf dark Wallflowers. 

 The second terrace is reached by four flights of stone steps, 

 and is 120 yards long and 45 yards wide. Many of the beds 

 are permanently planted with dwarf shrubs, and several 

 edged with Daphne cneorum were in beautiful bloom and very 

 fragrant. There ia another terrace, but not quite so large as 

 the two preceding, with a large fountain in the centre, and 

 surrounded with a correspondmg breadth of grass. On the 

 west side of the Hall, and on a level with the upper terrace, 

 there is a beautiful flower garden, the beds cut out in the turf, 

 and at the time of my visit (May 17th) they were all ablaze 



with spring flowers. These beds are seen from the principal 

 drawing-room windows, and Mr. Henderson had displayed great 

 taste in the arranging and blending of the different colours. 

 The accompanying plan will give an accurate idea of the 

 manner in which the different beds are planted. 



Leaving the flower garden in a westerly direction we observe 

 that a large piece of the park has been fenced-in and formed 

 into shrubberies and pleasure grounds. Many of the shrub 

 have not been planted more than twelve mouths, yet they ap- 

 pear aa vigorous and healthy aa if they had occupied the same 

 position for many years. Mr. Jamieson, the wood-manager at 

 Thoresby, has under his care extensive nurseries in which he 

 raises Conifers and evergreens in large (luautities, and this 

 renders it an easy matter to plant several acres of shrubberies. 



The pleasure grounds that wore connected with the old Hal 

 are still retained and kept in fine condition, though they are 

 several hundred yards from the present mansion. As we 

 pass along the various walks splendid vistas open, and in- 

 stead of being in a private nobleman's pleasure grounds we 

 might fancy ourselves transplanted into some oriental forest. 

 A broad sweep of grass is dotted here and there with choice 

 evergreens that extend to the narrow lake, which receives its 

 supply from the large lake above. Following a walk that leads 

 to the right, embosomed amidst many-tinted foliage, there is 

 a rushing cascade, crossed by a light and elegant bridge, and 

 what otherwise might have been merely a plain tame run of 

 water is now rendered picturesque and beautiful, tor the water 

 is made 



" To ripple and shine 

 With the glory and dash of a miniature Rliine." 



In the distance we catch a glimpse of the Chestnut avenue, an 

 unbroken vista a mile in length. Fine timber trees are ob- 

 servable on every hand, venerable Oaks that probably have 

 weathered the storms of a thousand winters, and had their 

 existence when the park formed a part of Sherwood Forest ; 

 Fern-leaved Beeches, and some fine samples of the Pine tribe. 



We now cross the park on our way to the kitchen gardens, 

 and here neatness and good order predominate. The space 

 enclosed within the walls is five acres and a half, and the out- 

 side borders and orchard are about eight acres and a half. 

 Before we enter the interior we will take a walk round outside 

 the walls. There is a border running round, 12 feet wide, cropped 

 with early Peas, Potatoes, and dwarf vegetables generally. 

 The south wall is planted with Apricots from the west corner 

 to the centre, and the other half with Plums, Cherries, and 

 Pears. The walls with east and west aspect are each covered 

 with Pears. I may hero remark that these gardens were 

 formed and the walls built about fourteen years ago, so that 

 all the fruit trees are in the " prime of life." When the trees 

 were planted riders and dwarfs were planted alternately, and 

 as the dwarfs have advanced in growth and monopolised the 

 wall the riders have been cut away to give place to them. All 

 the trees were in vigorous health, and every branch trained 

 as straight as a rifle barrel. The borders for all the wall trees 

 are properly drained with rough stones, brickbats, &a., and the 

 compost prepared with as much care as if it had been for Vine 

 borders. The walls are covered with a trellis of galvanised 

 iron wire. The wires are fixed horizontally about 4J inches 

 apart, and are passed through holdfasts projecting about three- 

 quarters of an inch, so that the wires are about half an inch 

 from the wall. The wirea pass through iron plates at each end 

 of the wall, through which they can be strained from each end. 

 The plates are made quite firm to the wall, and to maintain 

 the wires equidistant the holdfasts are about 4 feet from each 

 other. The appearance is neat, and the trees have done well 

 against the trellis, nor is the wall damaged by nailing. Mi'. 

 Henderson in the first place made his arrangements on a grand 

 and liberal scale, and what he has done in this respect in the 

 way of fruit culture he has done well, and he is now reaping 

 his reward in an abundant supply of line fruits. 



The whole are belted with a broad irregular border of the 

 choicest shrubs, including many rare and beautiful Conifers, 

 such as Araucarias, Thnjopsis borealis, T. dolabrata, Cedrna 

 deodara, C. argentea, C. Libani, Cupressus Lawsouiaua, 

 C. macrocarpa. Thuja gigantea, Picea Nordmanniaua, P. nobi- 

 lis. Junipers of sorts, Wellingtonia gigantea, variegated and 

 common Tews, &c. 



Entering the kitchen garden we find the walla all clothed 

 with fruit trees, including Pears, Cherries, Piums, and a few 

 Gooseberries and Currants on the north wall, which can be 

 protected with very little trouble from the depredations of 

 birds, and are useful in a large establishment like Thoresby, 



