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JOURNAL OP HORTIOULTUfiB AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



f June 29, 1876. 



female. By this means thoasands of females hare been de- 

 stroyed in a single plantation in one night ; and as eaob female 

 is oalonlated to lay two hundred eggs the diminution in the 

 number of the caterpillars during the next season must be 

 considerable. " 



CLIFTON HALL, 



THE SEAT OF 11. E. CLIFTON', ESQ. 



Clifton Hall is pleasantly situated on the banks of the 

 Trent about three miles south-west from the town of Notting- 

 ham. Going from the town, the most direct way to the Hall 

 runs through Clifton Grove. This grove, from its proximity 

 to the beautiful windings of the river Trent, the grandeur of 

 its stately old trees, and the luxuriant undergrowth of sweet- 

 smelling wild flowers which everywhere abound in summer, is 

 one of the most charming retreats in the whole valley of the 

 Trent. 



The Hall stands far above the river, and commands extensive 

 views of Nottingham, WoUaton, Chilwell, Bramcote, and away 

 towards Derby. It is a large mansion of brickwork, and has 

 evidently been designed more with the intention of securing 

 inside comfort than outside show. About the different nobles 

 who have possessed it since the days of the celebrated Sir 

 Gervase Clifton little need be said ; not one of them appears 

 to have taken much interest in horticulture. Even so late as 

 1834 Captain Barker, in his " Walks Bound Nottingham," 

 speaks of the garden being capable of great improvement, and 

 notes a great want of that cheerfulness which marks the in- 

 fluence of a spirited owner. If this volume was revised np to 

 the present time the description would be a very different one. 

 Since the present squire came into power the garden has 

 steadily improved, and it has now risen into eminence. 



The pleasure grounds lie chiefly to the south and west sides 

 of the Hall. The flower garden is divided from the other 

 pleasure grounds by a broad gravel walk which runs east and 

 west. South from this walk the ground is formed into fine 

 green banks rising one above another for a considerable 

 distance. Fine old English Yews line the summit of each 

 terrace, and spacious plats of grass intercept each incline. 

 About the centre of the ground there is the remains of an old 

 Roman chapel which is beautifully draped with Ivy. Beds 

 of Rhododendrons, fountains, and choice shrubs are harmo- 

 niously arranged here and there on the grass. At the top of 

 this ascent there are some of the finest Evergreen Oaks in 

 England. Judging from their looks they must be between 

 00 feet and 70 feet high, and they spread out in proportion. 

 Another feature in the way of trees is a long row of Firs about 

 tlic same height as the Oaks, and each of their stems are com- 

 pletely clothed to the top with Ivy. This has been the case 

 (or many years, and the result now is that all the trees are 

 dead or dying, but they still form splendid pillars of Ivy, and 

 iu this way are very ornamental. 



The flower garden occupies a large plateau on the west side 

 of the Hall. It was entirely remodeled by Mr. Milner two years 

 ago. It is now a most attractive spot. There is a bnautiful 

 fountain iu the centre. The scroll beds close to this are 

 planted in the carpet style in the summer time, and other out- 

 lying designs are filled with Geraniums and other choice bed- 

 ding plants. 



Forming a boundary to the north side of the flower garden 

 is a recently erected and very fine conservatory. It extends 

 124 feet from the north-west corner of the Hall. It is 30 feet 

 wide, and the large centre dome ia 4o feet high. The two 

 side wings are 30 feet high. The ventilators open along 

 the top and at the sides near the foundation. The interior 

 arrangement consists of an ornamental fountain with a large 

 marble basin placed under the dome. Extending right and 

 left from this, in the centre of the floor, there are two beds 

 surrounded by broad pathwaj-s. The back wall is built up to 

 the roof, the wall being covered with ornamental lattice-work 

 for training climbing plants to. The door leading from the 

 Hall opens in full view of the front shelf, which is about 2 feet 

 wide and extends the whole length of the house. The floor ij 

 tastefully laid with a handsome pattern of encaus'.ic tlhs. This 

 conservatoiy was erects J by John Edmonds & Co, , Lillie Bridge, 

 Fulham, London, and altogether it is one of the most sub- 

 stantial, ornamental, and perfectly finished buildings that it is 

 possible to conceive. It contains 1300 feet of 4-inch piping. 

 The whole of this is heated Mithout the slightest difficulty 

 with one of Edmonds' No. 6 tubular saddle boilers. Facing 

 the fountain iu the centre of the houee there ia a recess in the 



back wall. This is beautifully arranged in a natural-like style 

 of rockwork by Messrs. Pulham & Son, Broxbourne, Herts. 

 Ia the cavities of this rookery there are many hardy Ferns 

 growing luxuriantly ; but the most effective plant about it is 

 the old Begonia Rex. It is not often one sees this plant in 

 Buoh positions, but nothing could be finer. 



All the plants iu the centre beds are turned out of the pots 

 and planted in the soil. Camellias are just beginning to get 

 hold of the ntw soil. The beautiful Tree Fern Alsophila is 

 doing well in the same quarters. Some young greenhouse 

 Rhododendrons just in flower are worth noting ; they include 

 Edgworthii, Countess of Haddington, Aucklandii (very rare 

 and a splendid variety), and Duchess of Buccleuch. These are 

 four of the very finest varieties. Their blooms are white, 

 richly scented, and large in size. Some of the newer sorts of 

 Acers are splendid decorative plants either planted out "r in 

 pots. Tbe best varieties hero are A. palmatum, A. pol.vmor- 

 phum atropurpureum, and A. palmatum partitum. Lwge 

 numbers of cool-house Palms are planted out, and Tree Ferns 

 in tubs and other fine-foliage plants are grouped about on the 

 floor near the fountain. There is a very fine assortment of 

 climbers planted along the back wall ; of course most of them 

 are young, but all are in a healthy growing state, and when a 

 little further advanced the effect will be grand, as they are all 

 of the best varieties. Good climbers are often wanted, the 

 following cannot be surpassed: — Lapagerias, red and white; 

 Clematis John Gould Veitch, pale blue, rosette-formed, and a 

 splendid variety for select positions ; C. indivisa ; Passiflora 

 Campbelli ; Taosonia exoniensis, flowers bright pink and violet, 

 very free flowering; T. ineiguis, the best of all the Tacsonias, 

 with large crimson, blue, and white flowers; Brachysema un- 

 dulatum, Rhyncospermum jasminoides, Kennedya ovata alba, 

 and the different varieties of climbing Rcsee. 



The pot Hoses in bloom in the conservatory were tho finest 

 I have ever seen about a private place at this time of the year. 

 Some of the blooms of Paul Neron were quite full in the 

 centre, well formed and coloured, and 7 inches in diameter; 

 in fact, they were all so good that I give the names of a few 

 which are evidently well adapted for blooming early in pots — 

 Alfred Colomb, Baroness Rothschild, La France, Charles 

 Lefebvre, Lord Clyde, John Hopper, Clotilde Rolland, Jules 

 Margottin, Marquise de Castellane, Duke of Edinburgh, 

 Madame Victor Verdier, Mademoiselle EugCnie Verdier, Ma- 

 dame Charles Wood, and Madame ClCmence Joigueaux. 



The Azaleas were other subjects of great merit both in 

 form and variety. Mademoiselle Marie Lefebvre is a splendid 

 variety ; the blooms are of immense size and wonderful sub- 

 stance. Marquis of Lome, La Superbe, Stella, and many 

 others might be named amongst the first class. Miguouette 

 is grown largely in pots. Amongst the several varieties Queen 

 Victoria is by far the best. The spikes of bloom attain a great 

 length, and the foliage retains a beautiful green shade, while 

 that of other varieties is quite yellow about the lower part of 

 the stems. Herbaceous Calceolarias were in fine condition, 

 and Pelargoniums, Spiraeas, and such-like plants made a com- 

 bined mass of flower. Seats are distributed in many recesses, 

 nud amonget these were some recently brought from Florence, 

 and which were made of earthenware in the form of three largo 

 tapestry-pattern cushions resting above each other. They have 

 the recommendation of being both useful and ornamental, and 

 placing them in the open air does them no harm. 



My notes on this house have gone rather further than I 

 intended, but one cannot leave it without feeling gratified with 

 tho great interest which Mr. and Mrs. Clifton must take in 

 gardening to erect such a magnificent house, and the praise- 

 worthy way in which they have improved the entire place 

 cannot be too widely known. At the back of the conservatory 

 there is a large glass potting house, where the plants are potted 

 without taking them out of doors. There are other two old- 

 fashioned conservatories built into the Hall. These are kept 

 constantly gay with flowers. 



The kitchen garden lies in a sheltered position about 500 yards 

 on the south-east side of the Hall. The fruit houses are 

 arranged here. The first is a plant house for supplying the 

 conservatory ; next to this there is a Peach house, the trees 

 having been planted this spring. It is intended for a mid- 

 summer supply of fruit, and contains healthy you) / trees of 

 Noblesse, Royal George, French Galande, Pitmaston Seedling, 

 and Princess of Wales. The latter variety is comparatively 

 new, and bears an excellent character. The next house is a 

 large span-roof vinery 30 feet wide. It is planted with a num- 

 ber of sorts. Last year's crop in this house was excellent, 



