November 4, 1876. ) 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAnoENElJ. 



403 



antiquity. I was in the flood — the modern delnge, which Bub- 

 merged the country for miles, converting the roads into rivers 

 and the fields into lakes, uprooting garden crops and washing 

 away the fruit from the orchards. That is a portion of what 

 I saw in my route through the midlands. > 



Ashbourne, at the foot of the Derbyshire hills, is the rail- 

 way station for Osmaston. The rain on the day of my visit 

 poured in torrents, and the streets were 3 feet deep in water, 

 the people battling the flood with boards and clay to keep it 

 out of their dwellings. After a watery journey of three miles 

 and a half I reached my destination, and my readers may 

 think of me as faintly illustrating the unenviable position of 

 that familiar comparison a " drowned rat." I cannot bear 

 personal testimony of the eflicacy of Mr. Marshall Hall's 

 system of restoring persons apparently drowned, but I can that 

 of Mr. and Mrs. Booth, and I shall always think of the gar- 

 dener's cottage at Osmaston as the hospitable Ararat of my 

 watery midland tour. 



Osmaston — its mansion, grounds, and scenery — is one of 

 the finest of the Derbyshire demesnes, and is, perhaps, second 

 only to the ducal seat of Chatsworth in extent, picturesque 

 position, diversity of attractions, and good keeping. The 

 mansion is of recent erection ; it was commenced in 1846, and 

 completed in about ten years by the late F. Wright, Esq., a 

 gentleman who had a just claim to a trio of greatness— great 

 wealth, great taste, and great benevolence. }Ie was a patron 

 of all that was good, a friend to all who needed the hand of 

 friendship. In bnilding his mansion he did not consider his 

 own luxuries only, but he erected at the same time a church 

 and, I think, a parsonage (one amongst many), also a village. 

 The church at Osmaston is a massive and imposing structure, 

 and the village is a model village. It is tenanted entirely 

 by dependants on the estate, and the labourers are housed in 

 semi-detached villas having good gardens and good — that is, 

 low rents. 



Mr. Wright left behind him an honoured name and qualities 

 which are inherited by his sons. The present owner of Os- 

 maston is the same kind master as his predecessor, and the 

 same good landlord ; he has the same disposition to im- 

 prove his residence and grounds, and his admiration for and 

 knowledge of trees and shrubs enables him to plant and pro- 

 ject to good effect. Another son, whom I am honoured by 

 knowing, has, in obedienfee to his benevolent nature, relin- 

 quished the quietude of a country parsonage and taken upon 

 himself the more laborious duty of Honorary Secretary of the 

 London Church Missionary Society, and thus devotes his means 

 and ability to the public good. I name this as an instance of 

 the power of example, the fruits of practical teaching. 



For some years Mr. Booth had relinquished gardening ; he 

 had, however, a continual yearning for his old love, and this 

 and another journal throughout these years were his cherished 

 companions, keeping him abreast of gardening progress, and 

 he started afresh, feeling no loss ; and the state of the gardens 

 at Osmaston at the present time afford sufficient testimony of 

 his skill and the usefulness of the gardening press. 



I will now glance at the place itself. 'The features which 

 demand notice are the mansion, conservatory, aviary, gardens, 

 rockery, and pleasure grounds. 



First as to the mansion. The engraving gives a very good 

 view of this, but does not adequately show its size. It is a 

 stone bnilding of great solidity, and in appearance is plain, 

 massive, and dignified. It has recently undergone consider- 

 able alterations. When the view was taken there were no 

 chimneys, but all the smoke was taken away by the lofty shaft 

 which is in the kitchen garden, and is seen on the left of the 

 engraving. This shaft was a great work and ornamentally 

 built, but the present owner, not liking its appearance, lowered 

 it considerably. There was then not a sufficient " Uft " for 

 the smoke, and chimneys were erected on the mansion. The 

 shaft is about 18 feet in diameter at the base. It is built on 

 arches on a foundation of concrete 18 feet in depth. Beneath 

 the arches are the boUers which heat the garden structures, 

 and the shaft takes the smoke from the fires. It is ascended 

 by a spiral staircase of cast iron, and the view from the top, 

 in its now lowered state, is magnificent. 



Beneath the mansion are cellars of no mean order. They 

 are noteworthy as containing a railway for the conveyance of 

 coals and other requirements. From these cellars to the 

 different parts of the mansion are hydraulic lifts, so that 

 everything can be conveyed into and from the different rooms 

 with the greatest ease. Every room has, I believe, a connec- 

 tion with the cellars, and the lift will lift men as well as com- 



modities. This statement will give an idea of the size and 

 elaborate finish of this fine mansion. I come now to the 



CoNSEEVATOEY. — This is couDfcted with the mansion by a 

 museum and picture gallery, which is shown with thesupportiug 

 arcades in our engraving. These arcades are now covered with 

 Eoses, Clematis, and other ornamental climbing plants. The 

 picture gallery is on a level with the gallery which encircles 

 the conservatory, and affords a lengthy and beautiful prome- 

 nade. From the basement of the structure is also a spiral 

 staircase leading to the gallery abovr. 



The conservatory is a noble structure, lofty, and with a 

 semicircular roof. It has a central promenade and two side 

 walks. In the centre is a fountain surrounded by fine standard 

 Orange trees in perfect health and sprinkled with fruit. The 

 two beds on either side the central walk are planted with 

 Camellias, Palms, Tree Ferns, &o.,and are further ornamented 

 with Agaves and other appropriate fine-foliaged plants. Flow- 

 ering plants are also interspersed in considerable numbers. 

 Azaleas are well and extensively cultivated, and all the utual 

 decorative plants are grown and forced on a large scale. So- 

 lanums are much relied on for their bright-coloured fruits, 

 Wetherill's hybrids being found the most eiJective of the scar- 

 let-fruited section ; and the Golden Gem of Messrs. Veitch and 

 Sons being found by Mr. Booth to be the best of the yellow- 

 fruiting varieties. A thousand Hyacinths are forced annually, 

 and other bulbs in proportion, and these, with the plants 

 named and thousands which we cannot enumerate, create 

 splendid displays during the winter and spring months. Ca- 

 mellias are also cultivated in pots, and with frequent top- 

 dressings, copious waterings, and cleanliness are in fine health 

 and condition. 



I must not leave the conservatory withdut noticing the sum- 

 mary treatment to which a fine Alsophila has been subjected. 

 It is well known that Tree Ferns will occasionally grow too 

 tall for the structure in which they are planted. The specimen 

 here was pressing against the roof, and its beauty was lost. 

 Mr. Booth cut it down, took off about 6 feet from its stem, dug 

 up the root, and planted the top as a cutting. Previous to 

 putting in this gigantic cutting he denuded it of its fronds ; 

 he planted it firmly in good soU and kept it moist. Eventually 

 the cutting pushed some abnormal growths, which were, how- 

 ever, followed by true fronds, and it is now a fine and well- 

 rooted plant. The cutting was put-in in February of the 

 present year, and was about 10 feet in length. It was a some- 

 what novel yet thoroughly successful experiment, and is worthy 

 of record. In the conservatory was flowering a fine plant of 

 Hedychium Gardneriauum which, Mr. Booth says, is admirably 

 adapted for the subtropical garden : its light yellow flower 

 spikes were very effective. 



Adjoining the conservatory is a cool exotic fernery, the Ferns 

 growing in niches in the walls, in baskets, and on rockwork. 

 On the rockwork is planted that fine old variegated plant Aspi- 

 distra lurida variegata, which is in exceedingly good health 

 and colour. I cannot dwell longer on this noble conservatory 

 and its adjuncts, which was once heated by a mile of hot- water 

 piping, but now the heating is improved by larger pipes and 

 a better system of distributing their heat. Near to the con- 

 servatory is the 



AviABT. — I am not an ornithologist, but that is not necessary 

 for the enjoyment of this beautiful enclosure. It is enclosed 

 by massively built walls about 15 feet high, and has an arched 

 wire roof. The centre of the ground has been excavated and 

 formed into a rugged and precipitous dell. Bold rocks jut out 

 at every conceivable angle and with delightful irregularity. 

 Trickling streams form tiny rivulets and gather into a glassy 

 pool at the bottom, where the Water Lily and kindred plants 

 luxuriate. On the jutting rocks are alpine plants relieved by 

 the rigid forms of Aloes and Yuccas. The banks of the dell 

 are turfed and planted with shrubs, and near the water's 

 edge the Primula japonica is exactly at home and throws up 

 splendid whorls of flowers which cannot be approached by pot 

 culture. This work has been recently done by Mr. Wright 

 and his gardener, who are evidently adepts at this mode of 

 ornamentation. 



But besides the water, rocks, shrubs, and plants are " birds, 

 birds everywhere." On the girders of the roof are long rows 

 of briUiant plumage as bright as are the flowers below. In 

 the nest niches of the walls they nestle, and the bushes are 

 alive with their flustering gambols. There are birds of every 

 colour ; some rare and of great value, others more familiar, 

 but all revelling in liberty, and their songs and their sportinga 

 bespeak them happy. This enclosure may be about 50 or 



