UNCLE IN ENGLAND. 225 



of the quarry fronts the south-west ; the rock at 

 the back is high and steep, and a spring, which 

 trickles from it, keeps the part which had been 

 most deeply worked constantly full of water. 

 In this I have put several pretty water-plants 

 Mr. Biggs, I know, lays a quantity of peat com- 

 post in his pond ; but though I have not been 

 able to obtain that yet, I have planted the white 

 and the yellow water lily, which the gardener 

 found for me a few miles off. A thick skreen of 

 shrubs has been planted by my uncle's directions, 

 above the rocks to tbe north, but no forest trees, 

 for in a short time they would outgrow the place 

 which they ornament only while young. 



The middle and southern parts of the quarry 

 are to be sloped and dressed ; all the briars have 

 been already taken out, and the loose splinters 

 of the quarry are spread on the surface of the 

 bank. Upon these, the gardener has laid a 

 mixture of peat earth and sand, which he had to 

 spare ; and here I intend to have an incom- 

 parable bed of strawberries. 



South of these, and where the rocky bank 

 sinks, I am filling up the hollow and uneven 

 spots with the same mixture and rotten leaves ; 

 for Mr. Biggs says that the natural soil of the 

 beautiful North American shrubs is chiefly 

 formed of decayed vegetables. 



Groups of rhododendron, azalea, kalmia, and 



