reverence for the grand old heritage and that sound taste and knowledge 

 that create and maintain well and wisely. 



From the portions of the site of the old moat that are now grass, a 

 turf slope rises to a height of about eight feet. On the upper level is a 

 gravel walk, and beyond it a yew hedge about four feet high, with orna- 

 ments of peacocks cut in it at the principal openings, and of ball and 

 such-like forms at other apertures. This is on the level of the main 

 parterre. A wide gravel path divides the garden into two equal portions, 

 swinging round in the middle space to give place to a circular grass-plot 

 with a sundial. 



This beautiful place offers so few details that can be adversely 

 criticised that these few are the more noticeable. The sundial has a 

 handsome shaft, but should stand upon a much wider step. The introduc- 

 tion of pyramid fruit-trees at concentric points, both here and in other 

 parts of the design, is an experiment of doubtful value, that will probably 

 never add to the pictorial value of the design. The garden critic may 

 also venture to suggest that the pergola, which is well placed at the eastern 

 end of the parterre, deserves better piers than its posts of fir. Here 

 would be the place for some simple use of specially made bricks, such as 

 a pier hexagonal in plan built of bricks of two shapes, diamond and 

 triangle, two inches thick, with a wide mortar joint. Each course would 

 take two bricks of each shape, and their disposition, alternating with 

 each succeeding course, would secure an admirable bond. 



The great parterre has main divisions of grass paths twelve feet wide, 

 each subdivision — four on each side of the cross-walk and sundial — of 

 eight three-sided beds disposed Union-Jack-wise, with bordering beds 

 stopped by a clipped Box-bush at each end. Narrow grass walks are 

 between the beds. The borders are roomy enough to accommodate 

 some of the largest of the good hardy flowers, for the garden is given to 

 these, not to " bedding stuff." Here are some of the tall perennial Sun- 

 flowers, eight feet high ; the great autumn Daisy {Pyrethrum uliginosum) ; 

 bushes of Lavender with Pentstemons growing through them — a capital 

 combination, doing away with the need of staking the Pentstemons ; the 

 last of the Phloxes ; for the time of the picture, which was painted in 

 this part of the garden, is September. 



97 N 



