2 4 8 



GARDENS OLD AND NEW. 



our climate always assumes, it is well known (hat 

 paint on a statue or representation of any animate 

 thing completely destroys the modelling, as it has 

 done in this case, and its removal is very desirable. 

 The subsidiary groups of statues in the garden are 

 valuable mainly from their decorative effect. 



The vista of clipped trees leading to the head 

 of the long canal was extended by the present Earl 

 Cowper across the whole space intervening between 

 the formal garden and the head of the canal, thus 

 greatly augmenting the sense of distance. But on 

 either side, extending crossways, are two wide areas 

 of trees, lawns and garden accessories of great import- 

 ance. To the right, looking from the house, is the 

 orangery. The illustration describes it better than 

 words. It contains in the winter some of the largest, 

 if not the largest, orange trees in England, which 



soil, and suck in nutriment. This old orchard 

 ground is a particularly pretty addition to the formal 

 gardens, being scarcely separated from a wide area of 

 mown turf, set with fountains and statues. The 

 main fountain, at the intersection of the walk to the 

 orangery on the one side, and the orchard ground on 

 the other, midway, too, between the house and the 

 canal, is now surrounded by statues which formerly 

 stood at more distant points. The goldfish in this 

 large basin are periodically raided by the herons, 

 which find them a particularly tempting prey in their 

 midnight fishing journeys. The view backwards 

 towards the house is very beautiful, the gently 

 ascending gradations of garden and terraces being- 

 flanked by immense and massive elms and some of 

 the finest limes in England. There is, perhaps, even 

 more mistletoe on these trees than on those at 



THE DOG WALK. 



were purchased by Earl de Grey from Louis Philippe. 

 These, in full flower and fruit, are brought into the 

 gardens, and set crosswise to the main vista, in mid- 

 June, remaining in the open till October. 



To the left of the main vista, leading from the 

 house to the long canal, is the orchard. It is a large 

 rectangle set with ancient apple trees, but enclosed 

 with a fine yew hedge. In the centre is a pool, 

 covered in early summer with the perfumed flowers 

 of an exotic water-lily. In the centre a hoary statue 

 of old Atlas bears the globe, and round, on the lawns, 

 the apple blossoms fall in showers. These apple 

 trees bear greatly increased crops of fruit and larger 

 apples since the practical plan of clearing away the 

 grass for a circle of 5ft. in diameter round the stem, 

 and covering the surface with manure, has been 

 adopted. At a depth of only a few inches, thousands 

 of little white rootlets grow upwards to the added 



Hampton Court, and the trees are much larger. 

 One gigantic lime, which cannot be less than i2oft. 

 in height, measures i8ft. loin, round at 2ft. above 

 the ground. Some of the large elms, too, have as 

 many as a dozen bunches of mistletoe on them. Not 

 far off the giant lime is one of the largest welling- 

 tonias in England. Of course, it is a mere infant in 

 age and size compared with those on the Pacific 

 slopes ; but its history is curious as showing the rate 

 of growth. Some fifty-eight years ago, when this 

 species of tree was regarded as a curiosity, this 

 particular specimen was kept in a cool greenhouse in 

 a 6in. pot, and was often brought in to decorate the 

 dining-table ! 



South of the long canal (and in a measure to the 

 east of it also) lies a quite different type of garden, 

 if that is the name by which it should be called ; but 

 the old Greek name of " Paradise " would be almost 



