Mr. Cushmg^s Gardens. 403 



sashes are fourteen feet long, it prevents them from sagging, 

 which greatly mars the beauty of a roof. 



In the stoves, the vines have undergone a renovation ; all of 

 them were headed down last year, and a new shoot taken up 

 from the bottom, which this year produced a very good crop. 

 The cold houses, at the opposite extremity of the range, were 

 producing a fine crop of fruit, all of which looked exceed- 

 ingly well under the charge of Mr. Shimmin the gardener, 

 and his foreman, Mr. Everts. 



The large central conservatory was partly filled with fine 

 specimens of achimenes, fuchsias, gloxinias, gesneras, &c., 

 which were producing an abundance of flowers. In the 

 framing-ground, in the rear of the houses, the plants were in 

 the most vigorous condition. All but the camellias were 

 plunged, and notwithstanding the dry summer they looked 

 healthy and strong. 



The two large peach-houses were producing a fine crop of 

 peaches and nectarines upon the trellises, and the trees were 

 well filled with good wood for another year. On the back 

 wall of one of them, which is covered with pears, there were 

 some very handsome specimens of the Winter Nelis, Brown 

 Beurre, Passe Colmar, &c. 



Notwithstanding the general destruction of the pear blos- 

 soms around Boston, Mr. Cushing's Wall and Espalier trees 

 are well filled with good specimens. The Duchesse d'An- 

 gouleme, Winter Nelis, Beurre Diel, Glout Morceau, &c., 

 very large and fine. The peaches were all destroyed by the 

 winter except a Coolidge's Favorite, on a trellis on the east 

 wall ; this has a good crop. 



The flower garden, as usual, was brilliant with showy 

 flowers, notwithstanding the recent drought; the show of 

 carnations and picotees had been fine, and the autumnal 

 roses were just beginning to bloom. Another improvement 

 we forgot to notice, is the gravelling of all the walks with 

 the brown colored or Med ford gravel. Formerly they were 

 covered with the siftings of broken granite, and the light, 

 almost white tint, was not only trying to the eyes, but not 

 in good keeping with the grounds. No kind of gravel is so 

 well adapted for garden walks, or harmonizes so well with 

 the surrounding scenery, as this; and as it binds well and 



