Mr. Winchester'' s Gardens. 405 



shows conclusively that it is not the soil but the situation 

 which causes it. Mr. McLennan covers the ground with 

 short hay, which keeps the soil cool and moist. At Mr. Cush- 

 ing's, only a quarter of a mile distant, but considerably 

 lower, a principal part of the berries mildew. The crop of 

 pears is light, but more abundant than in the gardens in the 

 valleys on each side. 



We cannot omit to give Mr. McLennan credit for the neat- 

 ness and order of every part of the grounds. 



Residence of Col. Wm. P. Winchester^ Cambridge. — Col. 

 Winchester's grounds are situated on the private road run- 

 ning from Mt. Auburn to Brighton, to the south of the ceme- 

 tery, on the bank of Charles River, — a retired and pleasant 

 locality. The house, which is a beautiful structure in the 

 Italian style, b)'' Gilman, is built of brick, and painted of a soft 

 stone color. It is large, with two fronts, one facing the lawn to 

 the west, and the other looking towards the river to the south, 

 which, just at this spot, makes a sudden bend. '■ It stands on 

 a gentle eminence, which slopes away to the river side on the 

 east, and is approached by a winding avenue of some length. 



Every thing is new ; the house has been completed the 

 past spring, and all the planting, amounting to many hun- 

 dred trees, has been done the present year ; but Col. Win- 

 chester has been fortunate in securing the services of Mr. J. 

 W. Brown, his gardener, who fully understands laying out 

 and arranging the grounds, and already much has been ac- 

 complished. A dry and unfavorable summer has been severe 

 upon the newly planted trees, which, at the time of our visit, 

 were suffering for want of rain ; but, notwithstanding these 

 reverses, we found everything in better condition than we 

 expected. In the rear of the house, and overlooked from the 

 drawing-room, Mr. Brown has laid out a neat flower-garden 

 in various shaped beds, corresponding with the form of the 

 ground, with box edgings and gravelled walks ; these beds 

 were planted with balsams, verbenas, German asters, portu- 

 lacas, roses, and other showy plants, and now presented a 

 blaze of bloom. This garden is reached from the river front 

 by a long flight of steps to the left, and forms a gay feature 

 from the portico. 



So new a place does not, of course, present a great deal of 



