442 Notes on Gardens and Niirseries. 



Taunton River in the distance. The house is a substantial 

 building, of some years' standing, but additions and ahera- 

 tions have been made by Mr. Stetson, which afford all the 

 convenience and comfort which a country residence can pos- 

 sess. The ceilings and walls of the drawing-room have been 

 elegantly done in fresco by an Italian artist. 



Descending the steps from the veranda of the drawing- 

 room, we alight opposite to the greenhouse ; this, of course, 

 at this season, was only a show of tasteful arrangement in 

 the stage, consisting wholly of strips of cherry wood, run- 

 ning lengthwise, about half an inch apart, which covered the 

 risers as well as the steps, a very neat mode of completing a 

 greenhouse for an amateur : it is about fifty feet long, and fif- 

 teen wide, and the grapes which are intended to cover the 

 rafters, have pushed about half-way up, having been planted 

 last spring. 



From the greenhouse, a walk leads to the grapery, which 

 is a neat building, with a span roof, constructed on the curvi- 

 linear plan, precisely as described by us in our last volume, 

 (XII. p. 377.) It is fifty feet long, and twenty wide, and built 

 in the most thorough manner. The vines were planted out 

 in the spring of 1846, and have made a very vigorous growth, 

 with some of the strongest shoots nearly an inch in diameter. 

 On each side of the centre walk, there is a row of vines, and 

 some of them have been allowed to ripen a few bunches of 

 fruit. Among the kinds, Mr. Stetson has the Prince Albert, 

 Cannon Hall Muscat, Wilmot's Black Hamburgh, &c. &c. 



Mr. Stetson has quite a number of wall trees, particularly 

 of pears, embracing the newest and best kinds, such as Col- 

 mar d'Aremberg, which was producing two splendid speci- 

 mens, one of them more than four inches long : this is stated 

 to be a remarkable variety, and, if its quality corresponds 

 with its size, it will be a great acquisition. Winter Nelis, 

 Beurre d'Aremberg, and others of equal merit, had all made 

 very vigorous growths, although only planted last year, and 

 quite small trees. They are trained with much skill. 



In the open quarters, the trees are vigorous and in fine 

 health, particularly the peaches, which are entirely free from 

 gum. canker, or that great pest the borer; although the stems 

 are at least four inches in diameter. Mr. Stetson is some- 



