Stoke Place, Stoke Farm. 3 



ago, was considered as one of the best gardens round London. 

 There the garden has also the advantage of a loamy soil, but, I 

 think, of a less soapy nature than that at Stoke Place ; and it 

 may, in consequence, be somewhat less productive. 



In taking a hasty view of the pleasure-ground, Mr. Patrick 

 pointed out what had been done by him by way of improvement ; 

 such as enlarging the water, disposing of the walks, and undu- 

 lating the ground in various places with the excavated soil 

 accumulated by adding to the water, together with the necessary 

 work in forming the clumps and borders, planting trees and 

 shrubs, &c. ; the whole of which must, I think, be highly appre- 

 ciated by all who may visit this place. The earthed up elms and 

 cedars, noticed during your tour here in 1833 (Vol. IX. p. 525.), 

 are still in vigour, and were doubtless saved by the causes you 

 mentioned ; namely, that " the elms spread their roots to a great 

 distance; and, as the earthing up does not extend far from their 

 trunks, they may be saved by that circumstance." However, a 

 fine large oak has fallen a victim to this mode of treatment. For 

 a farther description of the place, your readers may refer to the 

 above page, as my principal design, in this article, is to induce 

 all gardeners to visit this place, who may have the opportunity 

 to do so, as I think a sight of the kitchen-garden alone will well 

 recompense them for their pains. 



Stoke Farm. — On calling at Stoke Farm, the seat of Lord 

 Sefton, I was pleased to learn that Mr. Oldacre was at home; 

 and, looking at him now as a father in the gardening world, the 

 kind reception I met with was very gratifying. He took me 

 round the kitchen-£>'arden, which has been enlarged at the north 

 side, and a fine wall erected, with a slip at the back. His wall 

 trees were in fine order ; and he has some handsome young pear 

 trees coming on against the walls, which, in a few years, will no 

 doubt be much admired. His late crops of peas were admirable, 

 to the perfection of which the soil seems to be peculiarly adapted. 

 Here, as well as at several places in this neighbourhood, the 

 iJrtissica tribe has suffered severely from an attack of insects, 

 which seem to baffle every means taken to retard their ravages ; 

 and whole crops of broccoli, coleworts, &c., have been destroyed 

 by myriads of these insects in the course of a few days. I 

 hope Mr. Oldacre, or some one in his neighbourhood, will 

 inform you more particularly as to the nature of this apparently 

 new enemy which has made its appearance.* The grapes here 

 were very fine, as were most of the other things that came under 

 my notice. The orchard particularly attracted my attention, as 

 the trees in it, by Mr. Oldacre's judicious mode of pruning, 



* Since writing the above, I have received the Gardencr''s Magazine for Octo- 

 ber, and read the account at p. 553. of the new species of A^phis, which is, no 

 doubt, the same as above alluded to. 



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