Blackdoxvn House. 579 



is, newly rooted, and with the fniit blossom just beginning to expand, the 

 fruit will be as large as hen eggs; in three weeks the greater part will be 

 full grown ; in five weeks some of the plants will have furnished three or 

 four ripe fruit, and will be ready to be pulled up and replaced by others ; 

 and thus in an extensive pit or set of frames, every two or three days during 

 the summer, the process of taking up and replanting will take place. It 

 must be evident to every practical gardener that no such rapid and certain 

 mode of having an abundant crop of fruit has hitherto been practised. 

 For our parts, we were quite astonished to see so many fruit with so small 

 a proportion of leaves and vines, and to find fruit in every part of every 

 sash of above a hundred sashes. The plants are watered with the drainings 

 of the melon ground, which are led to a well in which they are concen- 

 trated by evaporation and fermented. If the liquor is not sufficiently 

 strong, there is a heap of recent sheeps' dung ready to add to it. Mr. 

 Harrison prefers that it should ferment some time before using, which is in 

 unison with the practice of the German and Dutch gardeners and farmers, 

 who never use the contents of their urinariums till they have fermented for 

 five weeks, (p. 548.) All Mr. Harrison's crops of cucumbers, after the first 

 crop, are raised and perpetuated in a similar manner from cuttings, and, as 

 may easily be conceived, the advantages are proportionably great. He is 

 fond of flowers as well as of fruits, and has the borders of his central walk 

 well stocked with the more showy sorts. He has also a hundred and 

 twenty choice varieties of auriculas in pots, all healthy, and some good pinks, 

 carnations, and georginas, for which as well as for pines and melons he has 

 received prizes at the Chichester Horticultural show, as will be seen by re- 

 ferring to the proper department of this Magazine. TTiere are sixteen acres 

 in the kitchen-garden here, besides eight acres of slip and of orchard, Mr. 

 Harrison, as the head manager, has one of his sons as a foreman, and all the 

 rest of the men are common country labourers. A regular scientific 

 gardener as a foreman is essential in such a place as this ; and there should 

 also be a regular-bred gardener to attend to the small gardens, and green- 

 houses at the house, if it were only for the purpose of telling any stranger 

 that asks him the names of the plants. The poor fellow who is the master 

 of that department at present, being, as he informed us, no scoUard, and 

 unable either to read or write, makes sad havoc with the scientific names, 

 and it is impossible that Mr. Harrison or his son can always be in the way. 



On the whole, we were very much gratified with the house, the grounds, 

 and the gardens, all of which, especially the kitchen-garden, were in 

 the most perfect order. We shall not attempt to present any thing to Mr. 

 Harrison in the way of encouraging him; but we hope his noble and bene- 

 volent employer will present his son with the Magazine of Natural History 

 in our name. We must take the further liberty of stating, that we do not 

 think it altogether creditable to a nobleman of the Earl of Egremont's 

 wealth and good character to have the people about him so utterly ignorant 

 as the mass of them appear to be. It would not cost much either of trouble 

 or money, to establish proper schools and libraries all over His Lordship's 

 estate in this part of the country, and to lay down a rule to be acted upon 

 by all jnanagers and upper servants, and which would soon be voluntarily 

 imitated by the farmers and tradesmen ; viz. that no man or woman, born 

 after the year 1 826, should be employed, who could not produce a certificate 

 from one of these schools, or otherwise show that there or elsewhere he or 

 she had received a competent stock of school education, and could at least 

 read, write, cipher, measure land and work, and draw. In the mean time, 

 we think a garden library should be formed, and Mr. Harrison encouraged 

 to take young men, as at Welbeck and other places, in order to initiate them 

 in his practices, and produce a few good gardeners for a part of the country 

 which seems at present to be very much in want of them. 



Blackdown House ; William Yaldwin, Esq. August 12. — From Hasle- 



P P 2 



