Arundel Castle. 587 



formed an evergreen tree of an entirely new character, having completely 

 killed the ash which supports it. We never saw trees so effectually suffo- 

 cated by ivy, or ivy with so much of the tree character, and can only 

 compare the operations of the ivy to that of a petrifying spring on the 

 objects immersed in it. In the ancient garden of the castle are five large 

 standard fig-trees, which bear good crops : we had one of the trees measured, 

 and found it 20 ft. high, and the head 22 ft. in diameter ; the trunk, about 

 a fo'ot from the ground, is 6 ft. in circumference ; it there divides into two 

 stems, which about 5 ft. higher subdivide into numerous branches, which 

 hang down at the extremities till within 2 or 3 ft. of the ground. A Breda 

 apricot against a flint wall in this garden has been planted seventy years; 

 it covers a space 45 ft. long by 18 ft. high, and ripens every year about 1500 

 fruit, besides a great number thinned off for tarts ; the soil is apparently 

 lime rubbish and black earth. There are four large sweet-bays, one of 

 which measures 20 ft. high and 22 ft. in diameter, and ripens abundance of 

 fruit every year, which being greedily eaten by the birds, one can easily 

 conceive how, if the surrounding country were in a state of waste, this and 

 other plants would become naturalised, ^iixus balearica has attained a 

 large size, and also ripens its fruit: the largest specimen measures 1 6 ft. 

 high and 10 ft. in circumference. As we have already observed, there are 

 abundance of modern trees and shrubs, mixed up with fruit trees and roses 

 in such a manner as to destroy all distinctive character ; but all in the most 

 thriving state as plants. In the park extensive plantations of forest trees 

 have been made, the ground being carefully trenched before planting, and 

 the subsoil, which is generally chalk, kept on the top. This subsoil being 

 without seeds of weeds keeps the surface clean for several years, by which 

 time it is nearly covered by the trees. The chalk also becomes soil by the 

 operations of the weather, the leaves which fall from the trees, and the 

 lichens, mosses, and insects which are produced : the only unavoidable evil 

 is, that the wind and the birds soon deposit in it so many seeds of bad weeds, 

 that less is gained in practice than we should anticipate from theory. 



Having gotten over the most disagreeable part of our duty with respect to 

 Arundel, we have now shortly to hint in what way the grounds of this resi- 

 dence may be rendered among the finest in England. Fix on the two banks 

 and the valley which lie to the east of the castle as the scenery for walks and 

 pleasure-grounds; form a lake in the valley, with islands, peninsulas, and mar- 

 gins for peat-earth plants; the valley being in fact chiefly peat ; lead a carriage 

 walk from one of the terraces of the castle, suitably altered, round this valley 

 on a seeming level along the steep wooded bank, opening occasional views, 

 from one bank to that opposite, to the park, the castle, the sea, &c. Join 

 this walk at the head of the valley by two inclined planes, in opposite direc- 

 tions to another walk on the level ground which shall surround the water, 

 and let this lower walk ascend to the castle very gradually, so as to join the 

 grand terrace at a very gentle inclination. Carry on the lake on one level 

 to the back of the main street of the town, and conceal its termination 

 there; forming, near a chalk cliff on the opposite side of the valley, a cas- 

 cade which shall be seen from the windows of the castle, and give the idea, 

 the springs on this valley being insufficient to drive a mill, that the river 

 Arun flows from the lake. Remove the ditches, fences, willow trees, and 

 all those appearances about the low meadows which at present give them 

 the character of marsh or fen lands, and render them a source of malaria 

 and typhus fever ; and by scattered oak trees and other means give them a 

 character of park scenery; render the old garden containing the fig trees a 

 highly enriched ancient flower-garden, surrounded by a rampart or terrace 

 walk, and change into open park scenery a number of the other petty war- 

 den scenes, shrubberies, and walks. These are a few of the features of futiire 

 improvement which struck us at first sight ; but it would require days of 

 consideration to form the basis of a general plan suitable for a subject ren- 



