in Leicester shire. 425 



ford's kindness. It was a clear enclosed field, about 7 acres, 

 portioned in lots of one quarter of an acre to each family, and 

 divided only by a green verge. They were charged at the 

 rate of 6s. or 65, 6d. per quarter of an acre. But to 



Stoughton Hall. — It is a large, spacious mansion ; but I did 

 not enter it. No expense has been spared in forming the gar- 

 dens. The walls are flued and wired; but Mr. Frost, the 

 gardener, by no means approves of wiring the walls : he com- 

 plains of it on various accounts ; among which, he said, neither 

 fruit nor wood ripens so well, and he finds the wire very 

 injurious to the young shoots. At other places, where the 

 wire system was adopted, I heard it complained of for the 

 same reasons. The situation of Stoughton is low, and the 

 fruit-tree borders have suffered severely from excessive mois- 

 ture. Mr. Frost last winter made a drain the depth of the 

 wall's height under the walks in front of the borders all round 

 the garden, and the trees are evidently in an improving state. 

 There is a very spacious conservatory here, and a superior 

 collection of the Geraniaceae. Mr. Keck is a stanch sup- 

 porter of the game laws, and his fields exhibited a convincing 

 proof that he supports them practically as well as theoretically. 

 This brings me to Leicester, where the principal place deserv- 

 ing of notice to a horticulturist is 



Leicester Abbey. — Leicester Abbey was formerly of great 

 local importance: it was founded in 1143 by Robert sur- 

 named Bossu, who was buried here; and it acquires consider- 

 able interest from having been the scene of the death of 

 Cardinal Wolsey, who expired here Nov. 29. 1530, on his 

 journey from York to London. The remains of the abbey, 

 with its ancient walls and grounds, are now in the possession 

 of Mr. Warner, and the grounds are occupied as a nursery 

 and market-garden. The grounds are very extensive, and 

 Mr. Warner grows good articles in the various branches of 

 his profession. He is a gentleman of liberal-minded prin- 

 ciples, spares no expense, and from experience I can say his 

 prices are equally moderate with any in the kingdom. His 

 collection of tulips is very extensive, and he purposes planting 

 this season an acre with georginas alone. 



There are several gentlemen in Leicester very much given 

 to botanical and horticultural pursuits, and regular readers of 

 the Gardener's Magazine. Among those who are the greatest 

 patrons of gardening by example, I may name Mr. Brewin *, 

 who has several good houses, one a curvilinear house, and 



* This gentleman's most worthy and excellent father was also a cordial 

 patron of botany and gardening. When the botanic garden at Bury St. 

 Edmund's was opened in 1820, he happened to be in that town, and gene- 



