72 



Two things remain unaltered in this place, 

 Tho' forty years since I came here are told 

 The lovely aspect of fair nature's face 

 And the fine spirit of kind courteous grace 

 Which still presides here, as it did of old." 



March 29, 7883. FANNY KEMBLE. 



At the back is a fine plant of Azara microphylla, an 

 evergreen shrub from Chili. This plant has a curious way 

 of producing its tiny yellow flowers under the leaves in 

 spring. It is strongly scented like Vanilla ; On a warm 

 evening in May it perfumes the air around for several yards. 

 Lower down the bank a tall plant of Staphylea colchica may 

 be seen ; this is 1 6 j feet high and 1 1\ feet across and bears 

 an abundance of white flowers which have a very sweet 

 .perfume ; close by this is a very fine tree of Japanese Maple, 

 Acer palmatum septemlobum said to be the largest tree of 

 the kind in this kingdom, it is 1 8^ feet high and 1 7 \ feet 

 across. This is a beautiful object in early spring when the 

 leaves are red, and again in autumn when suffused with 

 golden brown at this time they have also a plumy appear- 

 ance. Continuing down the same path a large bed of 

 Camellias will be found ; these flower freely in spring, when 

 they form a very pretty picture. The varieties are corallina, 

 alba plena, Lady Hume's Blush, and others. Growing in 

 the same bed is a large specimen of Rhododendron Falconerii ; 

 this has large leaves of a beautiful brown colour underneath 

 and bears large bunches of pale yellow flowers ; it is a native 

 of the Sikkim Himalayas, and is usually grown under glass in 

 this country. 



