|)outl)s' IDcpartnunt. 



SIGN HOUSE, THE RESIDENCE OF THE DUKE OF 

 NORTHUMBERLAND. 



In a previous number of the Farmer we intimated 

 that we might see some things in onr travels in 

 Europe, interesting to the youth, which we should 

 give in our Youth's Department. We take the 

 follov/ing sketch from our memorandum book, and 

 we shall select others for future numbers : 



This 14th of June, the finest day T have yet seen 

 in England, I have spent in visiting this ancient and 

 magnificent place. The Duke has liberally thrown 

 it all open to visitors during the exhibition, and it is 

 one of the chief places of attraction. It is situated 

 about an hour's drive from London on the north bank 

 of the Thames. The house was originally built in 

 1605, and about a century 

 ago was rebuilt as it now 

 stands. It is a noble 

 structure. In its architec- 

 ture, galleries of works of 

 art, conservatories, gar- 

 dens, parks, and splendid 

 full grown trees, is one 

 of the most interesting of 

 the numerous princely es- 

 tablishments in the sub- 

 urbs of the great city. 

 The day I have spent in it 

 I can heartily note down 

 as the most agreeable I 

 have yet experienced on 

 this side the water. I 

 have been able to meet 

 face to face with noble 

 trees that years ago I had 



cultivated a slight acquaintance with through Lou- 

 don's Arboretum. 



A row of the finest old horse chestnut trees I have 

 ever seen gave me warning of my approach to the 

 entrance. Their flowers had not wholly disappeared, 

 but what a gorgeous spectacle they must have been 

 when in full bloom. You can imagine a row a quar- 

 ter of a mile long of these gigantic trees with heads 

 full sixty feet in diameter, covered with their showy 

 blossoms. I was fully satisfied with this sight alone 

 as a compensation for my journey, and entered the 

 gate with expectation at its highest pitch. The car- 

 riage way is as smooth as marble, and extends as far 

 as the eye can reach in easy, graceful turns, through 

 a magnificent park clothed in spring verdure, studded 

 with magnificent trees, with here and there a group 

 of fine cattle enjoying their shade. 



Here is a group of fine old elms in all the majesty 

 of a luxuriant natural growth — the hand of man has 

 never dared to mutilate a branch. Close to them 

 stands a horse chestnut some forty feet high and not 

 less than sixty feet in diameter of head, and it is al- 

 most in porfection of bloom. A few rods from it 

 stands a yellow flowering one nearly as large. Next 

 we come to a group of four elms, none of them less 

 than six feet in diameter of trunk. Then a group of 

 three yellow flowering horse chestnuts all grown to- 

 gether, the lower branches almost touch the ground, 

 and the whole forms a magnificent pyramid in full 

 bloom, some fifty feet high and not less than one 

 hundred in diameter. Close to this group stands 



This blossoms later than the others, and is just in 

 perfection as the others are fading. Further on we 

 come to an old chestnut that stands on one side of 

 the carriage way and spreads its branches fairly over 

 it, making a complete arch, and when we pass it we 

 come to a broad, lazy looking stream, filled with 

 water lilies in bloom — its whole surface is covered, 

 a single spot only here and there showing that the 

 water moves. A beautiful bridge carries us over it, 

 and now we look down a quarter of a mile of a charm- 

 ing avenue of lindens, on Sion House. What a 

 grand picture, or rather what a grand, real scene it is ! 

 When I arrived at the court gate, the keeper, a fine 

 aristocratic-looking specimen of the Englishman, in 

 a superb livery, directed me to the cottage of the 

 gardener, Mr. Iveson, who very kindly accompanied 

 me through the conservatory, peach and grape houses, 

 kitchen and flower garden, and all the more interest- 



anolher of young scarlet horse chestnuts in full bloom. 



SIGN HOUSE, THE RESIDENCE OF THE DUKE Or NORTHUMBERLAND. 



ing points. The conservatory is a noble structure 

 fifty feet high, and filled with the rarest plants ; the 

 roof inside was covered with passion flower in bloom. 

 At one time it was the finest in England, or in the 

 world, and cost, I believe, about £40,000. Mr. Ive- 

 son is a vcrv intelligent and capable man, and man- 

 ages his great charge in a most creditable manner. 

 The graperies and peach houses are extensive, but 

 not in prime order, as the gardener informs me that 

 retrenchment of expenses has for some time been the 

 order of the day. In front of the conservatory is a 

 beautiful rose garden, of a circular form, mainly 

 filled with fine specimens of standard or tree roses. 

 From the gardens we entered the arboretum. Here 

 we find some magnificent cedars of Lebanon, two hun- 

 dred years old. There is an old black mulberry tree, 

 the exact age of which nobody knows ; it is propped 

 up all around and protected with an iron railing. — 

 It is a precious relict of past ages — said to have been 

 planted in 1548, when the first mulberry trees were 

 brought to England. I recognized it at once, from 

 the figure and description in Loudon's Arboretum. 

 Next we come to a majestic Sophora, also figured in 

 Loudon ; iveeping ash, an immense one, with its 

 drooping branches crossed and twisted in a most ex- 

 traordinary and picturesque manner; purple beeches ; 

 tulip trees ; cypresses ; Sic, kc, of immense size. 

 As we pass around among this labyrinth of trees, 

 we come upon a beautiful circular flower gar- 

 den — a vase in the centre, and the flowers in circular 

 beds four or five feet wide, separated by grass walks ; 

 the whole enclosed by a sweet briar hedge, in which 



