452 Notes on Gardens and Nurseries. 



Art. VI. Notes on Gardens and Nurseries. 



Residence of G. R. Russell, Esq. , West Roxbury, Septem- 

 ber 25th, 1846. — We have been highly gratified with a visit to 

 this place. It is situated on the old road to Dedham, and 

 occupies some sixty or seventy acres, several of which, in the 

 immediate vicinity of the house, are being improved as a 

 flower garden, orchard, kitchen garden. &c. The house is a 

 large and commodious cottage, having had a large addition, 

 and otherwise been much improved since the place was pur- 

 chased by Mr. Russell. 



The flower garden is immediately in front of the house, 

 occupying a piece of ground considerably elevated. It has 

 been wholly trenched over, and newly laid out the past spring, 

 and the plants were now thriving with unchecked luxuriance, 

 the dahlias being one sheet of flowers. From the garden, the 

 walk conducts to the grapery, which was completed last spring ; 

 it is constructed upon the plan of Mr. Gray, as described in 

 our last number (p. 377,) and, with the exception that the work 

 has been rather more thoroughly finished without regard 

 to expense, it is precisely the same. Mr. Russell, how- 

 ever, has had every thing done with a view to permanency, 

 as well as perfect neatness, and spared no labor in the con- 

 struction of the border, drains, cistern, &c. The Grapery is 

 one hundred and fifty feet long, and twenty-four wide, and, 

 with every thing complete, the making of the border, &c., cost 

 upwards of twenty-five hundred dollars. 



The vines Avere planted out on the 17th of last May, and 

 were young plants, one year old, furnished by Messrs. Hovey 

 & Co. ; they were in pots, and, when planted, headed down 

 to three eyes ; at the present time, they have reached the top 

 of the house, (about twenty feet) and have been stopped, the 

 shoots on many of them measuring th?'ee quarters of an inch 

 in diameter. Indeed, we never saw a more thrifty growth. 

 This was, of course, owing to the well prepared border, which 

 had wholly been made in the spring, just before the vines were 

 planted, and in the following manner. The whole earth was 

 excavated three feet deep, on each side of the house, to the dis- 



