50 Notes on Gardens and Gardening 



did residences of Colonel Perkins and Mr, Gushing will not 

 stand as formidable rivals. I write free from prejudice or 

 fear, — being a perfect stranger to one and all of the parties, 

 whose places I visited, and without the slightest intention 

 of writing a notice of them. I visited them under the most 

 unfavorable circumstances, when the snow covered the 

 ground ; but the general outline and appearance of the gar- 

 dens, and especially the plant and forcing houses, manifested 

 a degree of skill and attention which could not fail to be 

 observed. 



The Grounds of J. P. Cuslmig, Esq., Watertown, near 

 Mount Auburn, are laid out on the plan of modern European 

 gardens, and appear to be an exact counterpart of the style of 

 the late Mr. Loudon, and so admirably carried out by him, 

 with a due regard to convenience, as well as effect. Not- 

 withstanding that this system of laying out kitchen gardens, 

 and building forcing houses, bears the stamp of antiquity, and 

 has given place to the sweeping improvements (so called) of 

 more recent times, still the range of lean-to forcing houses, 

 (call them old fashioned if you like,) with their internal com- 

 munications, — their adjoining back sheds, — and all their 

 accompanying conveniences, have something about them, 

 which, in spite of their demerits, makes us like them, — only 

 however for forcing houses ; — and for this purpose they have 

 a claim to our esteem, which, in my opinion, sj?aw-roofed 

 houses can never possess. 



The range of houses on the southern aspect, is about three 

 hundred feet long. The centre being occupied as a large 

 greenhouse, and the adjoining houses, diminishing in size to- 

 wards each extremity. These are flanked by a smaller 

 range of peach houses on the Eastern and Western aspects ; 

 the whole having a systematic appearance, and a peculiarly 

 pleasing effect. The inclosed space, of about two acres, forms 

 the kitchen garden, which is finely laid out, trellised and 

 planted with the finer sorts of pears, peaches, &c. These 

 latter were on trellises, and protected with spruce branches, 

 from the frost, or rather from the hot sun that succeeds it. 

 I think this an excellent method ; it is extensively practised 



