426 Gardens and Country Residences 



an excellent collection of plants, remarkably well grown. 

 Mr. Burbridge, town clerk, has a good garden, which contains 

 several hot-houses and a most elegant grotto, formed of a 

 peculiar kind of stone from Derbyshire (I believe), and richly 

 ornamented with valuable shells and stained glass. 



Mr. Morris, surgeon, has a very neat little spot, and the 

 whole exceedingly well arranged ; in f^ict, for the short time 

 I was there, I find myself incompetent to do it justice. It 

 presents us with multum in parvo, and, although not so well 

 stored with botanical productions, it forcibly brought to my 

 recollection the gratification I experienced in the little spot of 

 my friend Dr. Wray of Augusta, in the United States of 

 America. (See Vol. IV. p. 464.) Mr. Morris has adopted 

 Mr. Byers's brick wall for strawberries (Vol. V. p. 437.), and 

 highly approves of it. 



Mr. Musson, the Gover^ior of the County Gaol, has rather 

 an extensive garden. The walls are new, and the young trees 

 looked remarkably well : they are pruned on just principles, 

 and the ground judiciously cropped. 



Birstall Hall , J. Mansfield, Esq. — About three miles north 

 of Leicester. The gardens on a small scale. The vines are 

 grown here in a very superior manner, and had then (April 26.) 

 a most beautiful crop and nearly ripe. The garden walls are 

 built on a very bad plan ; a niche, the top of which is a seg- 

 ment of a circle, being formed for each tree ; and as the trees 

 are confined within the niche, there is consequently a deal of 

 good wall quite lost. 



Wanlip Hall ; Lady Palmer. — About four miles north of 

 Leicester. A brick mansion, stuccoed, and fitted up with 

 great taste. Here have been found a tessellated Roman pave- 

 ment, several coins of Constantine, broken urns, &c. The 

 pleasure grounds derive a great advantage from being embel- 

 lished by the river Soar, which runs within a short distance 

 of the house. The garden walls are built of clay and wired. 

 There are some glass houses, the crops under which were very 

 indifferent, and those in the frames the same. 



Prestisooidd Hall ,• C. J. Packe, Esq. — About twelve or four- 

 teen miles north-east of Leicester. A large modern mansion, 

 the gardens rather confined, and their principal characteristic 

 feature is the superior mode in which the pine-apples are 

 grown here: I never have seen any pines to excel, and few 

 to equal them ; they do the greatest credit to Mr. Brown, the 



rously volunteered a contribution of hardy herbaceous plants to the inci- 

 pient garden from his own ; and, on his return to Leicester, sent off two 

 hampers filled with plants, with offers of many more. — J, D.for Cond. 



