480 Calls at the London Nurseries, 



terrace with a scarp, a.s a fruit wall ; and a second terrace as a fruit and 

 flower border, with a counterscarp of masonry, and a broad moat below. 

 We observed here what we often find beside very old mansions, a sort of 

 moat, of considerable size, devoted to the reception of those matters which 

 in London all find their way into the common sewer. The effluvia pro- 

 ceeding from this moat, which adjoined the garden, was in this hot weather 

 most offensive, and, but for the elevated situation, must have proved per- 

 nicious to the health of the family. In a very old plan which the pro- 

 prietor showed us, which had been made for laying out the grounds of 

 this place about the time of Charles IL, there was an avenue of trees 

 indicated, proceeding from the house up a steep hill, and gradually nar- 

 rowing as its distance increased, probably with a view of assisting the 

 perspective, and giving the idea of extent. It is certain that an avenue 

 which faces us from the side of a steep hill looks longer, to the inexpe- 

 rienced eye, than one which stretches along a plain. To be convinced of 

 this, we have only to compare the avenues at Hampton Court with those 

 about Windsor Castle, or the one leading from Hamilton Palace to 

 Chatelherault. 



Villas in Godahning. — This evening, and the morning of the 5th inst., 

 we visited two very beautiful town villas j the one about an acre, and the 

 other about three acres in extent ; both very judiciously laid out by Mr. 

 Perry, and his pupil Mr. Varden, assisted by the ladies of the respective 

 families. These villas show how much may be made of limited spots in 

 the midst of a town ; though, at the same time, it must be confessed that 

 there are very few towns, indeed, so well adapted for this purpose as 

 Godalming, from the beautiful scenery with which it is surrounded. We 

 found Wistaria Consequawa, Caprifolium flexuosum. Magnolia conspicua, 

 Ribes sanguineum, iSpirae^a bella (to which we could wish to add S. arioe- 

 folia, a splendid, white-flowered, fine-growing shrub, of the middle size, and 

 of the easiest possible culture), and others of our favourite plants, grow- 

 ing vigorously in these gardens ; and, in both, indications of the com- 

 mencement of arboretums, by planting rare trees and shrubs, so as 

 gradually to substitute them for the common sorts, and ultimately to have 

 not more than two or three trees or shrubs of a species in the whole 

 garden ; in short, to make each place a botanic garden. We also visited 

 a third tovi^n garden, now laying out by Mr. Varden, who, when he once 

 gets a tolerable knowledge of trees and shrubs, promises to be a very 

 excellent landscape-gardener. 



Milfoi'd Nursery, Air. Wm. Youvg. — We were not aware, when we 

 last visited this nursery (see Vol. VII. p. 365.), that it was so extensive 

 as we now find it to be. It contains upwards of thirty acres, and, besides 

 the pits, which we before examined, there are two large green-houses now 

 erecting, and a small stove for ferns. All the numerous new plants sent 

 home by Philip Barker Webb, Esq., and noticed in our Epsom lists in 

 preceding volumes, were first received, and for the most part raised, in 

 this nursery, before they were sent to Messrs. Young, at Epsom. We 

 were shown a great number of new plants at Milford, which have not yet 

 flowered, or been figured : but, as Mr. Young has promised a list of them, 

 we shall confine ourselves at present to noticing the arboretum in the 

 grounds of Mr. Webb. We were not before aware of the existence of 

 such a treasure of trees and shrubs in this part of the country. They 

 are distributed along the margin of the park, so as to form the pleasure 

 ground, or shrubbery ; and, for the most part, they are placed at such 

 distances on the turf as will admit of their attaining something like their 

 full size. The collection of oaks is remarkably complete, exceeding sixty 

 species, almost every one of which has been raised from the acorn by 

 Mr. Young. There are a great manj- of the genus /-"inus, of ^-l^cer, of 



