656 Notes on Gardens and Country Seats : — 



with its beautiful flowers ; and also a new variety of Passiflora 

 cserulea. On each side of the front entrance to the nursery is 

 a fine weeping ash, planted by Mr. and Mrs. Stewart, to 

 commemorate the death of George III. ; and, at the side 

 entrance, is an evergreen oak, already a fine tree, placed there 

 to commemorate the accession to the throne of George IV. 

 We intend in future to visit this garden periodically; as well 

 as that of Mr. Brown, at Slough ; and also that of Mr. Baillie, 

 which we did not now see. 



Burnham. — In passing the second time through this vil- 

 lage, we noticed a beautiful little well-kept flower-garden, 

 with a central circular bed of fuchsias magnificently in flower ; 

 radiating from which were beds of pelargoniums and the 

 finer annuals. This garden belonged to a village seedsman 

 of the name of Austin. In the main street are two very 

 choice flower-gardens, and a fine cedar tree opposite the house 

 of a brewer ; and, at the corner of a cottage, a remarkably 

 large Buddlea globosa. Throughout the village there are a 

 number of fine plants and shrubs. 



Missing our way, we stumbled on the kitchen-garden of 

 Dropmore, kept by Mr. Duncan, in which were some fine 

 fig trees, peach trees, and other fruits. 



Taplow Lodge, Mrs. Tunno. — This is a pleasing place, of 

 considerable extent. A striking feature, in approaching to 

 the entrance front, is a detached conservatory with glass on 

 all sides, and an architectural elevation, by Mr. Robert 

 Stewart of Great Russell Street. The head gardener here, 

 Mr. Holland, who is one of our correspondents, showed us 

 remarkably fine crops of melons and Ribston pippins, the 

 latter apple having this season produced large crops every- 

 where. A small conical-shaped tree of the Hawthornden 

 apple was so laden with fruit from the base to the summit, 

 that it presented a perfect cone of apples, the stem of the 

 tree being totally concealed, and even great part of the leaves. 

 Mr. Holland grows succory here in the open garden, during 

 the summer season, and, in winter, he plants the roots in 

 boxes, and places them under a stage in a house for forcing 

 flowers, thus producing tender, crisp, and finely flavoured 

 salad throughout the winter. The Cucumis flexuosus, or 



O r • • • 



snake gourd, is here grown to great perfection as a curiosity ; 

 one plant being raised from seed every year. Of four fruit 

 now on this plant, one measured 7 ft. 1 in.; another, 6 ft. 5 in.; 

 and a third, 5 ft. 5 in. The fourth was impregnated, and 

 swelling for producing seeds for the following season. It 

 may be noticed here, lor the sake of those who are not aware 

 of the fact, that when gardeners wish cucumbers or gourds of 



