Bumham, Tajplomo Lodge, Taplaw Court. 657 



ai.y sort to grow long, and not thick, they prevent them from 

 being fecundated by extracting the style and stigma im- 

 mediately before the flower opens. The fruit grows slower 

 when thus treated, but becomes much longer. When gar- 

 deners wish cucumbers to swell rapidly, so as to be cut early, 

 not only are the stamens allowed to come to perfection, 

 but the male flower is brought into contact with the female 

 flower artificially. A Cunninghamm has here lived three 

 years in the open ground without the slightest protection ; 

 and a bed of Fuchsz'a gracilis, five years. Some fine tree 

 pelargoniums, on the lawn, we were informed, were of the 

 variety called Rickett's seedling : the flowers were of a bril- 

 liant scarlet, and the plants of uncommon vigour, with from 

 80 to 100 flowers on one truss or umbel. The yellow rose 

 likes this dry gravelly soil, and flowers in it freely, producing 

 perfect flowers. What is very remarkable here is, that fine 

 crops of melons are grown in pits entirely without the aid of 

 bottom heat. Rock melons, grown in this manner, fre- 

 quently weigh 8 lbs. Grange's broccoli is here cultivated, 

 and produces heads all the year round. There is an elegant 

 aviary for canaries, on a board against which are some verses 

 by one of the Misses Tunno, addressing the birds on the 

 subject of their want of liberty, which do equal credit to the 

 head and heart of the authoress. 



TaploXQ Courts Earl of' Orkney. — This place is nobly situ- 

 ated ; the house, with the pleasure-grounds being placed on 

 the brow of a lofty bank of the Thames, and commanding a 

 noble reach of that river, with an extensive prospect of the 

 fertile and well-wooded country beyond. The ruins of an 

 old church adjoining the house, and a yew tree of very great 

 age on the summit of a mount, form fine objects. The 

 exterior architecture of the house and offices has been begun 

 to be improved in the old English manner. A number of 

 old walls have been pulled down, and the scenery on the 

 lawn thrown open. The effect is excellent. In a conserv- 

 atory are some fine plants, bought at the sale at White 

 Knights four years ago. Among others, there is a Magn6h'« 

 fuscata loft, high, and nearly 30 ft. in circumference. An 

 Acacia lophantha, when we saw it, was ripening seeds. 

 There is a terrace walk here, on the summit of the bank, 

 about 300 ft. above the level of the river, nearly two miles in 

 length ; which, taken altogether, might be made one of the 

 finest things of the kind in England, and probably in the 

 world. Between this and the natural wood which skirts the 

 base of the bank there is an admirable situation for an ar- 

 boretum : but Lord Orkney is more fond of engineering than 

 Vol. IX. — No. 47. u u 



