662 Notes on Gm^dens and Country Seats : — 



and furnitui'e : the whole is in consistent taste. Mrs. Mait- 

 land has also built a school, in which a number of children 

 are gratuitously educated; a practice highly to be commended, 

 so long as a national system of education is withheld. Mr. 

 Maitland has also built two new lodges, and made a new 

 approach. The lodges, as well as the boat-house, are by a 

 local carpenter; and though the former want the boldness and 

 freedom which indicate a master artist, they do credit to his 

 taste. Their style is original, bordering on the Elizabethan^ 

 and they are, at the same time, perfectly consistent. 



The temporary fence along one of the approaches is formed 

 of posts and one top rail, both being young larch fir trees 

 with the bark and about 2 ft. of the branches left on ; thus 

 presenting a most formidable cheval-de-frise, which must be of 

 considerable durability. On the public road side, a bank, 

 between 20 ft. and 30 ft. high, which had been sloped to an 

 angle of 'to", is now formed into a more acute angle, it being 

 found that heavy rains wash down the new earth much less 

 when a bank is very steep. The cause evidently is, that less rain 

 falls upon it in the one case than in the other. Reduce the 

 face of the bank to a perpendicular, if practicable, and no rain 

 at all would fall on it. 



Lavender Cottage, Graham, Esq., is finely situated on 



a knoll, backed by the woods of Park Place, and having the 

 Thames at a short distance from the boundary of its lawn, 

 the public road on the right, and the lavender plantation 

 stretching away to the left along the base of the chalk hills. 

 In General Conway's time, this was the house of his steward ; 

 but it is now let as a gentleman's residence. 



The Reading Nursery, Mr. Myles Priest. — August 6, 

 This nursery was established thirty years ago, by the late 

 Mr. Connings, whose executors sold the stock and good-will 

 to Mr. Priest. This gentleman was brought up to the pro- 

 fession of the law at Norwich, but being enthusiastically fond 

 of gardening, be has relinquished the legal profession for the 

 nursery business; and, having begun with a good capital 

 and the greatest ardour, we have no doubt that he will, in a 

 short time, render this one of the first of provincial nursei-ies. 

 The extent, at present, appears to be nine or ten acres, most 

 beautifully situated, on a bank gently sloping to the south, 

 about a mile from ihe seed shop, which is in the market- 

 place of Reading. For some years past, this nursery had 

 been neglected ; but Mr. Priest is procuring all the new and 

 beautiful hardy herbaceous plants, and trees and shrubs, and 

 increasing them through the assistance of two excellent pro- 

 pao-ators from the nurseries of Colvill and of Lee. There 



