Blenheim. 101 



are included in the duke's private garden ; the extent of the 

 three scenes being estimated at about 80 acres. There seems 

 no reason why the occupier of such a place as Blenheim should 

 not have a private garden, in the same manner as he has private 

 apartments ; but it is surely not allowable that, for this purpose, 

 he should monopolise all that is by nature, as well as by the 

 art which had been exercised before his time, the finest part of 

 the grounds. What is, perhaps, as bad as this monopoly is, 

 that a part of the grounds, still left open to the public, is dis- 

 figured by the main walk being included in what is now the pri- 

 vate part, and by the necessity, which has been thus occasioned, 

 of forming a new and smaller walk parallel to it. The one walk 

 is separated from the other by a high fence, stuck full of furze 

 bushes, so as to render it impervious to the sight : a very great 

 deformity, and one which shows, on the part of those who put 

 it there, an utter disregard of the general beauty of the place. 

 We shall now notice the details of the duke's private garden. 



Near the house, and from that to the cascade, the surface is 

 sprinkled with choice trees and shrubs, planted in dug patches, 

 in the usual manner. These patches seldom contain more than 

 a single tree or shrub, or a standard rose, with a few flowers 

 round its base. There are at the same time a number of large 

 patches or masses, containing azaleas, rhododendrons, and other 

 flowering shrubs, intermixed with flowers. Some of these masses 

 are bordered by young oaks, twisted so as to form a wreath, 

 care being taken, in pruning them, never to cut the leaves. In 

 some cases, the common oak is used for this purpose, and in 

 others, the Turkey: both form very beautiful edgings. The 

 subsoil being "stonebrash" or rock, before the patches could 

 be planted, a quantity of rock or stonebrash was dug out, and 

 the excavation filled with earth. In consequence of the porous 

 rocky bottom, this earth is washed in, and in part lost in the 

 interstices of the substratum, so that the surface of many of the 

 beds or patches is 7 in., and in some cases as much as 1 ^ ft., 

 below the level of the adjoining lawn. This is a very great de- 

 formity; and, indeed, the edgings both of the walks and beds, 

 throughout the whole place, partake of the same character of 

 harshness. Mr. Jones, who has been head gardener to His Grace 

 at White Knights and Blenheim since the year 1802, is as well 

 aware of these faults as ourselves, but has not hands enough tq 

 remedy either them, or several other equally glaring defects. 

 No expense, or, perhaps, we should rather say, no effort, has 

 been spared to obtain not only fine plants, but also large speci- 

 mens of them. There are quantities of large Magnolz'a conspicua, 

 tree paeonies, purple magnolias, PavzVz carnea and rubra, choice 

 azaleas, kalmias, hybrid rhododendrons, wistarias, and, in short, 

 of all the more rare and beautiful trees and shrubs procurable at 



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