256 Notes on Gardens and Country Seats : — 



slope, so as to give the leaves every advantage of sun and heat. 

 It is expected that each vine will produce five or six bunches of 

 grapes ; those of Mr. Pillans, similarly treated, having produced 

 450 lb. of grapes from seventy pots; the vines, when the fruit 

 was ripe, not being more than eighteen months from the eye. 

 This may be considered as the extraordinary result of extra- 

 ordinary skill, attention, and perseverance. It may be useful 

 and commendable in gentlemen's gardens ; but, as it requires 

 much more labour, as well as skill, than can be afforded by most 

 persons who wish to grow grapes, it is not intended to super- 

 sede the simpler and more certain modes. It may be con- 

 sidered as a prize essay. 



The kitchen-garden is here but a secondary object of attention. 

 The soil is naturally a strong clay ; but part of it has lately been 

 greatly improved by burning some of the subsoil, and mixing it 

 with the surface. The operation is performed, during the sum- 

 mer season, on the spot, by heaping up a coating of clay upon a 

 ridge of fagots, and setting; fire to the latter, in the manner 

 explained in detail in our Encyclopaedia of Agriculture. The 

 clay is put on in rough spadefuls, and, when the burning is com- 

 pleted, it is spread over the ground from which it was taken, at 

 the rate of a good dunging. There is here a very good gar- 

 dener's house ; and we found in it an excellent garden and 

 miscellaneous library, belonging to Mr. Carton. Among his 

 miscellaneous books were the Waverley novels and the Cabinet 

 Cyclopaedia. 



After spending several hours in seeing the grounds about the 

 house, we drove down to the sheet of water called Milford. 

 This was a favourite spot of the late Lord Caernarvon. As a 

 piece of home lake scenery, it is beautiful ; and, as altogether the 

 work of art, with the exception of the sloping bank covered with 

 natural wood, it is admirable. A large wood, remarkable for 

 the size and richness of its hollies, is connected with this natural 

 beech wood by extensive plantations of fir and larch. The 

 holly wood, which is called Penwood, possesses great beauty. 

 The undergrowth of the woods and islands of this lake of Mil- 

 ford Water is entirely composed of rhododendrons, azaleas, 

 kalmias, and other American evergreens, which attain a vast size, 

 and sow themselves. There are numerous Nepal hybrids here ; 

 and they are found to stand the drought better than the common 

 sorts. Altogether, we do not know any place in the country 

 where there is such a great extent of American trees and shrubs. 

 There are even some exotic aquatics in the water ; and it is in 

 contemplation to scatter the seeds of many of the most beautiful 

 of the North American annuals in the woods, as is now doing at 

 Dropmore. Among the native trees are some very large beeches, 

 one of which is 18 ft. in circumference at 3 ft. from the ground, 



