and Suburban Gardens. 329 



The eye now penetrates deep into the grove over these laurels in all directions, 

 presenting, at every step, a new combination of trunks and stems ; of tall trees 

 and hollies ; and of open spaces among them, farther varied by the manner in 

 which the light penetrates through the branches above, and glances on the 

 shining laurel leaves below. Among the innumerable fine hollies here, there 

 is one, with two stems, 70 ft. high. There are groves of cedars of Lebanon, 

 some branched in consequence of being planted in open spaces; and others 

 drawn up with a clean trunk, from having been surrounded by other trees. 

 The clean trunk of one specimen is 100 ft. high. There are many of the 

 cedars with clean trunks of 60 ft., which, if now cut down, would saw up into 

 as good planking as any larch or Scotch pine. We have before (V. 568.) made 

 a similar remark respecting the cedars at Ascot Place. There is a fine hemlock 

 spruce, 50 ft. high, and with a trunk 8 ft. or 9 ft. in circumference at the height 

 of 4 ft. from the ground. There is a very large cork tree, with a trunk 3 ft. in 

 diameter, and the breadth and height of the branches 30 ft. : this tree produces 

 acorns every year. There are many large tulip trees, liquidambars, red cedars, 

 cypresses, &c. ; a Quercus 7 N lex is 30 ft. high, and has a trunk 1 a ft. in diameter ; 

 several hollies are 60 ft. high, many Portugal laurels 25 ft. high, and numerous 

 common laurels, before they were laid down, were 30 ft. high. Many of the 

 cedars have trunks from 6 ft. to 12 ft. in circumference ; and one in front of 

 the house is 100 ft. high, with a trunk 16 ft. in diameter. 



A fine mossy avenue leads to a prospect tower ; from which the views have 

 been lately opened up and much improved by Mr. M'Intosh. Among the new 

 articles introduced in the conspicuous parts of the walks, and generally near 

 laburnums, are upwards of two hundred wistarias. Descending to the con- 

 servatory, we found it stocked not with ragged orange trees, as when we saw 

 it before, but with choice green-house and hot-house plants in flower; it 

 being, in fact, the show-house of the place. It was really exceedingly beautiful 

 to the eye ; and was filled with the fragrance of a very large plant, 15 ft. high, 

 of Magnolia fuscata. The flowers of this plant used to be gathered for per- 

 fuming the rooms at Marlborough House, like those of the Chimonanthus 

 fragrans. Some of the large acacias in this conservatory were covered with 

 seed-pods. On the floor bordering the walk are sunk stone troughs, so as to 

 form hollow panels, which were planted with mesembryanthemums mixed with 

 Lycopodium helveticum : this had a very beautiful effect, several of the mesem- 

 bryanthemums being in flower. 



Descending, we found the dried male catkins of the beech swept into heaps ; 

 and learned that Mr. M'Intosh collects these, dries them, and preserves them 

 for packing fruit. They are as soft as cotton, and do not communicate any 

 kind of scent to the fruit. We next came to a glade, rendered interesting 

 from the circumstance of the Duke of Newcastle, when proprietor of this 

 place, encouraging his servants to play at skittles there, himself sitting in an 

 arbour, smoking his pipe, and enjoying their sport. Farther on is a Gothic 

 temple, raised to the memory of the Princess Charlotte; and in front of it are 

 two plants of Cunninghamia lanceolata; which, in 1830, had been there eleven 

 years, without protection, and were then the one 7 ft. and the other 13 ft. high. 

 They are still in the greatest vigour, have grown at about the same rate, and 

 received no care except knocking off the snow, by which operation the tallest 

 has lost its leader. Near these plants is an Eriobotrya japonica, 12ft. high; 

 and a C'istus cyprius, 10 ft. high. In descending to the lake, Mr. M'Intosh 

 pointed out to us several parts of the original plan of Brown, which he had 

 restored : a mode of improvement highly to be commended, both in justice to 

 Brown and to Claremont. It is seldom that the plan of a grown-up place 

 can be advantageously altered; and an unsuccessful attempt deprives it of the 

 associations connected with past times. These associations may, at first sight, 

 appear to be chiefly connected with buildings; but, in fact, they are still more 

 deeply and powerfully produced by very old trees, and especially by old 

 exotics. Claremont will be visited for its cedars, its hollies, its laurels, its 

 wistarias, and its other fine specimens, when the present house, offices, and 



