418 Notes on Gardens and Country Seats. 



consequence, the very few years that they have been planted. 

 We must, however, notice an azalea, forming a bush 15 yards 

 in circumference ; and a kalmia, nearly as large, and 6 ft. high. 

 Magnolm grandiflora and M. consplcua make shoots here from 

 18 in, to 3 ft. long every year. The magnolia wall will probably 

 soon be the finest thing of the kind in England, not even except- 

 ing that at White Knights. There is a fine Cunninghamza here, 

 between 14 ft. and 15 ft. high ; perfectly hardy, and very hand- 

 some. There is a large Magnolz'« glauca, raised from seed 

 ripened at Wasing House, Berkshire; an oak-leaved Hydrangea, 

 remarkably large ; several camellias, both as standards and 

 trained against a wall, growing freely and flowering beautifully ; 

 an Eriobotrya and Photinia, high, bushy, and vigorous ; with' 

 a remarkably large and handsome variety of tree lupine, which 

 we should wish to see in the nurseries ; in which opinion we are 

 sure we shall be seconded by so generous and liberal-minded a 

 man as Mr. Burns. In short, in the culture of the garden, and 

 in the execution of the carpentry and masonry of the house, 

 there is scarcely any thing but what is deserving of the highest 

 commendation. The inlaid floors are by Mr. White, whose 

 plan is described and figured in our Encyc. of Cottage Arch., 

 § 2010.; and the masonry and carving in stone are by a local 

 mason of great talents, whose name we regret we have not taken 

 down. 



The kitchen-garden contains many points of excellence. 

 Here is one of the best peach-walls which is to be seen any 

 where, at this time finely covered with fruit and wood ; so much 

 so, indeed, that hardly a brick of the wall is to be seen. We 

 have heard several gardeners declare this to be the best peach- 

 wall in England. Behind part of this wall, Mr. Burns keeps 

 his stock of tree leaves for his pine-pits ; and, by the ferment- 

 ation and heat, they bring forward the trees so as to ripen their 

 fruit three weeks earlier than those on the common wall. The 

 pines are remarkably well grown ; and Mr. Burns has cut one 

 as heavy as IS lbs. The Tottenham Park Muscat grape is well 

 known and highly esteemed ; the original plant fills a whole 

 house, and bears well every year. Cherries are here grown in 

 peat, and found to thrive well in that soil ; in the common soil 

 of the garden they were found to gum. The substratum every- 

 where at Tottenham Park is chalk ; and, when it is desired to 

 drain any place, or get rid of superfluous water, all that is 

 necessary is to dig a pit into the chalk. We must not omit to 

 mention that Mr. Burns has a garden library for his young men. 



The house-porter here, Joseph Shindle, is a remarkable in- 

 stance of the force of native genius. In spite of his morning 

 duties of wheeling in coals and wood, and wheeling out ashes 

 and dirt, he has contrived to make a number of curious sundials 



