in the open Air for several Years, 411 



last, Phormium tenax was going out of flower in the shrubbery j 

 its stem was about 9 ft. high, and its flowers individually not 

 showy, being, as far as I recollect, of a dull red and greenish 

 colour, and of a fleshy consistence, with long narrow segments to 

 the perianth, like the Agave americana aad Doryanthes : the 

 beauty is in the stately noble outline of the plant in the whole. 

 An Agave americana on the turf in front of the house was sending 

 up a noble flower stem, which in six weeks had grown 12 ft., 

 and, before flowering, must have been much more than 20 ft. high. 



In this neighbourhood, at Jackson's, Esq., the Moult, the 



remains of one thatflowered in 1834 are lying in the flower-garden, 

 the flower stem being very much like a spruce fir tree without 

 its leaves. At the Moult, many green-house plants of interest 

 live out all winter; and among others I observed Banksza 

 serrata, which had been out three winters. At Mr. Prideaux's, 

 in this quarter, I understand the vines bear most excellent 

 fruit trained against the natural rocks : indeed, in Mr. Jackson's 

 melon ground which is cut out of the natural rock, the vines 

 were growing and fruiting beautifully. The vines growing in 

 the melon gi-ound at the Moult are, the black Hamburgh ; 

 white Sweetwater, and black cluster : 1000/. or 2000/. would 

 produce wonders in many places along this coast, and might 

 enable it to furnish all England with oranges, &c. 



At Dartmouth, myrtles and similar plants grow like privets ; 

 and they even make hedges of myrtles. A very large citron 



tree against the garden wall ( Strong, Esq.) ; an immense 



fig tree in the garden of the late governor of the Castle, 



Holsworth, Esq., lately blown down ; and a wonderfully fine ar- 

 butus, are, or were, some of the fine trees in this neighbourhood. 



Near Plymouth, on the opposite side of the river. Mount 

 Edgecumbe is a wonderfully fine place ; and, as seen from the 

 river, there are few parks to be compared with it. The views that 

 you have from the higher part of the grounds near the house 

 (which is large, but plain), I shall never forget: they include 

 the harbours and shipping towns of Devonport and Plymouth, 

 with all the surrounding country ; and, in point of striking, 

 varied, and rich landscape, are hardly to be surpassed in Eng-. 

 land. The flower-garden, which is close to the river, is on 

 that side enclosed by hedges of Quercus /^lex, which stand 

 the sea breeze, and it is sheltered among high shrubs. It is 

 partly laid out in the geometric style, with high cut hedges, ter- 

 race walks, a fine fountain, and a large orange-house, with a 

 very fine collection of orange trees, large handsome plants. In 

 another part of the flower-garden, protected in part by high 

 hedges, there are, what are, no doubt, the finest trees of Magnob'^z 

 grandiflora in England, growing in groves, among which there 

 are many other interesting trees and shrubs, though but few of 



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