Rock Garden at St. Clairtown. 55 



views (Jigs. 14, 15.) are annexed, would fovm an interesting ap- 

 pendage to any garden, lawn, or shrubbery ; and the lover of the 

 picturesque would be amply compensated for the outlay and atten- 

 tion bestowed, by the daily treat it is capable of affording. The 

 aquatic and rock plants, the finny race, and the different species 

 and varieties of the winged tribes, formerly " far to seek, and ill to 

 find," would thereby be brought within the range of every day's 

 observation, and made subservient to purposes at once entertain- 

 ing and instructive. 



As illustrative of the above observation, the writer may state 

 what he himself observed in the garden above described. The 

 day on which the water was let into the pond, he was surprised 

 to observe a number of small creatures, such as he had seen in 

 old ponds, darting from place to place, deep in the water ; and, 

 while closely observing their movements, and wondering how 

 they could possibly be there so soon, one of them came to the 

 surface and flew off; and, shortly after, another, borne on airy 

 wing, took the water, and went to the bottom. This amphibious 

 insect is of the beetle species, its wings being encased in a dark 

 horny substance. The cave mentioned in the foregoing account 

 was one of the most difficult parts to construct in all the rockery, 

 in consequence of the large hanging blocks required, several of 

 which took half a dozen strong men to lay ; but, now it is com- 

 pleted, the effect is good. The entrance, which is confused and 

 rugged, is 12 ft. high, and the cave runs back, 15 ft. deep, into a 

 mound of earth. Six or eight persons can be seated inside 

 unobserved. 



The dots denoting the covered walks in the plan (fig. 13.) 

 will appear to be pretty numerous ; and to have had all these 

 walks of arched rocks would have been difficult and expensive. 

 On this account, most of them are constructed with strong 

 branches of oak, with the bark taken off, the thickness of a 

 man's waist, closely put together, and covered with mossy turf, 

 two or three turfs thick. In this soil the rowan tree (the moun- 

 tain ash) thrives, as do some kinds of shrubs. These banks the 

 writer raised when he could not conveniently lay the rocks 

 higher ; and they produce a good effect, and shut out the 

 neighbouring houses. The bridge, or rather viaduct, at the 

 drawingroom, leads to the rockery, by throwing open a window, 

 from the second story. Most of the scenery is seen from this 

 window, in consequence of pruning off the side branches of the 

 surrounding trees to near the top ; when the effect, through the 

 small trunks, which rise like so many tiny columns, is good, 

 the foliage assuming much the shape of a Gothic arch. It is 

 often amusing to hear visitors exclaim, when taken to this 

 window from the street door, " Whar in all the world are we 

 noo!" — St. Clairtown, Dec. 1838. 



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