8 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTTJRE Aj^D COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ January 3, 1S6S 



brings us in view of the mansion, which resembles one of 

 those commodious structures erected in the end of the 

 seventeenth or beginning of the eighteenth century, when 

 the comfortable dwelling-house was beginning to take the 

 }ilace of the feudal stronghold of earlier times. The principal 

 fiont is to the south, but the cai-riage approach is on the 

 other side, and en account of the inequality of the ground, 

 the entrance is one storey higher on that side than the 

 ground is on the south ; but even this inequality is nothing 

 compai-ed with the rise in the ground at the north side, 

 for ajfter allowing sufficient space for the requirements of a 

 carriage entrance, a grass lawn in one unbroken slope rises, 

 I should think, not less than 100 feet. This beautiful 

 and uniform slope is about 250 feet wide at bottom, but 

 narrowed-in at top ; and even beyond what might be called 

 the top of this slope, another slope about 20 feet wide, 

 still ascending, and at right angles with the front door, 

 carries on the view to the top of the hill, on which an orna- 

 mental summer-house, or rather exploratory, for I believe 

 it has been used for asti-onomical pui-poses, forms a suitable 

 apes to an eminence commanding an extensive range of 

 country. I may mention that the lower part of this fine 

 slope is all of plain turf, and seemed to be somewhat steeper 

 than the usual gi-adient adopted of late years — i.e., two to 

 one, or a base of 2 feet to 1 foot in perpendicular height. The 

 slope was certainly steeper than this, say five to tliree, and 

 if the perpendicular was 100 feet, we have a surface slope of 

 about 200 feet, which had an imposing effect. The margins 

 of this slope were planted with St. John's Wort, which here 

 grows admirably, while the opening thi-ough the wood, con- 

 tinuing the view to the summer-house alluded to, was faced 

 with Rhododendrons, which here also found a home such as 

 evidently suited their wants in every respect, excepting, 

 perhaps, that more water would have been grateful during 

 the past season. 



As from the description of the high ground at the carnage 

 side of the house, it might be inferred that the mansion 

 stands on low ground, I must conduct the reader to the 

 south side, and there he will see that in addition to the 

 difference of the height of a storey in the ground level, the 

 latter stUl continues to recede for a distance of 100 yards or 

 more; we then come to a beautiful piece of water, fresh, 

 clear, and sparkling, twenty acres or more in extent, which 

 occupies a position in the valley. There is a weU-wooded 

 island in it, and the outline is at suitable places concealed 

 by planting and at others shown, so as to give a natural 

 appearance to a sheet of water, which in such a situation 

 can hardly be too highly valued. A lawn with a few speci- 

 men trees sparingly introduced, so as not to impede the 

 view, connects the mansion with the ornamental water. The 

 dressed ground is for the most part on the opposite, or 

 rather the eastern side of the mansion, but there (ire many 

 interesting walks and corners carved out of the wooded hill, 

 against which the whole reposes. 



Passing the mansion on the north side, and proceeding 

 eastward through a shrubbery, we come to the principal 

 flower garden, which, to protect it from rabbits, is fenced in 

 with close wirework, but excepting at the gates, by which 

 the visitor enters, and one or two other places, the fence is 

 everywhere concealed by shrubs skilfully areanged. The 

 outlme of this enclosure is somewhat circular, and two 

 walks cross it in the centre, leading or pointing to important 

 features in the ground. A basin occupies the centre, around 

 which are arranged a series of flower-beds, these fl.t the 

 time of my visit being well filled with Geraniums, Lobelias, 

 Petunias, Verbenas, and other bedding plants. These beds 

 wore all on the turf, and outside were some specimen shrubs, 

 and behind these again the best kinds of Pinus. The 

 entrances to this garden, four in number, were planted with 

 dense masBes of Azaleas, which by their healthy appearance 

 must have presented a most gorgeous appearance when in 

 flower. As it was, in September, the foliage had the rich 

 crimson hue which this shrub puts on late in the season. 

 Some hybrid Rhododendrons were also in adjoining com- 

 partments, while the deep dense f^cen of a noble specimen 

 of A)>ics Douglasii, hearing cones, was matched in another 

 place by a good Pinus insignia, planted in IKIO. The 

 height of these ticcs I omitted to ascertain, but tiny wore 

 of lair timber proportions, and to all appearance were likely 

 to attain a great size. 



As an accompaniment to the flower gai-den alluded to, 

 was a rustic summer-hoiit e, thatched with the refuse shavings 

 obtained in making wooden barrel hoops. The sides of this 

 struetiu-e were also of a corresponding rustic character, and 

 were partially clothed with Jasmine, and a good variety of 

 Silver-blotched Ivy. Some rockwork which I was told was 

 the work of the young ladies, adioined, the whole being 

 overshadowed by some noble Oaks. Prom this point walks 

 curved in vai-ious directions, several of them ascending the 

 hill, which, as previously stated, was clothed with valuable 

 timber, which had been judiciously thinned, and Rhodo- 

 dendi-ons, Laurels, Berberries, and the like, planted by the 

 thousand many years ago. These, of course, gave all the 

 cover that the most ai'dent sportsman could wish, at the 

 same time large open spaces had been cleared here and there, 

 and specimen Pines of various kinds planted. Generally 

 speaking, these specimens were in groups, some having been 

 planted twenty years and more, and others of more recent 

 introduction at a later period. All, or nearly all, were named, 

 a sort of brick being lis. d on which the name of the speci- 

 men, its native count y. and the date of planting, were im- 

 printed on the sloping end before it was burnt, and, of 

 course, capable of endiu'ing as long as the brick itself. I 

 was told that the maker was a Mr. Locker, of Kingston, 

 and certainly they deserved to be very generally used, for 

 without being obtrusive, they were sufficiently prominent 

 to be seen by all who might wish to know the names of the 

 trees. 



Among other Pinuses I noticed a fine specimen of Pieea 

 cephalonica, promising to rival the Silver Fir in magnitude, 

 Pinus laricio, and Pinus insignis, which, though only planted 

 in 1840, seemed to vie with the natm-al occupants of the 

 forest. Cryptomeria japonica nana, on the other hand, forms 

 a dwarf compact bush 3 feet high, and 4 feet through, more 

 in the character of Thuja aurea, thus resembling the normal 

 condition of the species of which there were also excellent 

 representatives. Taxodium sempervirens, which is generally 

 supposed to require a damp soil, was here in excellent health 

 in one of the driest spots in the kingdom. I am sorry I 

 cannot say the same of Araucaria Cunninghami, which, 

 though doing as well as at any place where I have met with 

 it out of doors, is evidently not sufficiently hardy to en- 

 dure the climate of this country if left unprotected. Picea 

 Webbiana, which does not thi-ive very well in most places, 

 was better here than in many, and 1 was told that it per- 

 fected its seed. Some Cedars of Lebanon of much greater 

 age were less promising than most things around them; 

 but a fine specimen of Pinus cembra promised after a time 

 to overtake some magnificent Silver Firs in close proximity. 

 Picea nobilis and P. Nordmanniana were also well repre- 

 sented, the former taking the fine, conical, upright growth 

 which renders it so great a favourite when it is well grown ; 

 the latter not so far advanced. Bushes of Thuja aurea were 

 also to be met with in many places, where also a dwarf form 

 of Abies, called A. Gregoriana, presented a dense deep green 

 hue ; while a still more dwarf or rather'prostrate plant 

 was Juniperus squamata. Ever and anon healthy thriving 

 plants of Wellingtonia were to bo met with in variou.^ stages 

 of growth, and what must not be forgotten, some fine speci- 

 mens of Deodar gracefully making their way upwards, while 

 their bases had every appearance of the trunk beinj,' hidden 

 from view for many years, so healthy, dense, and vigorous 

 were they. I do not remember if there was a good speci- 

 men of Picea pinsapo, but believe there was, and most, if 

 not all, of the lately-introduced species of Cupressus, Thu- 

 jopsis, &e., were to bo met with; but I did not notice all in 

 detail. With one or two exceptions the whole were in 

 excellent order, and the most of thorn were in ]iositione 

 which would enable them to grow on for manj' years with- 

 out CfJiuing in contact with each other — a vei-y common fault 

 in many places where some of the finest specimens are to be 

 found. 



I have stated that the general features of the place are a 

 steep hillside cut into ravines or gullies in various ways, 

 the soil being sandy, and, doubtless, containing iron in more 

 or less aliundance, as the Rhododendrons succeeded so well, 

 and ripened their seed and rejiroduced themselves in the 

 comnion wood. A long period oi' very di-y weather prior to 

 the middle of September, when I was there, had told severely 

 on the Kalmias and Andromedas, which were suffering muoll. 



