January 24, 1835. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTUKE AND COTTAG-E GAUDENEK. 



65 



end of the naves are two richly inlaid stone tables and four 

 large min'ors that give variety and magnitude to these 

 lovely scenes. It is also adorned with rockwork, the crevices 

 of which are planted with Ferns, the water trickling down 

 from the top to the marble aquarium, with silver and gold 

 fish sporting in their element. At each side of the con- 

 servatory and near to the picture gallery are grouped some 

 healthy Date and Fan Palms, a beautiful Aralia Sieboldi, 

 and some Caryotas. On ball nights, when it is open from 

 the picture gallery and illuminated -with its seventy-two 

 gas-burners, the effect can be better imagined than de- 

 scribed. 



The genial warmth, the delicious fragrance, the fine forms 

 and vai-ied colours of the noble plants, the voluptuous still- 

 ness that prevails in this enchanted spot, only interrupted 

 by the soothing sound of the gently falling water or an 

 occasional chirp from the feathered inmates, lull the fancy 

 into pleasing day-dreams. VTc imagine ourselves in the 

 blooming groves of Italy, while Nature, sunk in a death -like 

 torpor, announces the severity of the winter through the 

 windows of this magnificent conservatory. 



The next scene is the flower garden. It is formed in a 

 sunken panel, and is surrounded on the east, south, and 

 west by a broad terrace promenade in grass. The north 

 side is bounded by a handsome Gothic terrace wall, furnished 

 with correspondingly massive vases. The terrace promenade 

 just mentioned leads from the conservatory to the end of 

 the western boundary of the flower garden, and has in the 

 centre, along the whole distance, a handsomely- wrought 

 arcade of iron and wire trellis-work. This arcade is 12 feet 

 wide and 14 feet high, having at the east and west corners 

 circular pavilion-like domes, 27 feet in height by 30 in dia- 

 meter, of the same material as the arcade. The whole is 

 covered with climbing Boses, Honeysuckles, Clematises, 

 Ivies, Aristolochias, and Virginian Creepers. The above 

 terrace promenade is about 30 feet broad, having on the 

 outer boundary a low iron palisading masked by a closely- 

 clipt Tew hedge, with a space of about 5 feet between the 

 hedge and the ai'cade. From the grass promenade descends 

 a gentle slope about 9 feet wide, a walk 12 feet wide is 

 continued round the flower garden at the foot of this slope, 

 and is bordered by parallel beds of various sizes. Similar- 

 beds run parallel with the centre walk which leads from 

 the teiraee. The interior part of the garden is divided 

 into eight grass panels by a transverse walk, and again by 

 minor paths, which abut on two circular bays in the trans- 

 verse path, which ai'e equidistant from the central walk. 

 There are circular beds in the bays, and the eight panels 

 contain geometrical beds. A beautiful spherical sun-dial 

 stands in the centre of the flower gai'den, a pair of marble 

 figures at the top of the central walk, and vases near the 

 angles of the grass panels. Under the terrace wall, which 

 forms the north boundary of the flower garden, is a noble 

 border 140 yards long by 16 feet wide, which was planted 

 in summer with a ribbon of gay colours, which very effectively 

 relieved the massive masonry of the terrace wall. Looking 

 from the stone terrace steps when the beds and borders are 

 covered with the vai'ious sorts of Geraniums, Verbenas, and 

 other choice plants, judiciously ai-ranged as regards colours 

 under the discriminating eye of Mr. Ballingall, I can well 

 imagine the gorgeous effect produced. A broad walk winds 

 from the south-west corner of the flower garden through 

 shrubberies and borders of American plants, standard Eoses, 

 •to., to a mound, the slopes of which are covered with hardy 

 Heaths, then to a flight of massive steps leading into the 

 arboretum or pleasure grounds. 



On the west front of the mansion is a terrace 100 yards 

 long and 16 yards wide, and on the north side is the Adelaide 

 terrace 120 yards long by 50 wide. Along the inside of tnis 

 terrace wall are planted Junipers and roimd-headed Por- 

 tugal Laurels, and three massive clumps of Ehododendi-ons 

 occupy the centre of the grass lawn on this ten-ace. A broad 

 terrace wallc 164 yards long leads from the door in the 

 picture gallery westward to a kind of terrace court, with a 

 circular stone basin 60 feet wide, having a massive stone 

 edging or cornice ; a fountain 20 feet high plays from the 

 centre of the basin, and on a distant mound is placed a 

 finely-sculptured Venus. From the centre of the court de- 

 scends a noble flight of steps having square stone kerbs, 

 pedestals of the same material, and marble vases ; another 



flight of steps ascends to the mound. Prom the west front 

 you see a well-kept lawn, on which stands a beautiful marble 

 basin and fountain, backed by l^ortugal Laurels, Cedars, &a. 

 All the walks on the terraces are decorated with beautiful 

 white marble vases. 



Drayton Manor is profusely enriched with the most charm- 

 ing of all garden ornaments — the terraces with their statues, 

 and vases, and fountains, and balustrades, and steps, all of 

 which rich accompaniments, by can-ying the eye from the 

 interior ornaments of the chambers to the garden, so con- 

 nect the whole as to make them a pleasureable part of it. 

 The want of colour, so necessary to the cheerfulness of some, 

 is, at those seasons when flowers cease to bloom, compen- 

 sated for by the courting of sunshine and by the lights 

 which are constantly falling and playing about these archi- 

 tectural ornaments. 



From the north terrace are extensive views through the 

 park, with dappled deer in the distance, and a fine sheet of 

 water enlivened with swans, foreign geese, and ducks; alto- 

 gether it reminded me of the following lines in Thomson's 

 " Seasons :" — 



" Herds and flocks 

 Drop the dry sprig, nnd, mute implorinfr, eye 

 The tailing shower. Hushed in short suspense 

 The plumy people streali tlieir wiiiijs with oil 

 To throw the lucid moisture trickling off, 

 And wait the approaching sign, to strike at once 

 Into the general choir." 



The park, with its lakes and the groups of trees, and 

 the woods, with fine open glades winding out of sight, 

 extends about a mile in that direction to the Great North 

 Road. 



The pleasure grounds and garden consist of about 50 acres, 

 and are divided from the park by an iron palisading, inside 

 of which is planted a Yew-hedge, which completely shuts 

 out any view of the palisading from the pleasure ground. 



The entrance from the park is ennobled by beautiful iron 

 gates fixed on embossed stone pillars supporting handsome 

 marble vases. The drive now sweeps through the pinetum, 

 and thence into a circular opening near the front-hall en- 

 trance, gravelled and bordered by a round-stone kerb, from 

 which rise several stone pedestals, bearing also handsome 

 marble vases. On one side of this entrance on the close- 

 shaven lawn stands a trophy of war — a Russian anchor and 

 cable, brought from Sebastopol in 1855. 



In the pinetum are many noble specimens of Picea nobilis, 

 grandis, Nordmanniana, and piusapo, also of Pinus excelsa, 

 cembra, and several others, some beautiful Cryptomerias, 

 and Golden Tews, the foliage of the last beautifully con- 

 trasting with the dark green of the Pines. Masses of shrubs, 

 and various other trees, formed an undulating boundary to 

 the north side of this portion of the grounds. What is 

 called the American garden was planted in avenues some 

 years ago by Mr. Barron with Araucaria imbricata, and 

 Pinus nobilis, P. excelsa, Irish Tews, WelUngtonias, (one of 

 them was 16 feet high, and well feathered to the ground,) 

 and an undergrowth of Rhododendrons and other American 

 trees and shrubs, with grass rides between. 



A branch of the river Tame runs through the park and 

 close to the pleasure grounds, and has been expanded into 

 several large lake-like sheets of water, with cascades. The 

 trees are not sparingly or indiscriminately scattered around 

 the margin, but liberally in some places, for the sake of a 

 contrasted mass of colour, or shade to relieve the bril- 

 liancy of the water, and with discrimination everywhere 

 to mark the beauties and heighten the variety of the out- 

 line without destroying breadth of effect. It gives me much 

 pleasiu-e to bear testimony to the superior management and 

 high keeping displayed by Mr. Ballingall in all, and even 

 the most minute, parts of this first-rate and extensive esta- 

 blishment. 



Lord Brougham's schoolmaster is abroad in every city 

 and hamlet patronised by the noble of the land, and led on 

 by the Ughts of the age. At the village of Fazeley I saw a 

 placard announcing that the first lecture of the season was 

 to be given at the new school-room, Fazeley. by George 

 Skey, Esq., subject — "Things worth Knowing." N.B. — As 

 all the expenses of the library and reading-room, over and 

 above the subscriptions, are kindly defrayed by the Eight 

 Hon. Sir Robert Peel, the receipts for admission will be 

 applied to the purchase of books. — W. Keane. 



