90 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEK. [ January 31, 1865. 



dnous trees that have already teen introduced into Britain, 

 and of others known to exist in their native woods. This 

 account must necessaa'ily bo concise, but it is intended to 

 point out the most conspicuous features of each species, and 

 to mention its utility as far as known. The list will doubt- 

 less not be without omissions, and may contain inaccuracies, 

 ■which shall be open to correspondents to supply and correct, 

 it beingf understood that such will be thankfully accepted. 

 The information has been compiled from trustworthy sources, 

 and having in past years made a collection of leaves of all 

 the exotic deciduous trees that I have met with, these will 

 in every instance be examined when penning; the note?. 

 Indigenous kinds, grand and equalling, as they do, all foreign 

 species, will therefore be omitted, or if named, only pass- 

 ingly alluded to. — Adolphtts H. Kent, Blcdtingleij. 

 (To be conticutd.) 



MOEETO:^ H.\LL, 

 The Eesidence of Geoege Holland Ackees, Esq. 



MoKETox Hall, situate at a distance of about three miles 

 from the town of Congleton to the south-west, the princely 

 residence of George Holland Ackers, Esq., E.N., is a mansion 

 of some pretensions, built in the castellated style, present- 

 ing a noble exterior, and its interior accommodation is most 

 ample. There is a banqueting-room 30 feet wide, 70 feet 

 long, and proportionably lofty : adjoining this is the dining- 

 room, 54 feet long, entered by folding-doors of large dimen- 

 sions ; and ranging with these is the saloon about the same 

 size, likewise having folding-doors. The three when thrown 

 open form one immense room, producing a magnificent 

 effect. This mansion was built to supersede a fineliaroni.al 

 hall, such as there are but some solitary instances remain- 

 ing; its external is composed of tiraber'painted black, and 

 the intermediate portions whitewashed, the novelty of tbe 

 sight and cleanly aspect attracting the notice and admiration 

 of travellers ; the only drawback is its being near the main 

 road and in a low situation. The residence stands about a 

 mile and a half from the Mow Cop station on the North 

 Stafford Railway, and about three miles from the summit of 

 Mow Cop— a place famous for pic-nic parties during the 

 summer season— the altitude of which is 10;>1 feet above the 

 sea level ; it is surmounted by its old tower, and an isolated 

 rock called " The Old Man of Mo.v." The mansion and 

 gardens are situated in a beautiful park, the principal en- 

 trance being on the north side leading from the road from 

 Congleton to Newcastle, the other eommencina' at the eastern 

 extremity of the park nearer the gardens. T)ie latter beinc- 

 the way by which I entered, I passed by a handsome Gothic 

 todge through two large iron gates, opened by machinery 

 from the interior of the lodge ; these gates were supported 

 by two massive stone piers. The gardens may be about a 

 quarter of a mile from the east lodge, and, perhaps a little 

 more than a mile from the north entrance, and afte'r passino- 

 through a shrubberj-, which ob.^cured the garden walls from 

 view, we came to the back part of the gardens, where there 

 18 that indispensable part of a large establishment, called 

 the frame-ground. 



In the frames there were large quantities of fine healthy 

 Cinerarias, in almost endless varieties, for greenliouse decora- 

 tion. Strawberries in pots were placed under spare li>'hts 

 for early forcing to protect them from heavy rains, which 

 are very frequent in this climate in the autumn, and also to 

 assist in ripening the crowns and perfecting the embryo 

 fruit. On a bed of coal ashes was a fine collection of Chrv- 

 santhemums, with dark green leaves hanging over the sides 

 of the pots. Close at hand was a large quantity of cuttings 

 of various sorts of bedding Geraniums being struck in the 

 open air, without any covering of glass, just in the same way 

 as I have seen the bulk of the bedding Geraniums propa- 

 gated at the Crystal Palace, and the same as the late Mr. 

 Beaton used to advocate in the pages of this Journal. Pro- 

 pagated thus there is less trouble keeping tlicm thron^'h the 

 winter than when coddled in heat, and llicy turn out" more 

 robust and vigorous in tlie spring. Along tho back wall of 

 the kitchen garden was a Musliroom-house, from which a 

 succession of Mushrooms is obtained all tho year round. 



Wo now pass through a door into the kitchen garden, 

 Hurronndcd by high walls. It covers about two acres, and 



there would be about another acre of kitohen-gai-den ground 

 outside the w.alls. Near the entrance was a range of span- 

 roofed houses running east and west, and divided into 

 four compartments. The first was devoted to such plants 

 as Aziileas, the retai-ding of .\chimenes, &c. ; the second 

 contained fine specimens of Lilium lancifolium. Fuchsias, 

 &c. ; and the third was a cool fernery ; but to enumerate all 

 the beautiful plants it contained woxxld simply be to reca- 

 pitulate the lists published in a respectable nnrserj'man's 

 catalogue ; suffice it to say that all the plants were in per- 

 fect health. The fourth compartment was a useful propa- 

 gating-house. 



In close proximity to these houses was another range m 



two compartments, which were north and south. Tho east 



side of the first house was devoted to winter Cucumbers and 



very late Blelons. The Melons are planted at each end, and 



the Cucumbers in the centre, both are trained to the trellis 



near the glass. When the Melons were cut the plants would 



be removed for the elongation of the Cucumbers. The vai-ie- 



ties of Melons grown were Trentham Hybrid and Mouusden's 



Moreton Hall, the latter a variety raised by Mr. Mounsden, 



the intelligent head gardener. On the ojjposite side of the 



house was a good selection of stove and greenhouse Feras 



and Lycopodiums. On the roof was a largo plant of Alla- 



manda Sobotti, but it had not cheered its admu-ers this 



season with its golden flowers, probably owing to its being 



I turned out of a pot into the open bed in the early spring, 



i which caused it to run too much to foliage instead of bloom> 



I In the next house was a collection of stove plants. There 



\ were good specimens of Gloxinias both of the erect and 



i drooping varieties. Begonias, fine Cockscombs 2 feet across, 



i fine-foliaged Caladiums, a very good plant ti'ained balloon- 



; shape of Hoya bella, and Cyrtoceras reflexum covered with its 



beautiful racemes of white" flowers. Under bell-glasses were 



C'ephalotus foUicularis, the pretty little Pitcher-plant, and 



, from the roof was gracefully suspended the fragrant Stepha- 



notis floribunda. 

 j Passing out of these houses we entered two Peach-houses, 

 I each 60 feet long; they are furnished with neat narrow paths 

 in the centre, and are 7 feet wide : the back wall and front 

 glass is 11! feet high, the apex may be 12 or 15 inches 

 higher, and air is given by means of machinery. The front 

 sashes open behind each other, running on wheels in a 

 groove. The front of the houses and back wall are planted 

 with Peach and Nectarine trees; the trees at back are 

 trained to the wall, and those in front to a trellis about 

 15 inches from the glass. The front trees are allowed to 

 grow about 5 feet high. At intervals of about 15 feet or 

 between each tree are ^'ine3 planted at back and front, and 

 trained to an arch underneath the roof, from which were 

 suspended some splendid bunches of Grapes. "What with 

 the luxuriant ^'iac■s that shaded the pathway, the fruit sus- 

 pended i'rom the roof and hanging on either side in such 

 beautiful clusters, and the delightful odour exhaled by the 

 ripe Peaches on the wall, tliese houses were at the time of 

 my visit (Sei^tember), a delightful promenade. Next in 

 order was an early vinery, in v.liich fruit was still hanging. 

 The Vines are planted in front of the houso about 2 feet 

 apart. This plan is an advance on planting one Vine under 

 each rafter at about the distance of 4 feet ; for the same 

 number of bunches can be taken from the roof of a house, 

 and only half the number from each Vine, and, as a conse- 

 quence, the individual bunches must bo much finer. 



Stepping ont of this house I rambled round the kitchen 

 garden'. My attention was arrested by tho fruitful con- 

 dition and peculiar mode of training of many of the 

 goblet-sliaped Apple and Pear trees. This stylo of training 

 seems a prominent feature at this place, and the quantities 

 of fruit would be great and fine in quality. On the west 

 wall were some very fine Plnius, and tho wall with a north 

 aspect was covered with Morcllo Cherries extremely fine, 

 and covered with two thicknesses of netting to protect them 

 froui the depredations of tho feathered tribe. Glancing on 

 to tlio diflbrent quarters 1 observed large beds of winter 

 vegetables, such as Poreeole, Brussels Sprouts, iStc, and 

 froui their vigorous growth and tho dark green hue of 

 their foliage they exhibited little evidence of the previous 

 drought. 



^Ve now pass through a door at tho west end of the kitchen 

 I garden, which brings us in the direction of the mansion. A 



