December 12, 1878, ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
Ad 
agreeable character to the grounds, and affords valuable 
shelter to the terrace gardens, 
The south or Holly terrace is semicircular in outline. It is 
entirely filled with flower beds on turf of a novel and pleasing 
design, simple yet elegant. The outer bed describes a bold 
semicircle marking the outline of the terrace sweeping round 
into curved ends which join the inner lines—an alternating 
series of flat curves and small semicircles projecting inwards, 
and each containing a specimen Holly, of which there are six. 
This large bed is the key of the design, which in reality con- 
tains only two other large beds with half a dozen intervening 
circles. In the centre is a Pampas Grass, and at either end a 
Wellingtonia—a trifle formal, but necessarily so, yet ample 
relief is afforded by the lawn sloping gently down among 
shrubs and fine old Elms. Through these an occasional church 
spire comes into view with an undulating range of hills in the 
far distance. The whole of the beds were planted with Viola 
cornuta in variety, all flourishing and full of bloom, affording 
a charming display of this popular flower. An air of elegance 
pervaded this part of the garden in a manner not at all 
common to terraces, which are generally too full of straight 
lines and harsh angles to harmonise with surrounding objects. 
The west front has a garden of more formal tone—a series 
of abrupt slopes and levels—yet nevertheless in perfect keep- 
ing with the steep bank on the upper side of it. A fountam 
and stone basin occupy the centre, and the numerous beds 
contained pretty and well-wrought devices in carpet bedding. 
From the top of the high bank, to which we ascend by a flight 
of steps, the view over Oxford is very fine. A lawn with 
enclosing shrub borders sweeps pleasantly onwards to the 
upper entrance lodge, the carriage drive being remarkable for 
its easy well-formed curves, and the skilful way in which the 
lawn is made to ascend from it to rising ground on either 
hand. An avenue of Cedrus Deodara, |through which this 
Fig. 68.—HEADINGION HILL HALL, 
drive runs, is in a flourishing condition, and will one day be a 
fine feature. It and the numerous other Conifers and shrubs 
were planted by Mr. W. H. Baxter, Curator of the Oxford 
Botanic Gardens, who laid out Mr. Morrell’s gardens, and who 
has published a valuable descriptive list of nearly two hundred 
sorts of the trees and shrubs which adorn the grounds. 
The kitchen garden and glass houses haye hitherto been 
separated from the pleasure grounds by the public road which 
intersects the estate. An elegant bridge, however, has lately 
been constructed, so that in future the principal path to the 
kitchen garden will run over this bridge and through extensive 
new pleasure grounds in course of formation. It will thus be 
seen that improvements of an important character are in pro- 
gress; and although already so worthy to be termed a fine 
place, much remains to be done before the whole is finished 
and thoroughly connected. 
Some four acres of rich light soil constitute the kitchen 
garden, yielding an ample supply of vegetables with thriving 
fruit trees mostly cone-shaped, and forming avenues along the 
paths. Some lofty vineries contained good crops, the Grapes 
being well coloured, large in bunch and berry, and the growth 
healthy and vigorous. Mr. Phillips the gardener is evidently 
a master in the culture of Grapes. A lot of young Muscats 
had magnificent canes, and were from cuttings made in Febru- 
ary, 1877, the Vines being rooted and planted out in the 
border in June that year, cut back in the autumn, and making 
growth this year, that will yield a noble crop of fruit next 
season. Peaches were also abundant and fine under glass ; so, 
too, were Strawberries in pots, the sort being President, high 
feeding being practised, and only cight berries being left to 
swell on each plant—a much more sensible plan than that of 
leaving a host of little berries hardly any of which prove fit 
for table. 
The interior of a house devoted to the culture of stove 
plants presented an appearance totally different to the usual 
stereotyped arrangement of stages and pits. From end to 
end of the house is a serpentine path, describing a series of 
graceful curves around the base of mounds of earth alter- 
nating from back to front. Nothing could be better. It was 
a yeritable tropical flower garden, the mounds forming the 
beds in which pots may be plunged; or, better still, the plants 
turned out into the soil, and the roots let ramble so as to 
induce a much more luxuriant growth than the confined space 
of a pot ever can afford. Then, too, what a charming fringe 
of exotic Mosses, Ferns, and tropical trailers may be had on 
either side of the path. : 
Good taste prevails here, and suggests that the remedy for 
formality is in our own hands, By such an arrangement as 
