September 14, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



239 



feature in English landscape the tall square church tower — in 

 this instance of Eccles church. More to the south and looking 

 over the lake in the extreme distance are the Derbyshire hills, 

 and between our present position and the hills a railway train 

 is speeding to its destination, and we are told that it is now 

 in the middle of the Chat Moss. More ohurch spires and taller 

 chimneys vomiting sulphurous smoke, which accounts for the 

 stunted growth of many species of Conifera, are seen; and in 

 the far distance, and when the sky is clear, are to be seen the 

 hills of Wales and Shropshire. 



Returning to the garden, which is best described as a series 

 of terraces sloping from the Hall to the lake, and even beyond 

 the Hall, as there are two terraces rising on the north Bide, 

 whioh partly serve as a shelter from the wintry blast ; five 

 terraces more constitute that portion of the ground between 

 us and the lake. This is a noble sheet of water with a pretty 

 little island, which it is intended to connect with the mainland 

 by an ornamental bridge. 



The geometrical garden was laid out by Mr. Markham Nes- 

 field, but the present plan is a modification of his. Portions 

 of the attenuated scrollwork in imitation of Brussels carpets, 

 which he was so fond of introducing into his designs, have 

 been turfed over, and a much more simple and appropriate 

 plan has been the result. Small beds and elaborate sorollwork 

 designs are not in keeping with the surroundings at Worsley 

 Hall. On this terrace there is also a very elegant fountain 

 designed in bronze by Valdouse. It was exhibited and much 

 admired in the first Great Exhibition of 1851. The central 

 group is formed of storks, kingfishers, and Water Lilies. On 

 the lowest terrace there are also flower-garden designs, with 

 fountains in the centre and beds of the finer Rhododendrons 

 and other shrubs. On the west side of the Hall is the croquet 

 ground, which is surrounded on one side with beds of scroll- 

 work in Box and spar, and on the other with a series of cir- 

 cular beds. 



The oarriage drive from the Hall to the lodge is through an 

 avenue of Lime trees, which had been planted too close to the 

 side ; and although they are of considerable size Mr. Upjohn 

 has successfully transplanted a number of them, removing 

 them further from the verge. The whole of the pleasure 

 grounds as well as the kitchen gardens are in excellent order, 

 and reflect very great credit upon Mr. Upjohn and his staff of 

 workmen. 



A plan of one of the flower-garden designs is appended : it 

 is laid down on gravel, the beds being surrounded by Box 

 edging and relieved by grass. Both in design and planting it 

 is very effective. — J. Douglas. 



REFERENCES TO THE DESIGN. 



gained under the direction of the laborious and obscure system 

 of the old school. The Linnamn Bystem began now to be much 

 talked of. Mr. Curtis happened to meet with Berkenhout's 

 botanical lexicon ; and this was almost the only book on the 

 theory of botany which he had been able to procure during 

 his residence at Alton. His apprenticeship there now drawing 

 to a conclusion, his friends thought it necessary that he should 

 be settled in London. 



He first lived with Mr. George Vaux, surgeon, in Pudding 

 Lane, and afterwards with Mr. Thomas Talwin, apothecary of 

 Gracechurch Street, to whose business he succeeded. During 

 the period of his residing with these gentlemen Mr. Curtis 

 attended St. Thomas's Hospital and the anatomical lectures 

 there given by Mr. Else, as well as the lectures of Dr. George 

 Fordyee, senior physician to that hospital. Dr. Fordyce, con- 

 vinced of the necessity of botanical knowledge to medical stu- 

 dents, was in the practice of accompanying his pupils into the 

 fields and meadows near town, chiefly for the purpose of in- 

 structing them in the principles of the science of botany. On 

 these occasions Mr. Curtis frequently had the honour of assist- 

 ing the doctor in demonstrating the plant3 which occurred; 



1, Grass. 



2, Geranium Mrs. Pollock, edged 



with Lobelia pumila grandiflora. 

 S, Geranium Glorions. 

 4, Geranium Christine, edged with 



Geranium Bijou. 



5, Geranium Madame Vaucher and 



bine Pansy mixed. 



6, Geranium Madame Hudersdorfr 



and blue Pansy mixed. 



7, Star, Crystal Palace Gem Gera- 



nium ; angles, Lobelia speciosa. 



EAELY WRITEKS ON ENGLISH GARDENING. — 



No. 18. 

 WILLIAM CUKXIS. 



Me. Curtis was the eldest son of Mr. John Curtis of Alton 

 in Hampshire, a tanner. He was born in the year 1746. 

 When about eight years of age he was placed under the care 

 of Mr. Vindin, who at that time kept a very respectable school 

 about a mile from that town. Mr. Curtis remained at this 

 seminary under Mr. Vindin and his successor Mr. Ducker till 

 about the age of fourteen, when, to his great regret (for he had 

 now begun to relish and to know the value of classical acqui- 

 sitions), he was taken away and bound apprentice to his 

 grandfather, an apothecary at Alton. 



It was during this period that Mr. Curtis was led to his first 

 studies in botany. The house contiguous to that in which Mr. 

 Curtis lived was the " Crown Inn." The ostler, Mr. John 

 Lagg, a sober steady man, was a person of uncommonly strong 

 sense, and, though an unlettered man, with the assistance of 

 Gerard's and Parkinson's unwieldy volumes, had gained so 

 complete a knowledge of plants that not one could be brought 

 to him which he could not name without hesitation. This 

 struck Mr. Curtis's young mind most forcibly, and brought 

 into action those powers which have made him so famous. In 

 a very short time his indefatigable zeal had made him practi- 

 cally acquainted with most of the wild plants of his neighbour- 

 hood, especially those which related to medicine. 



But this first practical acquaintance with plants had been 



frequently the talk of demonstration was confided wholly to 

 Mr. Curtis. These instructions were gratuitous, and, no doubt, 

 gave him that confidence of superiority which justly led him 

 to the idea of imparting knowledge by the various modes of 

 lecture and publication, which he afterwards so successfully 

 pursued. 



Mr. Curtis for some time gave public lectures in botany, 

 taking his pupils with him into the fields and woods in the 

 neighbourhood of London. Nothing could be more pleasant 

 than these excursions. At dinner-time the plants collected in 

 the walk were produced and demonstrated ; but the demon- 

 stration was enlivened with all that fund of natural humour 

 which was always uppermost in Mr. Curtis's disposition. 



Mr. Curtis with great judgment had connected the study of 

 entomology with that of botany, and accordingly about the 

 year 1771 published his instructions for collecting and pre- 

 serving insects ; and in the year 1772 a translation of the 

 " Fundamenta Entomologia? " of Linnasus. He was now 

 known to many gentlemen of the first abilities in the know- 

 ledge of natural history ; among the rest to Mr. Alchorne of 

 the Mint. This gentleman had officiated, pro tempore, as de- 

 monstrator of botany to the Society of Apothecaries on the 

 resignation of Mr. Hudson, and conceiving that it would be 

 both honourable and advantageous to Mr. Curtis to be placed 

 in that situation, he recommended him in the handsomest 



