February 17, 1863. ] JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



131 



appreciated. We forgot how very loug a time was required to 

 finish this work. It remains a monument of the artistic and 

 refined ta9te of the late Duchess, who, we were informed, planned 

 all the arrangements and had every arch and panel fitted on 

 the table, or the floor, before the shells were fixed into their 

 places. Delightful as were the efleots under a shaded light 

 during tho day, it must be still more dazzling under a strong 

 light at night. In our boyish days we have experienced ecstatic 

 delight, lolling on a liedgebank and reading the poems of Ossian ; 

 but no such ball as this could ever have been imagined by the 

 warrior poet in which to hold tho feast of shells. 



We can well understand the interest that the noble Duko 

 takes in this lovely spot, even from the force of past associations. 

 Here we met and were introduced to him as he was superintend- 

 ing these repairs, and carrying an axe and a saw over his shoulder 

 in regular woodman carpenter-fashion, and no doubt owing 

 much of the hale vigour he possesses to such exercise and em- 

 ployment in the open air. Like other Irish gentlemen he play- 

 fully quizzed us about tho barbarism of Ireland ; and most 

 kindly alluded to signs of improvement, and his hopes of still 

 greater advancement when ignorance and prejudice should be 

 more removed. If we have helped at all to give a better idea of 

 what is doing in Ireland, these papers will not have been written 

 in vain. Much of the success of the Duke in effecting improve- 

 ments and inducing others to imitate his example we should be 

 inclined to ascribe to his large-hearted kindness and courtesy. 

 In converse you are so apt to forget the dignity, and to esteem 



the man, that ever and anon the rough doric but oxpressive lines 

 of Burns respecting Lord Daer come tilling over tho memory— 

 "The fient a pride, nae pride had lie, 

 Nor sauce, nor state, that I coutd see, 

 Mail- than an honest ploughman." 



In returning, and crossing the bridge at the cascade, we must 

 notice two things. First, the strong, almost violent, contrast be- 

 tween the river below and the noble lake above, the first ill its 

 natural state and well supplied with weeds and rushes, but in 

 unison with the character of the glen; the second, in its blight 

 silver sheen without a weed or a rush on its bosom to mar the 

 rich picturesque effect of its lawn and wooded banks and islands. 

 Again : We have rather an imperfect recollection of the bridge, 

 but the impression left on our mind is, that it is more in charac- 

 ter with the glen than the massive splendour of the lake. The 

 lovers of strong contrasts would prefer matters as they are. The 

 lovers of the harmonious would prefer a dash of uniformity 

 between the river immediately below and the lake above the 

 cascade which dams back the water. There are five islands on 

 the lake, one of which is called the Prince of Wales's Island, 

 from being finished on the day on which he was born, and a 

 Wellingtonia was planted on it by His Koyal Highness on his 

 visit to Carton in the summer of 1861. We should roughly 

 estimate the size of the lake to be about sixty acres. The last 

 improvements cost above £2000. The purity of the water and 

 freedom from weeds are secured by firmly macadamising and 

 grouting the bottom of the lake, and, in addition, forming an 



SOUTH EAST 7ei0 FEET 



FLAN OF KITCHEN GAIiDSN AT CASTOS. 



open culvert deeper along its centre, by means of which any 

 mud, Sue., that may accumulate can be removed. 



Leaving this fine lake, we cross the park as a near cut to the 

 kitchen garden, which oontains nine acres within the walls. 

 Instead of a description we will merely mention a few prominent 

 points. First, there is a large commodious gardener's house 

 close to tho main entrance, looking very picturesque with its 

 walls covered with Jasmines, Roses, and Honeysuckles. As a 

 general rule, gardeners' houses are much more comfortable and 

 suitable in Ireland and Scotland than they are in England. 

 There have, of late, been many worthy exceptions, but it is too 

 true that many gardeners' residences are still little better than 

 sheds. In other cases, in addition to inconvenience and want 

 of room, the house is often a mile or more from the garden, and 

 very likely no young man kept on the premises, and yet forcing 

 must be attended to. Can we really have any sympathy with 

 gentlemen when they complain of their ooal bill in such cir- 

 cumstances ? Could any reasonable man find fault with us if 



we adopted means which would prevent the necessity of watching 

 the changes in the sky, and after the labours of the day trotting 

 between house and garden and garden and house for the best 

 part of the evening ? The true remedy is to enable a gardener 

 to take his lantern and examine the condition of his houses in 

 a few minutes. 



Secondly, fine massive gates admit to the main entrance, 

 with a walk to the right, and a walk to the left, and a walk 

 in a diagonal line right before you. These diagonal walks, 

 as in the case of Lough Crew, take away the sameness of 

 square quarters, though, perhaps, lessening simplicity in the 

 modes of cultivation. These walks, like those in the pleasure 

 ground, were examples of cleanness; and by the sides of the 

 main ones low rows of flowers were grown. We noticed the best 

 rows of Hemophila insignis we ever saw in the autumn, by itself, 

 and also mixed with Mignonette. 



Thirdly, vegetables for the coming winter seemed to be abun- 

 dant, and fruit trees looked healthy and well Btored with budB. 



