132 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTtTBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ February 17, 1863. 



Fourthly, the walls were of great extent — 3974 feet in length, 

 and 14 feet in height. The trees, and especially the younger 

 ones, were in excellent condition ; and each kind of tree, as 

 Peach, Apricot, Cherry, Plum, Pear, &c, was kept to its appro- 

 priate wall — thus, in addition to other advantages, securing more 

 variety than any mere mixture could accomplish. 



Fifthly, most of the walls were in excellent order, hut others 

 were showing signs of rottenness and decay. These were all 

 Tjeing thoroughly repaired ; and to enable the work to be 

 properly done men were taking up large Pear trees, pruning 

 the roots, and covering them over until the wall was ready 

 to receive them. Lengths of wall so managed in 1860 were 

 looking beautiful in 1861, after being replanted in fresh soil. 

 Several more borders and walls have since been done in the 

 same way, and younger trees becoming too rampant have also 

 been lifted and replanted. 



Sixthly, besides a large house, &c, in the Melon-ground, the 

 main range of houses is 320 feet in length, 14 feet in width, 

 •and 14 feet in height at the back. Neatness and order were 

 everywhere apparent, with neat paths near the back of the 

 vineries. The range is divided into four vineries each 26 feet 

 long, four Peach-houses ditto, and a Fig-house and conservatory 

 in the centre. The wood in all the earlier houses was ripening 

 well, and in the late vineries there was just too heavy a crop. 

 The TineB had been given to shanking, but were cured, though 

 old plants, by lifting and replanting in fresh soil. The vineries, 

 Fig-houae, and conservatory, and houses in Melon ground, were 

 most efficiently heated a few years ago from oue boiler by Mr. 

 Meredith, Garston, Liverpool. The Peach-houses are still chiefly 

 managed by flues. 



Lastly, though in the vineries and in the regular plant-house 

 there were many of the more common and fashionable plants 

 nicely grown, there seemed to be a want of that rarity and great 

 variety in the way of collections which we would naturally 

 associate with such a magnificent place. We also forget noticing 

 much in the way of pits — those useful auxiliaries for forwarding 

 early fruits, flowers, and vegetables, and which must be necessary 

 to Mr. James even for securing plants for the flower garden, 

 unless, like people in our small way, he turns his fruit-houses 

 to such purposes in winter. We regret very much that, owing to 

 a previous arrangement, we had so little of Mr. James's good 

 •company; as, had we laid him under contribution for a day, 

 we might have told a more definite story about Carton instead 

 •of confining ourselves to its more salient points. 



The home demesne consists of more than a thousand acres 

 of rich fertile land, 50 of that being in meadow, 50 under 

 ^rops, 5120 in pasture, 314 in woods, and about 80 in water and 

 roads. The whole is devoted to the keep of a large stud of 

 horses, a splendid lot of milch cows, and a large stock of bullocks 

 and sheep, to meet the supply needed for such a large establish- 

 ment. A good number of horses and a large staff of men are 

 constantly employed in carrying on improvements. On leaving 

 Carton we could not help wishing that the noble owner might 

 long remain to stimulate such industry and improvement, and 

 -that when, in the coarse of nature, he should be called home, 

 there should be son, and sons, and sons to come, to iuherit not 

 only his honours and his dignities, but also that warm-hearted 

 kindness, that strong faith, and firm hope which prevented him, 

 even in the darkest times, from ever despairing of the future 

 greatness and prosperity of the Emerald Isle. B. Fish. 



THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S 

 ANNUAL MEETING. 



The Annual Meeting of this Society was held on Tuesday 

 last, the 10th inst. ; and in consequence of some unsatisfactory 

 rumours which had been afloat for some days previously with 

 regard to the Society's financial condition, it was looked forward 

 to with some degree of uneasiness by those interested in the 

 Society's welfare. The chair having been taken by Sir C. Went- 

 worth Dilke, Bart., the first proceeding was to read the Beport 

 of the Council, upon which the Chairman invited discussion. 



Colonel Chaxloxeb then rose and said — That as the present 

 was, he believed, the only moment when the Fellows could 

 address the Council he would make a few observations. He 

 expressed great satisfaction at the way in which affairs had been 

 carried on, and congratulated the Council on the success attend- 

 ing their exertions ; at the same time it was impossible to bring 

 forth arrangements to which exception might not be taken by 



some. He, for one, objected to the day fixed for the inaugura- 

 tion of the Memorial of the Exhibition of 1851 (the 5th of 

 June), that being in Ascot week, and, consequently, many 

 would be unable to attend the ceremony who would desire to be 

 present. 



Then, he had been asked by a number of the oldest members 

 of the Society, to make a request to the Council. These mem- 

 bers felt that the character of the Society had not been raised 

 but lowered by the adoptiou of 6d. admissions to the public, and, 

 paying four guineas a-year, they had imagined they had some 

 guarantee for the character of the company. They, therefore, 

 wished for a more restricted admission of the public. 



The next point was the gardens. Nothing could be better 

 than the flat geometrical parterres, but those on the side of the 

 sloping banks were contrary to all rules of landscape-gardening, 

 and he would wish to see them removed. He concluded by 

 observing that a vote of thanks to the Council would not be 

 misplaced on account of their great attention to the interests of 

 the Society. 



Mr. J. Carter Wood then severely adverted to the bare and 

 desolate appearance of the garden in winter, and the state of the 

 arcades, which looked like brick sheds ; and he thought that the 

 members were entitled to expect the Council to give them a quiet 

 and comfortable walk iu winter, otherwise he considered the 

 Society would not go on increasing. 



In connection with this subject a letter from Dr. Cooper, 

 containing suggestions for the improvement of the garden wa3 

 read. It stated that the arcades were generally admitted to be 

 in their present state unsightly, neither affording shelter in 

 winter, nor shade in summer. It was, therefore, suggested that 

 they be covered with glass, heated, and plants introduced, so as 

 to form a winter promenade. This might be effected at a cost 

 of £10,000. With regard to the conservatory, a marble fountain 

 should be erected in the centre and two aviaries in the gallery, 

 and tessellated pavement should be laid down. As to the garden, 

 planting should be carried out, but that would be best left to 

 Mr. Eyles. 



Colonel Wilson said he did not agree with Colonel Challoner 

 about visitors not being admitted for 6d., such admission 

 enabling a vast number of persons to see the gardens who would 

 not otherwise be able to do so ; and he thought that the public 

 might be admitted one day a-week on these terms with advan- 

 tage to themselves and the Society. He congratulated the 

 Council on the prosperous state of the Society. 



Mr. H. G. Bohn, was glad to find the gardens prosperous, 

 and hoped that in future the Beports would be sent out a week 

 or ten days before the Anniversary, as it was impossible to form 

 an exact opinion of the balance-sheet when only received a 

 quarter of an hour before the Meeting. He had heard that they 

 had spent all their money, and that tbey would require to 

 borrow to enable them to go on ; he hoped the Chairman would 

 inform the Meeting of the exact state of the finances. 



Alderman Copeland thought that, had it not been for the 

 exhibitions which took up so much of the time and attention of 

 the officers, the gardens would have been better ; but even as 

 it was everything was well done, and evinced activity and good 

 management. With regard to converting the arcades into a 

 winter garden, he did not see how the money was to be raised 

 except by doubling the subscriptions. 



The Chairman in replying to the various observations and 

 suggestions which had been made said, that with reference to the 

 day fixed for the uncovering of the Memorial (the 5th of June), 

 there was a difficulty. That day was fixed upon as being the 

 anniversary of the opening of the garden by the Prince Consort, 

 the Exhibition of the Botanic Society was on the 3rd, the 

 Society's own Shows were a week before and a week after, and 

 he did not see how it could be bettered. If it had been wished, 

 the highest personage in these realms would have uncovered it 

 herself ; but he felt — they all felt — that such a mournful task 

 would be demanding too much of her fortitude of mind. He 

 had to a certain extent been consulted in the matter, but he 

 would endeavour to get the opinion of the Prince of Wales, 

 still he had very little hope of a change in the day ; neverthe- 

 less, he would consult those connected with His Boyal High- 

 ness. He thought that the uncovering of the Memorial would 

 be the first public occasion on which the future Princess of 

 Wales would appear after her marriage. 



Colonel Challoner had taken exception to the admission at 6d. 

 In the present year there would be no 6d. or 1». admission, the 

 public would only be admitted on payment of 2s. 6d. He 



