March 10, 1863. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



185 



eentre Golden Chain Geranium, sides Lobelia speciosa ; 11, Pe- 

 rilla centre, Tropjeolum Stamfordianum aides ; 12, ribboned — 

 Heliotrope centre, sides Tom Thumb Geranium ; 13, 13, Cerise 

 Unique Geranium, and Lord Raglan Verbena ; 14, 14, Silver- 

 edged and Manglesii Geranium ; 15, 15, Gazania, and Mrs. Moore 

 Verbena ; 16, 16, Victory Verbena and Tropaeolum elegans ; 

 17, 17, Mesembryanthemum tricolor and Lobelia ; 18, 18, Lo- 

 belia and Mesembryanthemuni ; 19, 19, Mesembryanthemum 

 and lilac Verbena ; 20, 20, lilac Verbena and Mesembryanthe- 

 mum ; 21, 21, white Ivy-leaved Geranium and Cerastium ; 

 22, 22, Rouge et Noir and Hendersoni Verbena ; 23, yellow- 

 Calceolaria ; 24, 24, pink Geranium and Mrs. Mildmay pink 

 Verbena ; 25, 25, cross + Tom Thumb, filled with Flower of 

 the Day and Manglesii Geranium ; 26, 26, Purple King Verbena ; 



27, 27, yellow Calceolaria ; 2S, Thompson's King Geranium, 

 scarlet, with dark horseshoe leaf; 29, Lobelia speciosa. Angle 

 beds : — First, centre row of Hendersoni white Geranium ; row 

 on each side of Thompson's King, scarlet ; and two rows on 

 each side of Manglesii. Second bed, centre Oakleaf Geranium ; 

 then two lines of scarlet Duchess of Leinster, and two lines at 

 side of cinnamon-scented Geranium. Third bed, Shrubland Pet 

 centre ; Silver-edged Geranium, two lines ; pink Ivy-leaved, two 

 rows all round. Fourth bed, Cooperi, scarlet Geranium for 

 centre, fine ; two rows of Hendersoni on each side ; and two 

 rows round the sides of Cerise Unique Geranium. 



On the right-hand side, the same figures and numbers being 

 next the walk : — No. 1 is Miss Trotter Verbena ; 2, 2, yellow 

 Calceolaria ; 3, Madeline ; 4, 4, Purple King ; 5, 5, + pink 

 cross, filled with white Saponaria and Cerastium ; 6, 6, DuchesB 

 of Leinster and Commander-in-Chief Geranium ; 7, 7, Misa 

 Trotter and Defiance Verbena ; 8, 8, Purple King Verbena ; 

 9, yellow Calceolaria ; 10, Flower of the Day centre, filled with 

 Hendersoni Verbena ; 11, centre Scarlet Geranium, filled with 

 Lobelia speciosa ; 12, Manglesii Geranium and Venosa Verbena ; 

 13, 13, Mrs. Mildmay Verbena and Lord of the Isles ; 14, 14, 

 Annie Clayton and Bridesmaid ; 15, 15, Gazania and dwarf 

 Purple Nosegay Geranium ; 16, 16, Geant de3 Batailles Verbena 

 and Crimson Nosegay Geranium ; 17, 17, cinnamon-scented 

 Geranium and Mesembryanthemum ; 18, IS, Monoth Verbena 

 and Harkaway Geranium ; 19, 19, Evening Star Verbena and 

 Mesembryanthemum ; 20, 20, Mesembryanthemum and cinna- 

 mon-scented Geranium ; 21, 21, Evening Star and Lord of the 

 Isles Verbena ; 22, 22, Purple King Verbena and Lobelia ; 

 23, yellow Calceolaria ; 24, 24, Emma and Hector Verbena ; 

 25, 25, pink cross 4- Verbena, filled with Annie Clayton, sur- 

 rounded with Cerastium ; 26, 26, Tom Thumb and Duchess of 

 Leinster scarlet Geranium ; 27, 27, Amethystina Verbena ; 



28, yellow Calceolaria ; 29, Lord Raglan Verbena. First angle 

 bed, scarlet, eentre row of Tom Thumb ; two rows on each side 

 of Manglesii ; and two rows of Lobelia speciosa. Second bed, 

 Perilla ; centre row, Tropaeolum elegana two lines, and two rows 

 of Variegated Alyssum. Third bed, variegated crimson Ivy-leaf 

 Geranium ; centre, pink and white-flowering Ivy-leaved — a fine 

 bed. Fourth bed, centre Trentham Rose Geranium j two rows 

 of Thompson's King, and two rows of Variegated Alyssum. 



In looking over this plan, we should say that the plants are 

 more alike in height than in 1861 ; but it will also be noticed 

 that the tallest are the farthest from the walk, so as to keep the 

 regularity of the slope. We fouud crossed beds, which, no 

 doubt looked well, but we miss some beautiful mixed beds of 

 Geranium* and Verbenas, which we admired very much. It will 

 be noticed that the parterre is balanced (and the figures are just 

 cut out for being balanced) with similar colours, except the two 

 long ones in the middle, and the four corner beds, though, in our 

 opinion, it would have been as well if the same rule had been 

 applied to them. Very likely, too, we would have balanced both 

 sides of the walk, making uniformity the rule here likewise. This 

 has not been quite discarded, but the prominent idea is to make 

 each parterre a separate garden in itself, and here, most likely, 

 tastes will ever vary, just as one lady may prefer to see a finely 

 matched pair of horses for her carriage, and another may prefer 

 the colour of the pair to be as dissimilar as possible. The parties 

 that pay for the horses and the flower-beds have the best right 

 to gratify their own views on the subject. The Mesembryan- 

 themum tricolor, &c, just suit the little beds in the centre, and 

 in bright weather are very sparkling. Some light or white 

 colours more in the centre would tone-down brighter colours at 

 the sides ; but the want of whites is neutralised by the masses of 

 bright yellow, such as on the lefthand side, in figures 2, 2, 9, 23, 

 27, 27, which alike lighten-up and give a balance to the whole 



parterre. Still whites in such a bed as 11, or 9, and 23, would 

 be very telling. 



We have said so much on the level slope of the bads in suoh a 

 garden that there can be no mistake upon that point. Some 

 regular abrupt breaks in that level are quite a different thing. 

 At present the unbroken expanse of brilliancy is overpowering ; 

 and considering the points of view from the walk, a few stand or 

 rest-points for the eye would be desirable. A vase, or a basket, 

 or a raised bed at 9 and 23, so that the plants should be some 

 3 or 4 feet above the general level, would accomplish this. Less 

 lofty baskets might be formed at 2, 2, and 27, 27. Wo throw 

 out this hint with some hesitation, and would be glad if Mr. 

 Kelly would try the effect of tall-flowering plants in 9 and 23, 

 &c, and tell us what he thought of the effect. Such raised beds 

 would, in our opinion, enable us to examine the garden more in 

 detail, make each parterre into several instead of one bewildering 

 and overpowering feature, and in a less degree, but on the same 

 principle, do for them what the raised lofty columns do for the 

 somewhat level splendour of Carton. 



Beautiful as these gardens are in summer and autumn, perhaps 

 the most interesting times for the young professional to see them 

 would be March and April. We do not know what are the 

 makeshifts then that Mr. Kelly resorts to, to keep and harden- 

 off gradually such a number of plants as are required for these 

 different gardens, hut we have no doubt that many of the make- 

 shifts then resorted to must be very instructive. We can well 

 believe that at such times mind and body are too exhausted in 

 the evening for entering with full zest into the demonstrations 

 and shoutings of welcome, and climbing of the knee of some 

 seven youngsters, "striving who first the envied kiss shall 

 share." Ah, but the thought of these pledges to the future add 

 not only sweetness but energy to toil ! It would almost be better 

 than a farce to observe how the attempt to frown-down such 

 child-like merriment and affection would be treated in sueh a 

 case ; as young children, like pet dogs, by the strong instincts of 

 their nature, read every lineament of the human countenance 

 with more unerring accuracy than the most learned physiog- 

 nomist. 



Owing to unfortunate circumstances, which we need not here 

 mention, though receiving the most courteous kindness, we did 

 not see so much of Mr. Littleboy, the land steward, as we should 

 have desired, as he is most justly considered one of the best 

 practical agriculturists in the country, and equally anxious, 

 with his worthy employer, to improve the estate, and improve 

 the condition of the people by increasing the comforts of their 

 homesteads, and giving plenty of employment. Of this we 

 should have known a great deal if we had never seen Straffan ; 

 for, from the proprietors of hotels to the drivers of cars, each 

 and every had something to say of the kind noble-hearted owners 

 and their managers. Perhaps it might be only an idea of ours, 

 but yet we could not help noticing often that in sueh circum- 

 stances of kind improving landlords there were manifestations 

 of an enthusiasm of affection, and an earnestness of outspoken 

 gratitude, which are rarely exhibited on this side of the water. 



These farms already alluded to are managed by Mr. Littleboy, 

 with the assistance of several bailiffs. On the home-farm twenty- 

 five dairy cows are kept for family use and breeding, and the 

 rest is appropriated to flocks of sheep. Other two farms are 

 also chiefly under grass. Mr. Kelly went with us to Irishtown, 

 which is the principal tillage farm, and where a fine new stead- 

 ing was built in 1S56, we understood, from designs and under 

 the superintendance of Mr. Littleboy. The buildings are in the 

 parallelogram form, 242 feet by 147, built in a most substantial 

 manner, and contain stalls for tying-up a hundred cattle and 

 thirteen farm horses, and boxes for fattening twenty-four pigs ; 

 and there are two loose yards, each holding twenty cattle, with. 

 covered sheds attached. A fixed engine of nine-horse power 

 stands in the centre, and drives the following machinery — viz., 

 threshing-machine, sawing-machine (cross-cut and planking), 

 grist-mill, oilcake-bruiser, oat-bruiser, pulper for cattle food, 

 and large steam-tub, holding two tons of Turnips, which can be 

 cooked whilst the men are at their meals. Threshing was going on 

 during our visit, and nothing could be more complete ; the straw 

 was all carried into a barn adjoining the cattle-sheds, the chaff put 

 beside the steamer, the light grain separated and transferred to 

 a bag, the fine clear equal grain elevated and conveyed along the 

 granary, all fit to be taken at once to market. The oat-bruiser, 

 also elevates and turns the bruised Oats into a hopper, and 

 when taken out for the horses a handle is turned, which acts on 

 an indicator in the steward's office, so that he at once knows the 



