Augnat 31, 1671. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOETICDLTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



163 



engraving, is by a road winding along the valley between the 

 well-planted hills which border each side. Its situation is 

 peculiarly adapted to the growth ol exotic plants, as it is 

 280 feet above the sea level, and screened by hills from the 

 prevailing south-west winds, and also from the north and 

 east. 



The successful culture of the trees of the Citrus family is a 

 peculiarity of Combe Koyal, as it is believed that the luxuri- 

 ance and fruitfulness of the trees cannot be equalled in England, 

 when it is remembered that no protection is afforded them 

 beyond the walls on which they are trained, and the frames of 

 wood or reed with which they are covered by night and partially 

 by day, when needful, in the winter. One Seville Orange tree, 

 from which vast quantities of fruit are annually gathered, is 

 traditionally known to be 250 years old, from the fact that the 

 grandmother of the present proprietor was told when a child 

 by her grandfather, John Luscombe, Esq., that it was more 

 than a century old when he became the possessor of the place. 

 The Citron trees often produce enormous fruit, several having 

 attained 17, 18, and even 19 inches in circumference. The 

 Shaddocks, Lemons, and Limes are fine in proportion. No 

 permanent injury has ever been done to the trees by the 

 severest winters, except in 1859-CO, when a vigorous Bergamot 

 Lemon was killed, which at the time bore a tine crop of fruit, 

 averaging 12 inches in circumlerence. A magnificent basket 

 of Citrus fruit was in. 1850 presented to the Queen, who, 

 through Sir Charles Phipps, graciously expressed her surprise 



and admiration of their size and beauty, and sent Mr. Toward 

 from Osborne to inspect the trees. 



The orangery, or, as it might more justly be entitled, the 

 citrusry, for it includes the best fruit-bearers of the genus, is 

 on the side of the valley, has nearly a southern aspect, and ia 

 a recessed wall, as shown in our engraving. The recesses are 

 all 11 feet high, but vary in width. That in which the Lemon 

 is growing is 15 feet, that of the Citron 16 feet, and the sis 

 other recesses are 12 feet. All of them are 15 inches deep. 



The occupants of these eight recesses are the Lemon, Berga- 

 mot, Citron, Seville Orange, Shaddock, Orange, Lime, an* 

 Mandarin Orange. Although the thermometer fell to zero last- 

 winter no injury was caused to any one of the trees, although- 

 their only protection was reed panels. When we saw them, 

 ripening fruit was on all of them, and the healthy luxuriance- 

 of their foliage was most striking. Anyone about to erect 

 such recesses for the culture of the Citrus genus would do 

 well to have each 18 feet wide, for the need to prune back the- 

 branches in the Combe Royal recesses must increase the difiS- 

 eulty of securing the fruitfulness of the trees by avoiding over- 

 luxuriance. 



Perhaps one of the largest specimens of Acacia dealbata ir^ 

 England once ornamented the grounds. It was, unfortunately, 

 broken down and uprooted by the weight of snow in an un- 

 usually heavy fall in December, 1859. It measured 54 feet in 

 height, and the trunk was more than 5 feet in circumference. 

 From the heart timber an ornamental drawing-room chair has. 





been manufactured. A very large species of Eucalyptus, a native 

 of Tasmania, has stood the last winter well, and bloomed pro- 

 fusely in the spring of the present year, while Embothriums 

 cocoineum and lanceolatum have been gorgeous with their 

 scarlet flowers, and Camellias prodigal of bloom. Desfontainea 

 spinosa has done well, and Opuntia Rafinesquiana grows and 

 blooms in the open air. 



Many more plants, shrubs, and trees deserving notice must 

 be omitted, but we will observe that the Datura arborea in the 

 conservatory had four hundred of its noble flowers open simul- 

 taneously. In the open ground we saw specimens of Cycas, 



huge bushes of Camellias, species of Aralia, Bamboos froio. 

 the Himalaya, Abutilon vitifolium, all of which endure the- 

 winter unprotected. We also noticed a deciduous Conifer, the 

 name of which is doubtful. We think it is the Glyptostrobus 

 pendulne, a native of China ; at all events it is hardy at Combe 

 Royal, and we should like to be certified of its name. We 

 must note one bed of Phlox Drummondi in front of the con- 

 servatory. We never saw a bed of crimson, scarlet, purple,, 

 and pink flowers so brilliant. Beds of Verbenas on each side 

 looked poor and paltry in comparison. 

 Almost equalling the orangery in interest is the Americaa 



