November 2, 1871. ] 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



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ility the Moor Park, bnt neither Hitt nor Miller notice it in any 

 editions of tbeir works. The earliest record of it, except by Switzer, 

 is to be met with in Roger Schabol. — Eds.] 



At a short distance from the entrance is one of the most remarkable 

 Spruce Firs I ever saw, and said to be one of the oldest in England. 

 Mr. D. Cnnninghara, the able gardener at Moor Park, seems to think 

 it might have been in existence at the time when the ill-fated Dnke of 

 Monmonth, to whom Moor Park belonged, met his tragic fate on 

 Tower Hill. Tradition relates that at that time his widowed Duchess 

 had all the Oaks in the park beheaded also, and had this tree been 

 subjected to the same treatment as the Oaks, it is not unlikely that it 

 would assume the form it now has, which is certainly a peculiar one. 

 The bole of the tree, if it can be called one, is scarcely 3 feet high 

 where it divides into three portions, each of them being a perfect tree 

 of itself, uniformly clothed with branches, and towering up to a great 

 height, symmetrically formed, with the branches interlacing where they 

 meet. Two branches from them have touched the ground, taken root, 

 and are rising up in rivalry of their parents. The whole group is most 



i nteresting, not the least remarkable feature being the formidable net- 

 work the naked roots present on the surface. I had not the opportunity 

 of measuring any of the specimens, but the main trunk must be up- 

 wards of 20 feet in circumference. The soil is dry and sandy, the 

 Rhododendron seeming to grow freely in it, and there is every pro- 

 bability of its outliving many generations of the human race. 



Near to it are two very fine Weymouth Pines, amongst the largest 

 of their species. The roots of these trees also have raised themselves 

 upon the surface, and present a huge network of serpent-like folds. 



A little further on we found a fine Douglas Fir, and in another 

 place a still finer Tasodium sempervirens, about 40 feet high. It is 

 seldom we meet with this species in such good form. Picea Pinsapo 

 was also good, though probably not so high as the Taxodium by 

 10 feet, yet a noble symmetrical tree. There was also an excellent 

 Araucaria imbricata, which had evidently escaped the hard winter of 

 1S66-67, for it was healthy and vigorous. Near to a piece of orna- 

 mental water was growing a fine specimen of the Golden Larch, well 

 coloured, and contrasting favourably with the large masses of Rhode- 



Italian Garden at Moor Park, 



dendrons not far from it, some of which almost touched the water. 

 Libocedrus chilensis, a Conifer not by any means often met with in 

 good condition, was here well represented everywhere. Cryptomeria 

 japonica was also in good condition, being upwards of 25 feet high, 

 and well furnished from the bottom upwards, with many other trees 

 which I had not the opportunity of taking notice of. We must not 

 forget the fine examples of the two most important of all Conifers, 

 for they have been tried longest, and have stood the ordeal well, and 

 they are the good old Scotch Fir and Cedar of Lebanon. Fine speci- 

 mens of both graced the grounds in several places, and were probably 

 amongst the first selection of trees planted there, while there seem to 

 have followed others, including Cedrus Deodara and some more 

 Conifers. It must not be supposed that they are crowded together in 

 a confused manner ; on the contrary, there is ample space for each, 

 with large open glades of neatly-mown grass between, which in some 

 places undulate irregularly, and at others are nearly level. The whole 

 stands high, which no doubt accounts for the healthiness of the trees. 

 The ground being dry enabled them to ripen their wood well in the 

 autumn, and the outer belt of common trees gave that shelter to the 

 inner ones so mucli wanted by trees and shrubs from other climates. 



Having endeavoured to place before the reader a rough outline of the 

 " Old Pleasure Ground," as it is termed, we will now diverge and make 

 a few remarks on the horticultural show that was being held there at 

 the time of my visit. It is called " The Rickmansworth Cottagers' 

 Horticultural Exhibition," but the productions sent from the many 

 gentlemen's gardens around formed by far the most attractive features 

 of the Show, as well as occupied the greater space. It must not, 

 however, be supposed that we disparage the cottagers' produce ; on 

 the contrary, much of it was as good in its way as could be desired, 

 but such plants as Alocasias, Crotons, AHamandas, Caladiums, and 

 Pines, Grapes, and Peaches, are not usually met with in cottagers' 



gardens, and they were present in great abundance. A large tent 

 150 feet long by 30 feet wide, with a stage in the centre and narrow 

 sheH on each side, was filled with productions from gentlemen's gar- 

 dens, and an excellent pair of pot Vines were formed into a pleasing- 

 looking arch, spanning the centre stage at the entrance end. They 

 were, we believe, Foster's Seedling, bearing a white Grape, and having 

 a dozen good bunches evenly distributed over them. We believe they 

 came from Mr. Brush, gardener to Sir H. Campbell, who exhibited 

 other plants besides these ; in fact, the exhibitors of plants and fruit 

 were so numerous that we did not attempt to count them, but th& 

 gardeners of the Earls of Essex and Clarendon, Lords Ebury and 

 Chesham, Sir H. H. Campbell, Bart., E. Majoribanks, D. NortoUj. 

 R. Pryor, J. King, W. Jones Lloyd, W. H, Smith, D. Carnegie^ 

 and W. McMurray, Escirs., were all contributors, as well as many 

 others. There were other tents, in which bouquets, devices id 

 flowers for the table, &"c., were set forth, in most cases, I believe, the 

 work of ladies ; some were very neat, others novel, and one combined 

 both these qualities. This was a design in imitation of a beam and 

 scales, the beam and suspending strings of the scales being covered 

 with moss and light creepers, while fruit occupied one scale and 

 flowers the other. It is easy to guess which side went down, showing, 

 as no doubt the designer intended it should, the superiority of fruit 

 over flowers. 



The cottagers' tent contained excellent examples of vegetables, but 

 the competition in fruits was not so keen as it might have been^ a 

 matter which Lord Ebury in his address to the exhibitors alluded to. 

 He addressed them on one of those sweet spots which seem almost to 

 have been made for the purpose — a good-sized open space of close- 

 shaven turf, surrounded by shrubs and trees; with a rustic summer- 

 house at one side. His subject was Cottage Gardens and their 

 Management, and the influence they have on the habits of all who 



