Ootober 18, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL. OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



287 



leave. You cannot make a gardener feel his responsiblity 

 whilst his employer and his visitors are constantly undermin- 

 ing that responsibility. The practice opens a wide doorway for 

 all other petty peculation, and seeing such a lady or gentleman 

 at such things must be to him a sufficient reply if the gar- 

 dener suspects a workman. Remember, we question not the 

 right of proprietors to do as they like. Some time ago one 

 of our amusing lady friends described the pleasure she had in 

 culling and gathering garden produce, and how cross the old 

 gardener looked. We would not deprive such of the pleasure, 

 but they might have that and wreathe the old man's face with 

 smiles by just telling him what they have done. If not, and 

 if there are many assistants, they will suffer. 



3rdly, So far as assistants are concerned, there is only one 

 Bafe rule, that they pick and pull nothing from an Apple to a 

 Grape without the oogtiisance and permission of the head gar- 

 dener. We recollect when young thinking it very hard that a 

 man who had lived a number of years in a place was told he 

 could never more be trusted, because he was seen to gather 

 and eat a few very early forced Strawberries. It was the 

 principle that was involved ; as the place was large, if everyone 

 having access to the house bad done the same there would have 

 been small returns to the dessert-table. 



How, then, are young gardeners to know anytbing of the 

 taste and qualities of fruit, and vegetables, and roots ? Not 

 as in the cases just referred to, by bringing their tastes in 

 antagonism with the tastes and the rights of the proprietor ; 

 not by acting as if they thought that their main duty was to 

 get as much as they could, instead of remembering that pro- 

 prietors chiefly look on them and regard them from the utility 

 point of view ; not by acting as if their labour was a mere 

 routine, and looking more at the clock than considering the 

 causes and effects coming constantly before them ; but by 

 exhibiting industry, attention, and integrity, combined with 

 an obliging deportment ; and then, just as love begets love, 

 nearly every gardener would be as anxious that his assistants 

 should taste anything nice and new as he would be to taste it 

 himself ; and thus directed, a very small quantity will go a 

 great way. 



We may add here, that even where vegetables can be spared 

 it is well that these should not be taken, but in small places 

 be given by the gardener, and in larger places be collected 

 for that purpose by the man who serves the kitchen, and who 

 will then be responsible that no scarcity shall be felt there. 

 From want of such simple rules, what was once a privilege to 

 be cared for has been lost altogether. 



On other parts of our correspondent's letter we do not enter, 

 farther than to agree with him that the most of gardeners 

 do not know the names, and far less the qualities of the fourth 

 part of the fruit cultivated. Just as in the case of the Rose, 

 it will often be better to cultivate a few of the best sorts than 

 to have a number of them. It is hardly reasonable to expect, 

 amid the many things required to be thought about every 

 day by general gardeners, that they can know fruit like the 

 late Robert Thompson or our present Dr. Hogg. It would 

 perhaps be well if more made fruit one of their especial studies ; 

 and hence it is desirable that young men whose bent is chiefly 

 in this direction should not waste their time in ordinary gen- 

 tlemen's gardens, but should rather seek employment in nurse- 

 ries and gardens where fruit is the principal thing. We have 

 no fault with any man for making fruit the first object, but 

 taking gentlemen's gardens as a whole, gardeners must think 

 of vegetables first, fruit second, and flowers third. Everyone 

 should gratify his taste, and there is no want of the means of 

 doing so. That will be better than grumbling that he cannot 

 get what he wants in a certain position. — F.] 



8 inches high the plants are earthed-up and left to take care 

 of themselves. Oa the 20 th of September we lifted the crop 

 in prime oondition, and tbe yield was at the rate of 15 tons per 

 acre. A sample is forwarded. The whole was free from dis- 

 ease, and of first-rate quality. — M. H, Acklam Hall, Middles- 

 brough-on-Tees. 



[The sample sent to us was very fine and clean-skinned. 

 Three weighed 2 lbs. all but a quarter of an ounce, and all the 

 others were similarly sized. When boiled they were very 

 floury, and of excellent flavour. — Ens.] 



LARGE '[CROP OF LAPSTONE POTATOES. 

 As we hear from time to time much about Potatoes, I have 

 forwarded for your inspection a sample of Haigh's or Lapstone 

 Kidney grown in old garden soil, enriched with hotbed manure, 

 one-half being leaves. The ground was dug in winter, and 

 a sprinkling of salt applied on the surface at planting time. 

 On the 5 th of April we trenched in the sets, allowing 28 inches 

 between the rows and 12 inches from plant to plant, placing 

 them about 4 inches deep. When the shoots appear above 

 the surface the plants are kept free from weeds by the hoe 

 being freely used among them, and as soon as they are well 

 above the ground quicklime is applied pretty freely among 

 them, and carefully forked-in. When the tops are about 6 or 



ALTON TOWERS, 



The Seat of the Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot, 



Alton, Staffordshire. 

 Vert beautiful, very interesting, and certainly very singular 

 are the flower gardens and pleasure grounds of Alton Towers. 

 Different in character from almost all other English gardens, 

 they may be said to consist of a number of curious designs, 

 the rich and elaborate details of which present so much of 

 novelty, that as one passes from scene to scene the feeling of 

 freshness and interest is fully sustained throughout. The rich 

 masses of foliage, in all the various shades of colour, on the 

 deciduous timber trees, mingle with that of the more sombre- 

 hued Pinuses, clothing the steep hillsides of this " happy 

 valley ;" the various curious structures dispersed about, some 

 quaint and fanciful in design, and others even more attractive 

 by their elegant proportions and the commanding positions 

 which they occupy ; the numerous groups of statuary, the vases, 

 sheets of water, cascades, terraces, glass domes glittering in the 

 sun, and the flashing waters of the fountains — all appeal to us, 

 exciting our interest and commanding our admiration. Nor 

 does this feeling pass away when, leaving this " land of bright- 

 ness," one passes onwards, either along walks where constantly- 

 occurring bold, stern, rugged masses of rock protrude from 

 overhanging banks in all that grandeur and dignity which is 

 their peculiar property, or under living arcades formed by the 

 arched boughs of trees, or along sloping banks, on which grow 

 vast numbers of Rhododendrons, interspersed with wild Ferns 

 — all tending to impart a romantic air of semi-wildness, totally 

 different from the trim neatness of ordinary shrubberies, but 

 still so well managed as to be quite free from any appearance of 

 slovenliness, and, in fact, just sufficiently dressed to render the 

 whole agreeable, while the graceful freedom of the wild wood- 

 land is retained in its fullest integrity. 



What appears to me to be most wanted here is a greater 

 expanse of turf among the shrubs, the groups of which are now 

 so near to each other that they appear crowded and confused 

 in many parts ; more turf would impart breadth and dignity, 

 and would relieve the monotony of these " wooded banks ;" for 

 even the most elegant exotic shrubs, when seen crowded to- 

 gether in such profusion, have a tame and unsatisfactory ap- 

 pearance. 



Mr. Rabone, the gardener, whose kindness and courtesy I 

 beg to acknowledge, is gradually effecting many improvements, 

 such as opening up vistas through the woods, and cutting away 

 many overgrown shrubs which obscure or confine the views ; 

 and from the admirable manner in which this is being done 

 much valuable and important scenery has already been gained, 

 and it is a matter for congratulation that this charming place 

 is under the care of such an able manager. 



The delightful walk from the Alton station, by which I went 

 to the gardens, prepares one for the peculiar treat which is in 

 store. Passing through the ornamental lodge-gate near the 

 station we proceed up an ascent, so steep that numerous flights 

 of steps are introduced at short distances from each other. 

 This picturesque walk winding upwards among fine old Fir 

 trees, the sides of the banks being richly clothed with Ferns, 

 passes over the crest of the hill near a colossal mass of rock, 

 which projects boldly from the summit of an eminence, and 

 onwards past the grand entrance of the noble mansion, with 

 its stern-looking embattled walls, calling to mind those by- 

 gone days when the " stout Lord Talbot " rode to the wars 

 with all his mighty following of knights, esquires, and men- 

 at-arms. 



The principal entrance to the gardens has fine, lofty iron 

 gates, which open out of the park a short distance from the 

 mansion. On the lawn, at the right of the entrance, are many 

 fine Pinuses, among which I noticed a fine Abies Douglasii, a 

 Pinus Cembra, and some good Araucarias. Near these Btands 



