August 29, 1872. ] 



JOUENAL OF HOBTICULTXJEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



173 



entrance is on the east side, all the others being surrounded 

 with pleasure grounds, which, although mostly level, are never- 

 theless well diversified by the many features which give beauty 

 to such a place. On one side is a neat geometrical flower- 

 garden occupying the whole frontage of the house, and extend- 

 ing to a piece of ornamental water which separates it from 

 the park beyond. In another direction the lawn is well di- 

 versified with choice Conifers and other shrubs — for this fine 

 place belonged to a patron of gardening at a time when it was 

 much less fashionable than it is now : hence many fine trees 

 and shrubs, which were far from plentiful at that time, were 

 planted at Shugborough. Unfortunately, the situation being 

 so low, it is not well adapted for many of them, as those ex- 

 tremely severe winters which visit us at intervals of ten or 

 more years leave their marks behind, and such, I believe, has 

 been the case at Shugborough. Nevertheless, I noticed one or 

 two good examples of Deodars, Douglas Fir, some excellent 



Thujopsis borealis, and other trees ; but amongst shrubs the 

 Laurustinus was said to have suffered frequently. Ehododen- 

 drons, on the other hand, were thriving well, and Oaks and 

 most kinds of deciduous trees could not have been better, 

 concealing the boundary wall of the park in an agreeable and 

 irregular manner, and scattered in groups here and there all 

 over the park, with now and then single trees of ample dimen- 

 sions. Some interesting summer-houses were also suitably 

 placed in the grounds ; one, especially, contained a greater va- 

 riety of curiosities than usually met with in an out-building. 

 The whole of the grounds, including the walks, were in excel- 

 lent order, and the flower-beds gay. 



The kitchen garden at Shugborough is quite equal to the 

 other features of the place ; it is, however, some distance from 

 the mansion, and, like it and the other dressed grounds, is 

 situated on the level bordering the Trent. Good walls sur- 

 round a large space ; besides which there is a divisional wall, 



Shugborough Hall Gardens. 



against which some of the houses are placed, as well as the 

 usual slips, one of which contains the frames and cold pits. 

 The soil of this garden is a deep sandy loam, not so dark in 

 colour as that which borders the Thames and Mersey, showing 

 that in its constituent parts there is some essential difference, 

 but it yields to neither in point of fertility. This hazel-coloured 

 loam contains a sufficient proportion of sand to render it 

 porous, yet not too much so to part with any excess of mois- 

 ture which may fall. A few minutes' survey of a kitchen 

 garden is often quite as interesting as a prolonged stay over- 

 some tropical or subtropical department. Beautiful form in 

 vegetation is to be met with in the one as well as in the other. 

 What kind of foliage, wherever it may come from, looks better 

 than a good bed of Parsley ? while a breadth of Ehubarb excels 

 anything in its way that can be brought against it. Then, 

 again, how well a few rows of Eed Beet look! — even in the 

 flower garden it is good ; and not many Ferns excel the Carrot 

 for gracefulness of form, while the Cabbage and Onion give a 

 diversity of form fully equal to all their far-fetched rivals in 

 the parterre can offer. Looking, however, at the kitchen 

 garden in a utilitarian point of view, nothing could be finer 

 than the appearance of the crops. 



In the forcing houses good crops of Peaches had been 

 gathered ; Grapes were also excellent, not easily surpassed, 

 the crop being also abundant. Some well-grown plants were 

 in another house. There were altogether a good many forcing 

 and plant houses very well contrived for general effect. 



This garden was, I believe, remodelled about forty years ago, 

 and in the early days of gardening periodicals it held an im- 

 portant position. Perhaps its greatest drawback is its low 

 position, rendering it liable to suffer from both late and early 

 frosts, as well as from winters of more than ordinary severity. 

 In the past spring the blossom of the fruit trees both against 

 walls and in the open ground suffered from this cause ; never- 

 theless, on some trees there was a fair crop of Pears. Severe 

 winters also tell their tale on vegetables, Broecolis suffering 

 as much as anything ; and in fact everything that must be left 

 out of doors is liable to injury. These evils Mr. Prentice, who 

 so ably superintends the garden, told me were of more frequent 

 occurrence at Shugborough than at some other places but 

 slightly more elevated ; and this is very likely to be the case, 

 the exhalations from a river causing a dampness which, in 

 addition to the cold, tell seriously against vegetation. On the 

 other hand, it is likely the heats in summer will be increased, 



