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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 16, 1S64. 



another day or two. In the first place, I would advise him 

 to visit the extensive Graperies of Mr. Meredith, ofGarston, 

 which is some four or five miles from Liverpool, but I believe 

 now united to it by rail. There, amongst a number of 

 other houses devoted almost exclusively to the cultivation 

 of the Vine, are two span-roofed structures, each 144 feet 

 long by about 30 feet wide. These had been but recently 

 planted when I saw them, but others which were in full 

 bearing showed unmistakably that fruit as fine as Mr. 

 Meredith sends to the metropolitan exhibitions could be 

 sent to every show in the kingdom, the quantity being so 

 large, and the quality so good. To the aspirant for honours 

 in Grape-growing, a visit to Mr. Meredith's place cannot 

 possibly be otherwise than highly interesting. 



Eastward from Liverpool some ten miles, more or less, is 

 Kriowsley, the princely seat of Lord Derby, which is also a 

 celebrated place for fruit-growing ; Peaches in particular do 

 remarkably well there. I remember some years ago being 

 struck with the healthy appearance the trees had on a Peach 

 wall of great length, and 15 or 16 feet high, there being 

 scarcely a square foot from bottom to top that was not 

 covered with healthy, fine, bearing wood, and loaded with 

 fruit, which in fine seasons I should venture to say arrived 

 at a degree of excellence unknown in those grown under 

 glass. In dull, adverse seasons, perhaps, this might not be 

 the case, but from the healthy, fine, bearing condition of the 

 whole it was evident that in general all went on well. There 

 are, besides, many other gardens of note near Liverpool ; but 

 I confine my observations to those which I have visited, and 

 in the absence of accurate knowledge of the others must 

 ask the tourist to again take the rail northward, and near 

 Wigan is Haigh Hall, the seat of the Earl of Crawford and 

 Balcarras, a place possessing many fine features, the abun- 

 dance of coal in the neighbourhood favouring forcing of all 

 kinds. Beyond Haigh Hall, however, the country becomes 

 less inviting, although as a coal country it has not the 

 desolate appearance of some districts in South Staffordshire. 

 Near Ormskirk is also the seat of Lord Skelmersdale, 

 Latham House, a noble mansion of the early part of the 

 last century, embowered amongst trees and scenery which 

 neither railways nor manufactories have yet invaded. • I 

 should, however, when at Knowsley, and consequently on the 

 line of one of the first passenger railways made in England, 

 have conveyed the visitor to Worsley, some ten miles still 

 nearer Manchester, the seat of the Earl of Ellesmere. The 

 mansion is beautifully situated on an eminence, has a superb 

 flower garden in the embroidered style on its south side, with 

 terraces, slopes, and other fitting appendages, surrounded 

 with extensive grounds of a less formal character. As we 

 are approaching Manchester, which might with as great a 

 claim as Liverpool become the centre of a district full of 

 gardening attraction, I must take leave of the tourist at 

 the latter place, so far as personal acquaintance with gar- 

 dens of importance is concerned, and refer him to some 

 other guide. I am told that Lord Sefton's garden is fine, 

 and that there are several others in the suburbs of Liverpool, 

 all deserving of attention. 



Assuming the traveller to prefer a midland instead of a 

 north-western route, if he were to make Derby his head- 

 quarters, he might from this place very conveniently visit 

 Elvaston Castle, the seat of the Earl of Harrington, and 

 there see the extensive collection of Conifers with the long 

 avenue, as well as the curved and formal line of shrubs and 

 trees cut into every fanciful shape. It would, however, be 

 advisable to make sure that Elvaston was open to visitors 

 before venturing so far, as in years gone by it was closed 

 against the public. It has, however, lost much of its im- 

 portance since the public have had more chances of visiting 

 it ; and the Japanese or Chinese taste, which it exemplifies 

 in its formal and often quaintly-cut shrubs and trees, has 

 not taken well with the English public : nevertheless, it is 

 well worth a visit. Borrowash, half a dozen miles or so from 

 Derby, is a station very handy to it. The neighbourhood is 

 fiat and uninteresting, and all the eminences are artificial ; 

 even the water is artificially formed. On the opposite side 

 of Derby, and at double the distance of the last-named 

 place, is Chatsworth, which is reached by rail. I need not 

 descant on this fine place further than to say that it will 

 well reward the visitor. There are also, I am told, some 

 other fine places in the neighbourhood. 



Conducting the tourist back again to Derby, I must ask 

 him to extend his journey on the North Staffordshire Hall- 

 way to Alton Towers, a station of that name being close 

 to that celebrated place. Here he will see levels and for- 

 mality disregarded, and rugged mountain scenery blended 

 with the softening touch of dressed ground, and the whole 

 on a magnificent scale. From Alton Towers he might pro- 

 ceed to another centre of inspection further westward, where 

 he could reach Trentham, which is on a loop of the same 

 line of railway. He might, after that, make his way to Man- 

 chester if he liked, and the places of importance within easy 

 reach of that city are too numerous to be mentioned here. 



As I have already extended this article to such a length, 

 I must leave the other places of note that are within easy 

 distances of each other until a more fitting opportunity, 

 advising, at the same time, the intending tourist to make 

 himself still further acquainted with the places he purposes 

 to visit ere he start, and, if possible, to ascertain if the place 

 be open to visitors. Generally speaking, gardeners from a 

 distance are admitted when the general public would be re- 

 fused, but it is better in all cases to insure this before an 

 unpleasant disappointment occurs ; for, although it may 

 seem harsh to turn a visitor away from the gates, the privacy 

 of the owner ought to be the first object of consideration. 

 The extreme liberality of some noble proprietors of mansions 

 and gardens in throwing them open to the public on certain 

 occasions ought to entitle them to more undisturbed privacy 

 at other times ; while those opposed to the admission of large 

 bodies of visitors into their grounds, have, nevertheless, no 

 doubt good reasons for being so. A note beforehand from a 

 gardener of standing will often pave the way to an easy 

 admission, and very often bring about an agreeable intro- 

 duction. — J. Eobsou. 



OBCHAED-LTOTJSES. 



Havisg been much interested by reading the discussion 

 on this subject in your Journal, I determined to see the 

 orchard-houses of Mr. Rivers and Mr. Pearson, and must 

 say they exceeded my expectations, and I am quite con- 

 vinced their usefulness is an established fact. Having read 

 so much about the difficulty of growing Apricots in houses, 

 imagine my surprise at seeing, at Mr. Eivers's, scores of large 

 trees literally covered with Apricots — and such Apricots ! 

 bright golden fruit, no Oranges could be more beautiful, and 

 as to the taste, my mouth waters at the recollection, I had 

 no idea they could be so improved. Some of the Peach trees 

 at Chilwell are most beautiful, perfect cones, 7 or S feet in 

 height, with leaves longer than my hand. 



One thing struck me much at both places — there was 

 plenty of fruit, luxuriant foliage, and hardly a trace of red 

 spider to be seen, the trees being of large size, many of them 

 seven to ten years in pots. There does not appear to be 

 any great difference in their management at the two places ; 

 Mr. Pearson has built very handsome houses, those of Mr. 

 Eivers are of a cheaper description, but the trees are all 

 that could be wished. It appears to me that care in water- 

 ing, and liberal feeding, are the great secrets of success. 

 The under side of the foliage was syringed twice a-day, the 

 soil, when requiring water, being well soaked to the bottom 

 of the pots. Each pot was covered a couple of inches with a 

 mixture of horse-droppings and malt dust, this Mr. Pearson 

 called Mr. Eivers's mixture, and he said it was superior to 

 the manure water he recommends in his own book, and from 

 what I saw I have no doubt of its value ; it never stops the 

 water, the dark foliage of the trees shows how it is enjoyed 

 by Peaches, and wherever it has been applied to Tines strong 

 white roots have run through it in all directions. 



Last, not least, much was said about stopping the shoots. 

 Up to the end of July every shoot, particularly on the upper 

 part of the trees, was stopped, so that the trees are full of 

 short stiff branches. This I feel sure is the main point in 

 Apricot culture, as the crop appeared in exact proportion to 

 the sturdy nature of the shoots; long thin branches either 

 drop their fruit or it is small and poor. 



Those who visit these establishments will see by the large 

 number of trees cultivated for sale that the orchard-house 

 is not looked upon as a mere fashion of the day, my own 

 impression is that it is only in its infancy. The great reason 



