334 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Ootober 25, 1S6J- 



few young trees, so as in this one part to take away the 

 stiff outline, would be a great improvement. 



When cottagers, as well as squires and noblemen, are apt 

 to quarrel and be very conservative as to their landmarks, it 

 is pleasing to find our highest aristocracy, instead of making 

 these landmarks conspicuous, showing rather their anxiety 

 that their property, if possible, should be made to contri- 

 bute to the interest and the beauty of the residences of then- 

 neighbours. We were here reminded of what, if time and 

 circumstances had permitted, we should have mentioned long 

 ago, the great-heartedness in similar circumstances of the 

 Earl of Derby and Lord Sefton, whose rides and drives so 

 meet and continue on then- separate demesnes, that a 

 stranger would have no means of knowing, without being 

 informed, on which nobleman's grounds he was passing. 



Though, therefore, part of the scenery to the south-east 

 may not absolutely belong to the proprietors of Larimers, 

 they may well rejoice in and enjoy its beauty. Here we have 

 been reminded of a striking passage in the first volume of 

 " What Will He Do with It," by the great novelist and 

 statesman, Sir Edward Lytton Bulwer Lytton, where allud- 

 ing to diversity of scenery, " The new villas, or old manor 

 houses on lawny uplands, knitting as it were together 

 England's feudal memories with England's free-born hopes ; 

 the old land with its young people ; for England is so old, 

 and the English are so young;" and he goes on to tell us 

 how, in their wanderings, "the grey cripple and the bright- 

 haired child often paused and gazed upon the homes and de- 

 mesnes of owners whose lots were cast in such pleasant plaees. 

 But there was no grudging envy in their gaze, and therefore. 



SECTION OF GEOO'D IN IUOXT OP THE MANSION. 



1. Front of mansion. 



2. Narrow terrace. 



3. Strong terrace wall, continuing westward as far as the flower garden 



extends. 



4. Broad walk extending still farther westward into the pleasure-ground 



and park. 



they could enjoy and possess every banquet of the eye ; for 

 at least the beauty of what we see is ours for the moment, 

 on the simple condition that we do not covet the thing that 

 gives our eyes that beauty. As the measureless sky and 

 unnumbered stars are equally granted to king and beggar, 

 and in our wildest ambition we do not sigh for a monopoly 

 of the empyrean, or the fee simple of the planets ; so the 

 earth too with all its fenced gardens and embattled walls, 

 all its landmarks of stern property and churlish ownership, 

 is ours too by right of eye. Ours to gaze on the fair posses- 

 sions with such delight as the gaze can give, grudging to 

 the unseen owner his other, and it may be more troubled 

 rights, as little as we grudge an astral proprietor his acres 

 in Capricorn. Benignant is the law that saith, ' Thou shalt 

 not covet.' " Ah ! a grand thing it is for us working men, 

 this right of eye. 



Coming to the details, we may mention that the upper 

 terrace of grass, marked 2 in the section, seemed narrow 

 for the size of the house. It was level with the top of the 

 wall 3, which is a very substantial affair, and built of square 

 blocks of light stone, alternating with one seemingly of 

 flint or various coloured granite. This gave a variety to 

 the look of the wall, and on the whole we think made it 

 more interesting than if it had been all of one colour, as 

 both of these lozenges contrasted with the red colour of the 

 mansion. 



This wall extends as far as the flower garden does. There 

 is no balustrade separating the upper terrace from the 

 lower terrace, but large, massive, sculptured stone vases 

 were set all along at. regular distances, and were well filled 

 with Scarlet Geraniums, &c. This answers very well just 

 now, as we do not consider the flower garden quite finished ; 

 but when it is, either a low balustrade would be required, or 

 an increase in the number of vases. 



Beautiful as the grass terraces looked, still there is an 

 appearance of baldness in the beauty, owing to the south 

 front, with the exception of the vases on the top of the 

 terrace wall, having no shrub or tree to distract the at- 

 tention from the lawn, lake, &e. We think the baldness 

 would be best remedied by some elegant tubs with Portugal 



5. Level and slopes of kept grass. 6. Slope of pasture to the lake. 



7. Lake formed by damming up. by means of a cascade, the river Colne. 



8. Fine groups of trees on south side of the lake, and mostly concealing 



farmhouse and buildings. 



9. Sheep walk on opposite hill. 



10. Picturesque banks of trees, terminaiing the sky outline. 



Laurels being placed along the soutli side of the walk, the 

 tubs being a mere make-believe for artistic effect, the roots 

 being chiefly in the ground, as Mr. Henderson managed 

 them at Trentham. Irish Tews every 30 feet or so would 

 also have a good effect. Vases with flowers would add 

 richness but do much to neutralise the unity of the scene, 

 as with the exception of these vases on the terrace-wall, we- 

 have yet seen no flowers, nothing to distract the mind from 

 the green turf and the picturesque scenery. These nicely- 

 trained Laurels, &c., woidd add the artistic to the pictur- 

 esque, the artistic where it should be seen near such an 

 elegant mansion, and that without interfering with the dis- 

 tinct unity of expression in this south front, which the in- 

 troduction of floral ornaments would be sure to do. 



No doubt many of our artists would like to lay down a 

 parterre on the wide space of lawn between the first slope, 

 and no doubt it would look beautiful and be quite in its 

 place, were there no other flower garden. But let it not be 

 forgotten, that one of the chief charms of Latimers is the 

 distinct interest associated with each of these three fronts 

 of the mansion. Break up the fine breadth of lawn here- 

 and this diversified interest is gone. We hope the south 

 front will remain as it is, a, standing rebuke to the growing 

 practice of sticking flower-beds here, there, and everywhere, 

 to the destruction of everything like repose, rest, and: 

 breadth of view. The poet has sung of 



" Water, water, everywhere, 

 And not a drop to drink." 



If we go on as we are doing, we will want another poet to 

 sing of " Flowers, flowers, everywhere, and not a bit of green 

 grass on which to stand and see them." 



We now, however, leave this terrace and raoivnt the steps 

 to the flower garden on the west side of the mansion, this 

 garden being on the same level as the upper terrace (2) on 

 the south front, and the same wall (3) being continued on 

 its south side. We had heard of this flower garden, and 

 formed high expectations of it, as some of our readers may 

 recollect what we said of the beauty of the flower garden at 

 the Hyde when under Mr. Donaldson's management. The 

 arrangement and the blending of colours were everything 



