326 
tioned, which were printed and circulated in 
August, 1774 :— 
“Now to be seen at Salcombe, near Kings- 
bridge, in full blow, a remarkable Alloe, supposed 
to be the largest that ever was seen in this king- 
dom; and although continually exposed to the 
weather, it hath grown to the following demen- 
tions :—In height, 20 feet; length of leaf, 9 feet ; 
thickness of ditto, 6 inches. As the proprietor 
hath been at great expences to keep it for the in- 
spection of the curious, the terms of admittance 
are—for ladies and gentlemen, 2s. 6d. each; all 
others, 1s. each person; and to be paid at the 
door.” 
The words “ 2s. 6d. each; all others,” were 
struck out witha pen ina short time, as even 
1s. was found more than people in general 
were disposed to give; but such was the 
novelty, that hundreds of people came from 
great distances to see it. In 1820, a second 
Aloe flowered at the seat of James Yates, 
Esq., called Woodville, which attained the 
height of 27 feet, and produced 42 flowering 
branches, bearing 16,000 flowers. This plant 
is fully described in the 5th vol. of ‘ The 
Transactions of the Horticultural Society.” 
In 1832, a third Aloe flowered at the 
Moult (then the property of Mr. Jackson, 
but now the seat of Lord Courtenay), which 
was 28 feet high. The lawn at Woodville 
was again ornamented, in 1835, with the 
almost countless blossoms of this stately 
exotic. The stem of this specimen was 24 
feet 9 inches high, forming the fourth Aloe 
that had flowered. In the autumn of 1840, 
a fifth flowered at the Moult, and was 27 feet 
in height. This plant was transplanted the 
previous year ; which, perhaps, threw it into 
blossom, as the leaves were not quite so large 
as those of its predecessors. In 1842, asixth 
Aloe came into flower at Cliff House, the 
residence of Mrs. Prideaux. This plant was 
between 30 and 35 years of age; and, instead 
of throwing up a central flower-stem, which 
is the usual manner of these plants when 
flowering, and as all the others that have 
blossomed at Saleombe have done, it pro- 
truded seven stalks from different parts—the 
principal of which were about 10 feet high. 
From this circumstance, the peculiar cha-~ 
racter of the plant was lost. Its appearance, 
however, was exceedingly beautiful; it con- 
tinued in luxuriant bloom, without the slight- 
est protection, through the whole of the suc- 
ceeding winter. 
In the autumn of 1847, another Aloe came 
into bloom at Woodville. This was a fine 
specimen, and formed the seventh that had 
flowered at Salcombe. It was 28 feet high, 
and had the magnificent central flower-stem, 
which is the characteristic of these splendid 
plants. 
At each of the places above mentioned, 
many fine young Aloes are manifesting more 




KIDD’S OWN JOURNAL. 
than ordinary vigor; and in a small garden 
overhanging the sea, and constantly exposed 
in stormy weather to the spray, five magni- 
ficent specimens are growing luxuriantly. 
An Aloe has blossomed this summer, in the 
grounds of Lord Mount-Edgecumbe, near 
Plymouth; but it was in every respect inferior 
to the numerous specimens that have bloomed 
at Salcombe. It may not, perhaps, be out 
of place to speak of Salcombe itself. It is 
a populous, thriving place; carrying on a 
considerable trade, and situated between 
Torquay and Plymouth; it contains a hand- ~ 
some church, and many comfortable resi- 
dences. At the west end are Cliff Cottage, 
Cliff House, and Ringrove, the residence of 
Lord Kinsale, with other respectable abodes ; 
and towards the entrance of the harbour, 
which is about a mile from the town, are 
placed, in the midst of their wooded grounds, 
the delightfnl residences of Woodville and 
the Moult. In point of picturesque scenery 
there are few, if any, portions of the coast 
that exceed it; whilst the various tender and 
exotic plants, perfectly acclimated, and its 
mild and equable climate, render it a spot of 
no common interest to the horticulturist and 
valetudinarian. 
Perhaps, of all spots in the British Islands, 
Salcombe is the very first for climate and 
shelter. The celebrated Dr. John Huxham, 
who practised at Plymouth in the reign of 
George the Second, used to call it the Mout- 
pelier of England; and it is now much re- 
sorted to by invalids, who rarely fail to benefit 
by its beautiful climate. 
At Cliff House, and also at Woodville 
and the Moult, are walls of thriving orange, 
lemon, citron, and lime trees, which are only 
protected in cold weather by temporary 
frames of straw or reed. 
From the walls of Cliff House I have fre- 
quently seen citrons gathered, of more than 
half a yard im circumference; while the 
lemons and limes are to be seen growing as 
thickly as gooseberries on a bush, and of a 
quality far superior to those that are yearly 
brought from abroad. Some oranges and 
lemons that grew at Garston, near Salcombe, 
the seat of the Bastard family, and which 
were as fair and large as any from Portugal, 
were presented to his Majesty King George 
the Third by Lady Bridget Bastard’s bro- 
ther, Vere, third Earl of Poulett. 
At Woodville stood, a few years since, a 
large olive tree, trained also against a wall, 
but entirely unprotected; and there is still a 
specimen in the grounds. 
The luxuriance of the New Zealand flax is 
remarkable; some immense masses being 
more than 7 feet high. The beauty of these 
plants is great, as they evince the strongest 
health, and are uninjnred by the severest 
Devonshire winters. Two smaller plants 

ee 
