February, 1908 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



57 



stretching vistas of 



woodland and meadow, 



garden and lawn. 



Close to the house, 



and by the side of the 



lake, may be seen the 



little parish church of 



Crichel. The White 



Farm was established 



twenty or thirty years 



ago, and stands apart 



upon a hill, half a mile 



away to the left as one 



drives up the carriage 



way through the park 



toward the house. Near 



the entrance appears a 



long low building over 



which three flags are 



flying. This is one of 



the race horse stables, and these yellow silk flags bear the 



names of three of Crichel's most famous winners. As one 



nears the farm the 

 impression is gained 

 that there must be 

 something unusual 

 about the place. For 

 the long low stable 

 buildings, the tall 

 masts, cages, dens, 

 aviaries, outhouses, 

 and even fences and 

 gates, are all of spot- 

 1 e s s white. The 

 little gardens, too, 

 before the various 

 houses contain only 

 white flowers — the 

 azalea, lilac, hya- 

 cinth, primula, cycla- 

 men, and lilies of the 

 valley. 



The moment you 

 turn in at the big 

 white gate you find 

 yourself in the midst 

 of a teeming popula- 

 tion of bird and animal life. And all of them are a pure 



white and spotlessly clean. The head keeper laughingly 



declares that the moment a dark hair or feather develops 



Rare Long-haired Guinea Pigs 



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Rare Albino Birds 

 White Java Sparrows Below 



animal or bird is ban- 

 ished ! Perhaps the most 

 striking creatures are 

 the white peafowl. Now 

 the many colored pea- 

 cock with which we arc 

 all familiar is a beau- 

 tiful enough bird, but 

 never in my life had I 

 seen anything so perfect 

 as the snow-white speci- 

 men at Crichel. The 

 white peacock, indeed, 

 with his rich silken spot- 

 less plumes and aristo- 

 c r a t i c bearing, will 

 always stand out in mv 

 mind as the loveliest 

 creature I ever beheld. 

 Not far from his 

 headquarters rows of white cages are built into a hawthorn 

 hedge and filled with some of the rarer breeds of white 

 pigeons and guinea 

 pigs. And beyond 

 is quite an exten- 

 sive domain given 

 up to snow-white 

 rats and mice. Per- 

 haps the rarest and 

 most interesting 

 member of the 

 white family, how- 

 ever, is the mule 

 which was present- 

 ed to Lady Aling- 

 ton by no less a 

 personage than the 

 Sultan of Turkey 

 himself. Every- 

 where this titled 

 couple go news of 

 their hobby seems 

 to precede them, 

 and distinguished 

 foreigners always 

 appear anxious to 

 add to the unique 



collection. Thus Lord Rothschild, who at Tring Park main- 

 tains one of the most perfect private zoological gardens in the 

 world, has given Lady Alington several snow-white "ze- 



White Mice Are Among the Special Pets 

 of the Attendants 



Long-haired Guinea Pigs at Large 



The White Pigs Are Always Clean 



