508 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 22, 1882. 
or swine, and need not further refer to them. So much for general 
crop late varieties as grown either on the farm or in the garden, 
and I submit that not one of them is perfectly satisfactory. 
I am sorry I cannot speak here as highly of Magnum Bonum as 
other and perhaps better authorities do, but a piece on new loamy 
lea, beside Champions, last year were prolific, but much behind 
them in quality. Would some of your readers tell us their ex¬ 
perience of the best late Potato, more especially referring to 
Schoolmaster, Victoria, Flourball, and Bread-fruit ? as I have 
planted a considerable number of these varieties for general 
purposes, especially with a view to keeping properties.—W. J. M., 
Clonmel. 
PHILESIA BUXIFOLIA. 
In your last number you have not said one word too much in 
favour of this most beautiful shrub. Like Mr. Crossling I kept 
the plant in the greenhouse for many years with the same results 
as he had. The plant neither flowered nor made any growth until 
1 removed it from the greenhouse and placed it upon an in¬ 
verted flower pot in a pond quite open to the sun out of doors, 
the water reaching halfway up the pot, which was well drained. 
The plant soon commenced growing, throwing up strong shoots. 
In October it was placed in the Heath pit until the following May, 
when it was placed in the pond again, where it first flowered. 
The spring following I placed the plant in a well-drained pan 
2 feet in diameter. The compost consisted of rough peat and sand¬ 
stone. The plant was elevated above the rim of the pan like 
an Orchid plant. Young strong growth soon filled the pan ; the 
plant afterwards flowered most freely, and continued to do so. 
I consider this plant to be a semi-bog plant. I do not think it is 
sufficiently hardy to stand our winters out of doors, except in the 
most favoured situations.— John Nunns, Wimbledon Common. 
A DAY IN KENT. 
Early in the present month I had the pleasure of inspecting two 
of the most beautiful, though not large, gardens that are to be found 
in this beautiful county, and probably in any other county, at this 
period of the year. In late summer many gardens wherein bedding- 
out is seen in its greatest excellence, and carpet beds are represented 
in the “ highest style of art,” may be at the first glance more imposing 
and the effects produced more striking; but for real lasting enjoy¬ 
ment, for diversified beauty and an atmosphere redolent of flowers, 
such gardens as those at Weirleigh, Mr. Harrison Weir’s ; and at 
Mascalls, Major Horrocks’, as seen in early summer, must carry off the 
palm. In both of them great taste has been exercised in design and 
great skill in execution. Both are owned and managed by ardent 
lovers of all that is beautiful, and both exercise sound judgment in 
rendering the surroundings of their homes in the fullest extent en¬ 
joyable to themselves and their friends, for it is evident that their 
own pleasure is heightened when the delights of their gardens are 
shared by others who can also appreciate them. Flowers and plants 
are selected and employed because they add to the attractiveness of 
the gardens. There is no prejudice nor fanciful exclusiveness in this 
matter. Hardy plants are not employed because they are hardy, and 
tender plants are not excluded because they are tender. If a plant 
can contribute to the satisfactory effect that is sought for and 
attained, the question as to whether it is exotic or indigenous has no 
weight. No “ fads” are indulged in, and no whimsical fancies warp 
the judgment, but the broad principle of action is adopted to procure 
what are best and most suitable amongst flowers, and dispose them 
in the best and most appropriate manner. In a word, good taste is 
governed by common sense, and excellent results, as may be expected, 
are achieved. As my main object was to pay Mr. Harrison Weir a 
long-projected visit, the inspection of Mascalls being a mere call by 
the way, it will be appropriate to first refer to the renowned artist’s 
garden at 
WEIRLEIGH. 
“ If you wish to see a garden in which space is turned to the best 
account—where the ornamental and profitable aspects of gardening 
are harmoniously blended—go to Weirleigh.” This was the injunc¬ 
tion of one who ought to be an authority, for he had seen Weirleigh, 
and seen also all the best gardens in this country, if not in Europe. 
He further added, “Mr. Weir’s garden is small, not many acres, but 
he ought to be proud of it, and lessons may be derived from Weirleigh 
that may be useful to others who have small estates and desire to 
utilise them ornamentally.” Yes, there are no doubt many who 
desire to “ utilise ornamentally,” but by no means all succeed in the 
attempt. If a brief description and a few scattered hints will in any 
degree aid in the accomplishment of this desideratum the pleasure 
derived from my day in Kent will be enhanced. 
On the summit of a commanding eminence overlooking a wide 
spreading vale rich in sylvan beauty, and bounded in the distance by 
a magnificent amphitheatre of hills, the artist’s home is situated. It 
is scarcely possible to conceive any landscape more charming in 
rural loveliness than the great sweep of country steadily falling from 
us, and at a distance of a couple of miles rising again and sweeping 
backwards and upwards until the earth and clouds appear to meet 
and bound the horizon. In this great vale, copse and hop garden, 
orchard and farm, with here and there a village and gentleman’s 
seat, are represented, the whole forming a characteristic example of 
English scenery in its quietly picturesque aspect such as could not be 
easily surpassed. Such is the view from Weirleigh ; but what of the 
place itself ? 
If I were asked to what order of architecture the building belonged 
I should at once say, The artist’s order. I have seen nothing quite 
like it. It is lofty, commodious, convenient, and picturesque, almost 
new and well appointed. “Full of pictures no doubt—the work of 
the owner,” some readers may anticipate. Nothing of the kind. 
These are to be seen scattered in thousands through wholesome and 
educational serial literature, not at Weirleigh. It is only abroad we 
see Mr. Weir the artist, at home he is the farmer and gardener, and 
we find him prospecting his meadow, feeding his poultry and feathered 
friends in his orchard, or tending the crops in his garden, planning, 
arranging, hybridising, these being his pleasant occupations, and in 
none has he worked in vain. 
The garden and grounds are quite original in design. There has 
evidently been no copying here. In some cardinal respects they are 
in direct opposition to the prevailing taste. For instance, it i3 
usually the rule to have the mansion some distance from the boundary, 
especially when that is a public road, and the ground contiguous 
“ laid out” as a lawn,trimly dressed and gay with flower beds. It is 
not so here. The house abuts quite on the road, and the short drive 
round to the garden entrance is as wild as Nature can make it. The 
road is cut out of the side of the hill; the j utting rocks are left 
rugged, the high bank a tangled mass of grass and flowers—Prim¬ 
roses, Violets, Orchises, and Anemones, with whatever else will grow 
with flowering shrubs overhanging, and here and there a Conifer, 
such as an Araucaria and Irish Yew, with Ferns in abundance. 
These borders are never dug and never hoed, but are wild, and the 
paved path up to the side door is in keeping, for small flowers and 
Ferns spring up between the stones and are not destroyed. Such is 
the approach to Weirleigh, which terminates in a plateau of gravel 
at the garden or chief entrance to the residence. In the centre of 
this plateau is a circular bed some 13 or 12 feet in diameter, occupied 
with a fine double scarlet Thorn and thousands of bulbs. These 
remain permanently, and spring from a carpet of Stonecrop, which 
remains fresh and green throughout the summer. This is an elevated 
standpoint, affording a view over the garden and for miles beyond it; 
but though we look over it we do not see all nor half—pretty nooks 
surprise us everywhere, and cosy seats embowered in foliage invite us 
to rest and enjoy the outlook which in every case is different, and 
every one brings some interesting feature or attractive object within 
the line of vision. 
The enclosure may be generally described as horseshoe-shaped, the 
heels of the shoe resting on the public road, an entrance at one of 
them conducting to a curving path with a sharp acclivity which leads 
between banks of shrubs and flowers to the residence at the other. 
What may be termed a broad rim of the shoe forms the garden, the 
centre and most prominent part being a meadow. No doubt the 
majority of persons in arranging the ground would have formed a 
lawn and planted Conifers on the high central site, and formed the 
meadow, if one were wanted, distant from the house where the 
ground is much lower, indeed not seen from the windows ; but in 
that case it would have been utterly impossible to have secured such 
a variety of distinct features as have been obtained by taking advan¬ 
tage of the undulations of the ground and turning to account for an 
useful or ornamental purpose, or both, various portions, such as small 
strips easily formed by the natural irregularities in the boundary. 
The garden, then, is simply the fringe of the meadow round which 
we will pass from and to the residence, keeping the meadow with 
its splendid crop of hay on the right. 
The flower and shrubbery border surrounding the plateau from 
which we start is margined with Gentianellas, which grow in the 
most satisfactory manner, and form a band of blue such as probably 
could not be equalled by any other plant. From here a walk curves 
to the right for about 100 yards with a smooth lawn 3 or 4 yards 
wide next the meadow on which are a few shrubs and flower beds. 
This is the only portion of lawn in the garden, but there are some 
grass verges. On the left hand side of the walk is a broad border of 
evergreens and flowers, in the front great masses of Auriculas and 
Polyanthuses, beyondf Pinks of various kinds, Irises, Delphiniums, 
Rockets, Columbines, Lilies, Poppies, including the brilliant Oriental 
Poppy, and all sorts of other effective border flowers. But just as we 
enter this walk an opening in the shrubs on the left reveals a fernery, 
not a formal arrangement of stones, but a very miniature plantation 
with an undergrowth of Ferns in great variety; a walk surrounds 
this cool retreat, which cannot be entered without being enjoyed on 
a bright summer’s day, for the shade is agreeable alike to the Ferns 
and their admirers. A little further along the walk an evergreen 
arch closely clipped affords in itself a pretty feature, and we instinc¬ 
tively enter and find a Raspberry and Currant garden—a long strip 
filched as it were from the back of the border—the appearance of 
which from the walk in front is not thereby marred in the slightest, 
while a valuable supply of fruit is obtained. Amongst the Rasp¬ 
berries is one of Mr. Weir’s seedlings, which is bearing prodigiously. 
The Red Currant3 are extraordinarily fine, and the bushes all summer- 
