August 7. 1881. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
121 
nothincr has transpired to suggest the possibility of such a theory ; but in 
a dwelling-room, where the gas is laid on and the fume of the fragrant 
weed is favoured, we failed in keeping either the one or the other. It is 
certain that fish three or four weeks old can swim through moderately 
dense masses of the shoots almost with impunity, but it may be worth 
recording that in one instance a very small fish became impaled on one 
of the branchlets, the point penetrating the fish between the eyes, but 
the superior power of the fish enabled it to free itself from the plant 
with the branchlet severed from the shoot fixed in its head. As far as 
could be discerned this did not appear to be an impediment to its move¬ 
ments, although when reflexed over the fish its length was nearly that of 
its bearer, which afterwards managed to free itself from the portion of 
the plant. In conclusion one more quotation may be cited from Nature 
of a descriptive character in relation to fish—viz., “ When a fish emerges 
from the egg it is nothing but a transparent line of light.”—S. P. E. S. 
DIDDINGTON. 
Diddington, the residence of A. J. Thornhill, Esq., M.P., is a quaint 
old-fashioned country house, and has been in possession of the Thornhills 
for many centuries^—a family noted in the locality for maintaining the 
reputation and character of the “fine old English gentleman in its 
dealings with the tenantry and dependants, and cherishing a friendly and 
charitable feeling towards those upon the attached estates, none excels 
the unostentatious proprietor. 
Diddington is situated on the London and York road, between 
Huntingdon and St. Neots, and about four miles from the latter. The 
mansion stands in a well-wooded park, consisting principally of Elms, 
many of them noble trees, as might be expected, the county of Huntingdon 
being famous for its Elms. There are besides the Elms fine specimens 
of English Oak and Walnuts, and occupies a rising ground, with a sloping 
undulating surface to the east. The mansion is approached by a well- 
kept drive through the j>ark from the north-west, and the carriage front 
of the mansion is a broad expanse of gravel enclosed by walls—a court¬ 
yard. The pleasure grounds and flower garden are to the east and north¬ 
west, and extend to the south of the mansion, the ground sloping gently 
from the house eastwards, the view from the principal rooms being 
across the flower garden in the foreground, lawn, and park scenery 
beyond. 
To the north-west, looking from the garden front of the house, the 
ground rises sharply, and advantage has been taken of this to plant a 
variety of trees, principally Conifers. A still further advantage has been 
taken of this to have a walk, from which a good view of the grounds is 
obtained, and admitting of a closer inspection of the many specimens 
with which this part of the grounds is studded. One wide, smooth, clean 
path makes the circuit of the grounds and shrubberies, and taking a 
course from the house to the left we find something of interest at nearly 
every step. From this walk branches another leading to a pretty old 
church, within a stone’s throw of the mansion and enshrouded in trees, 
and by this walk there are thriving specimens on the grass of Thuia 
gigantea 30 feet high, Thuia elegantissima, and Thuia aurea. There are 
also several fine examples of Platanus occidental is in the grounds, one 
here is 100 feet high, and measures round the trunk at 3 feet from the 
ground 13 feet. Sequoia sempervirens, which is so often injured by 
frost, few good specimens being seen anywhere, is here fully 40 feet, and 
feathered to the ground. There is also a 40 feet high specimen of Picea 
Pinsapo, and a grand specimen of Thuia aurea 9 feet high and as much 
through ; also Irish Yews in fine health over 12 feet high, and an English 
Yew planted within the last thirty years, which is 21 feet high and 
27 feet through. Continuing by the walk skirting the pleasure grounds 
we notice every change in the direction of the walk is broken by clumps 
of small Conifers, as Retinosporas, Junipers, Thuias, &c. This gives a 
meaning for the altered direction of the walk, and brings into prominence 
the lesser-growing and choice varieties of trees and shruhs, which are too 
small to display as specimens on grass. Amongst the latter we must not 
omit mention of a large Plane (Platanus occidentalis) 22 yards through 
the spread of its head. There are also pyramid bush and standard 
Hollies, and other plants of similar character. Perhaps the finest 
specimen of all is a Weeping Lime (Tilia europsea pendula), which has 
attained a height of 40 feet and 33 feet through. Its effect is very fine, 
its branches sweeping the grass, and the bold dense foliage and silvery 
appearance is distinct and effective. To give variety there is Rhus 
Cotinus aglow with its shining reddish-brown inflorescence, an Evergreen 
Oak, Abies Douglasi, Pinus excelsa, and a grand old Larch. Then we 
come to an Oak with branches sweeping the ground and 24 yards 
through, and very far from its prime. 
In the shrubberies there is a great variety both of trees and shrubs. 
Conspicuous were Bladder Senna (Colutea arborescens), with its yellow 
Pea-shaped flowers and large singular-looking bladder-like seed vessels. 
Viburnum Opulus nanus may be mentioned as making a neat low-growing 
bush, and large balls of white blooms, flowering of course in spring. Then 
there are fine examples of Stag’s-horn Sumach (Rhus typhina), a number of 
Althaea frutex (Hibiscus syriacus) in great variety, a class of plant much 
less grown than they deserve, as they are fine late-summer-flowering 
plants. Garrya elliptica forms a fine bush fully G feet high, and already 
showing its catkins in hundreds. This is one of the finest evergreens 
for flowering in winter, and is not by any means tender. Golden 
Laburnum is unquestionably the best of all yellow-foliaged small trees. 
There is a great variety of shrubs, evergreen, flowering, and otherwise, 
which are at all seasons interesting either for flowers or foliage. Tamarix 
seems to thrive here as well as it does on the seacoast, and there are 
fine flowering examples of Spirma, notably S. bella and S. callosa. The 
Allspice Tree (Calycanthus florid us) flourishes, and gives its sweet-scented 
flowers in profusion. Leycesteria formosa forms a large spreading bush, 
its drooping flowers having a fine effect. This deserves to be more 
extensively grown. Tree Ivies remind me of my experience in smoky 
towns ; they are the very finest of all evergreens, and for clothing a wall 
are invaluable, only do not take the tree, but the climber form of our 
common Ivy (Hedera Helix), the finest of all. Paulownia imperialis 
grows freely, but I understand does not flower, yet its foliage is very 
ornamental. There are on the lawn in this part of the grounds thriving 
specimens of Cedar—Cedrus Libaui and C. atlantica; indeed there are 
stumps of fine old trees of the former which have come to grief through 
snowstorms and winds. 
Now I come to a most important matter—the ground here is white. 
Everybody knows Rhododendrons will not thrive in these formations 
devoid of a peaty surface. Some say they will not grow on limestone 
formations, but I never saw them more vigorous than they are on lime¬ 
stone formations, notably at Coed Dhu, Denbighshire, and Cyclamens 
flourish amazingly in the debris of woods on those formations. At 
Diddington there is a large bed of hybrid Rhododendrons planted in 
sawdust 3 feet deep, and they thrive amazingly. They make shoots 
several inches long in a season, and flower splendidly. They have been 
in this material three years, and improve every year. There are also 
large clumps in the ordinary soil, and they dwindle. 
This brings us to the flower garden, and some distance from it is a 
broad or promenade walk, with standard Roses in circles, with trial 
bedding plants. This walk admits of a fine view to the west of the 
flower garden, and to the east of the finely wooded park. In the belting 
shrubbery at the lower part of the grounds is a good example of Indigofera 
dumosa, its rosy-purple Pea-shaped flowers in long racemes having a fine 
effect. It is at least 12 feet through and 6 feet high. Lavatera arborea 
variegata is conspicuous for its variegated leaves and altogether distinct 
appearance, its creamy variegation telling effectively in the greenery 
surrounding. There is a fine example of a Weeping Beech, and many 
others too numerous to be named. The lawn portion of the grounds is 
terminated, or rather divided, by a rectangular pond, and near here are 
fine examples of Pampas Grass; Araucaria imbricata, fully 30 feet high 
and 21 feet across the branches ; also Taxus adpressa 12 feet through and 
half as much high. 
On the other side of the pond, which supplies the water of the 
gardens, there never being any scarcity, is what is termed the village 
walk, a continuation of the walk across the pleasure grounds only severed 
by the pond. This walk is terminated by the summer house, and on each 
side on the grass in pairs are Conifers—Picea nobilis glauca, Cupressus 
Lawsoniana gracilis, Picea lasiocarpa, Thuiopsis borealis, Picea magnifica, 
Picea Pinsapo, Wellingtonia gigantea, Picea Nordmanniana, and Abies 
orientalis. There is a border of herbaceous plants on the side next the 
kitchen garden with herbaceous plants and shrubs; conspicuous were 
Funkia purpurea, Thalictrum aquilegifolium, and Funkia undulata 
variegata. This walk looking from the summer house is a continuation 
of the walk across the lower part of the lawn, and is terminated by a 
procumbent Oak, broken in the middle by the pond, yet not directly, as 
it is somewhat out of the direct line, yet it causes a deviation, and that is 
marked by a Scotch Fir ; but anything more appropriate could not well 
be conceived. 
The flower garden, however, is the grand feature of this frontage. It 
is glowing with colours, as befits the situation amongst so much greenery, 
and the design is neat and appropriate. The carpet bedding is a great 
feature of Diddington, and I trust to allude to this upon a future 
occasion.—G. Abbey. 
CTo be continued.! 
TROPICAL PRODUCTS IN SOUTHERN INDIA. 
[From the Annual Eeport of the Agri-Horticultui-al Society of JIadras.] 
The Season .—Again a most abnormal season has to be chronicled. 
From the Government Astronomer’s “ Abstract of the Mean Meteorolo¬ 
gical Condition of Madras compared with the average of past years ” 
to be found in the Supplement of the Fort St. George Gazette of 15th 
January, 1884, it appears that the total rainful registered in 1883 at the 
Government Observatory, Madras, was 60 54 inches, lieing ll'S3 inehes 
above the average of 48-71 inches. From the same authority, too, we 
learn that the hottest day in 1883 was the 24th of May, when the ther¬ 
mometer in the shade reached 107'7° ; while on the coldest night, that of 
28th December, it fell to Gl'4°. As might have been expected, a drought 
prolonged from November, 1882, to June, 1883, with an allowance of rain 
far below the average until October, followed by a downfall or series of 
downfalls as much above, involving much standing water, was hard upon 
vegetable life. Large numbers of the hardiest trees died in and around 
Madras, while the Society lost many of their new and most valued intro- 
d-actions. The Landolphia florida, Brazil Nuts and Sapucaia Nuts, men¬ 
tioned in last year’s report, all, or nearly all, gradually died out; while 
most of the Nutmegs, Mangosteens, and Amherstia nobilis, which require 
a moist climate, followed the many of their kind tried before in the 
Society’s Gardens. No large or valuable specimen trees, however, died 
in the Gardens. The copious rains of October, November, and December, 
or some other natural influence, happily rescued the Cycas plants from 
the plague of grubs described last year, and each plant is now crowned 
with a grand whorl of perfect fronds. 
Fibre Plants .—Of these Fourcroya gigantea may be placed in the 
front rank. The plant has long been known and grown in Madras under 
