OCTOBER. 
223 
gated Geraniums were all good and very telling. All the gold-leaved kinds 
do in the gardens what gilding does in the drawing-room. 
There are two flower gardens, one on gravel and the other on grass. The 
larger one is on gravel, and is more immediately under the windows of the 
mansion; the walks between the beds are wider than are generally seen in 
such gardens, thus affording room to inspect the beds well. We, however, 
must confess that we ourselves much prefer gardens on grass ; and the one 
here, though much the smaller, pleased us better than the one on gravel. 
Leaving the flowers for the pleasure grounds, which are extensive, we passed 
along a large ribbon-border. The back row of plants were Tritomas, which 
were very fine, and, backed as they were by a Yew hedge, showed to great 
advantage. Among dark-foliaged plants Perilla nankinensis and Coleus Ver- 
schaffelti were generally used ; the Coleus, owing to the fine hot season, 
having done well. There is a Rose garden in the pleasure ground, bounded by 
Yew hedges; and from the growth the plants have made, Roses do well here. 
Conifers have been very extensively planted in the grounds, and all seem to 
be doing remarkably well. Wellingtonia gigantea appears to be at home here 
from the remarkably healthy growth of the trees. There are two very fine 
specimens about 20 feet high, and well proportioned; one of them is a very 
handsome variety, being of a much deeper green than the generality of 
plants ; the habit of the plant is also very beautiful and graceful. It is a variety 
which deserves to be largely increased. We saw a number of Cedrus deodara 
that w r ere killed nearly to the ground by the frost of December, 1860; they 
have recovered wonderfully, and are making fine plants again. Of Pinus 
excelsa there are a number of specimens, but one in particular of more robust 
growth and better habit than the others. Pinus insignis was killed here, as in 
all other places in this part, by the frost of 1860. Of Pinus pyrenaica there 
are several very promising specimens. Of Piceas there are a great number of 
very fine specimens ; there are several good plants of P, nobilis, also of 
Nordmanniana ; there are good plants of P. grandis, amabilis, and lasiocarpa ; 
between the two latter there is some resemblance, and some people consider 
them as identical, but the specimens are very distinct. There are very good 
specimens of P. pinsapo and cephalonica; and we noticed one of Webbiana, 
which was in fair condition, considering how liable this sort is to suffer from 
late spring frost. Abies Morinda is largely planted in the grounds, and all are 
doing well. We also noticed a nice specimen of Larix Ksempferi, and a 
pretty little plant, Thuja pygmeea, a number of plants of Thujopsis borealis, and 
Cupressus Lawsoniana. The grounds contain many fine specimens of Cedars 
of Lebanon, some fine Yews, and good trees of deciduous Cypress, &c. Rhodo¬ 
dendrons do very well here, as the appearance of the plants abundantly 
proved. 
In the reserved ground, Mr. Mitchell, the very obliging and intelligent 
gardener, showed us a great number of young Conifers ; there were a number 
of very fine young Wellingtonias, and a nice lot of Picea nobilis, also a 
quantity of the newer Conifers, which have been planted out two years, and 
stood the last winter unprotected, and may be regarded as hardy. Among 
them were nice plants of Cryptomeria elegans, Sciadopitys verticillata, Thujopsis 
dolabrata, T. dolabrata variegata, T. Standishii, Retinospora obtusa, R. pisifera, 
R. pisifera aurea, &c. 
Having carefully inspected these recent additions to our ornamental trees, 
we next turned into the kitchen garden. We w r ere very much pleased with 
the rooms for the young men who reside in the gardens; a high regard 
seems to have been paid to their comfort The glass structures are nu¬ 
merous, and to go in detail through them would take up too much space; 
