382 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
August 15 . 
research; but still it would be far from complete, and it 
would only be of those old establishments which are still in 
existence that anything like a continuous history could be 
obtained. Those who come after us will have many advan¬ 
tages in this respect. It may bo, that the work in which we 
arc at present engaged, while it is intended to amuse and 
instruct the readers of the present generation, may contribute 
a valuable desideratum to some one like-minded with our¬ 
selves in the lar distant future; and we trust that in doing 
so, both the present and future generations will thank us 
for the few notes we now supply on such an establishment 
as the Nurseries at Sawbridgewortli, in Hertfordshire. 
The Nurseries at Sawbridgeworth are now among the 
oldest existing in this country. They were commenced some 
time between the years 1720 and 1730 by one John Rivers, 
who was a native of Berkshire, and so they have been in 
the possession ot the same family for a century and a quarter, 
at least. Ibis John Rivers was, in all probability, a gentle¬ 
mans gardener, as most of the founders of nurseries have 
been, and possessing some amount of enterprise he embarked 
in the profession of a nurseryman, and laid the basis of that 
establishment, which, if he were now to see, might induce 
him to exclaim, like Dominie Sampson, “I’rodigeous !” The 
extent of the grounds at that time, and for many years after, 
was limited, and might be regarded as an easy-going, 
common-run sort of country nursery, the produce of which 
consisted of anything, no matter what, by which an honest 
penny was to be earned. Fruit-trees and forest trees for the 
neighbouring gentry, cabbage plants for those who had 
gardens, and market-garden produce for those who had 
none; flowers, fruit, and nosegays, were alike in readiness 
lor all comers, and that the tastes of each might be further 
gratified, one of the staple commodities was a glass of good 
currant wine. To such an extent did this last branch of the 
business become, that in 17(11, we find his son and successor, 
■Thomas Rivers, actually built, for the preservation and matu- ' 
ration ot his domestic vintage, an immense vaulted cellar, 
thirty feet long by ten feet wide,—a fact which he recorded, j 
for the information of subsequent generations, by a square 
stone bearing the initials of his name, and the date of the year 
when the event took place. The cellar is still in existence, 
and is now applied by the present proprietor for the purpose 
ot a fruit room, and a very excellent one it is. The house 
at that time was known by the sign of “ The Fox and the 
swinging board, which for many years battled with many a 
summer’s breeze and winter’s blast, is still in possession of 
the family, having been converted into an article of household 
furniture; but the pictorial delineation of “ the Fox,” and 
the announcement of the host, “ I shall be at home myself 
every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday,” have unfortunately 
been obliterated. This Thomas Rivers was the present Mr. I 
Rivers’s grandfather’s uncle, and was so successful as to die 
the proprietor of the place he and his father had previously 
occupied as tenants. 
Such is a sketch of the early history of the present vast 
establishment. From the time of which we have been 
speaking, it increased in extent, till it acquired the status of j 
a respectable country nursery, supplying the requirements of \ 
the immediate neighbourhood, and extending its connection 
throughout the whole of the eastern counties of England. J 
But it is to the ability and energy of the present Mr. Rtvers, 
and to his untiring industry, that the Sawbridgeworth Nur¬ 
series have become what they are ; leading us to say, as John j 
Evelyn said of a similar establishment in his time : “ Of all 
1 have hitherto seen, either at home or abroad, or found by 
reading books pretending to speak of nurseries, the very 
sight of this alone gives an idea of something that is greater 
than I can well express, without an enumeration of particu- ! 
lars.” And now we shall proceed to “enumerate particulars,” 
aud record a few observations we made during a recent visit j 
to this remarkable place. 
Sawbridgeworth is situated on the Cambridge line of rail¬ 
way, at a distance of twenty-eight miles from London ; and 
to persons proceeding from the metropolis, the Nurseries are 
* Hany of our readers may not be aware that it was customary in 
those days, and for many years afterwards, for nurserymen and seedsmen 
to designate their establishment by such signs. The more common were 
‘ T lie Acorn,” “The Rose,’’ Sic. George Ricketts, at Hogsden (Hoxton), 
adopted “The Hand;” Edward Fuller, in the Strand, “The Three 
Crowns and Naked Boy ; ” and Francis Weston’s, in the Strand, was 
known by “ The Flower de luce.” 
reached most conveniently from the Harlow station, from 
which they are about one mile distant. The Nurseries are 
situated on a track of beautifully undulating ground, and 
cover an extent of upwards of eighty acres, furnishing an 
example of almost every variety of soil, from light calcare¬ 
ous sand to strong retentive clay, and, consequently, supply¬ 
ing every desideratum for the cultivation of the numerous 
tribes of trees and plants of which it is composed. It is 
well known that Mr. Rivers was the first in this country who 
cultivated Standard Roses for sale. His attention was 
directed to this subject by a specimen of the old Apple¬ 
bearing Rose (Rosa villosa) which had been planted by 
some of his predecessors, and which had, by treatment and 
age, acquired the habit and magnitude of a little tree. This 
Tree-rose was the admiration of all who saw it; and the 
desire, on the part of many, to possess such an object, in¬ 
duced Mr. Rivers to train up some of the same species as 
standards. This, however, was found to be a tedious pro¬ 
cess, and the idea of using the wild-briars ready-made from 
the woods suggested it to his mind. The success which 
attended this branch is well known: the cultivation of the 
Roses became as extensive as that of forest-trees, and, in¬ 
stead of being counted by the dozen or hundred, they were 
reckoned by acres. For years Mr. Rivers took the lead in 
this department; and although there are many more who 
now cultivate extensively, he still maintains the position he 
originally occupied as the authority on this subject, as is 
well evidenced in his “ Rose Amateur’s Guide,” which, we 
are happy to observe, has now reached the fifth edition. 
The exhibition of Roses in bloom has, this season, been 
rather indifferent, in consequence of the ungenial summer 
and the prevalence of blight and insect. We saw sufficient, 
however, to enable us to judge of the excellent manner in 
which this department is maintained. 
It may be said, that the whole of these eighty acres are 
occupied with Fruit Trees, Ornamental Trees, Shrubs, and 
Roses; not omitting an e.xtensive and interesting collection 
of Herbaceous Plants, a class which, since the “ bedding 
system” has been introduced, seems to have been almost 
entirely neglected. Aud here we venture to express what 
has long been our opinion as regards the “ bedding system ” 
as it has been developed, and as it is at present practised. 
We think it un-English, and not at all adapted to the 
generality of English gardens. We allow it to be all veiy 
well on a large scale, as practised at such places as Shrub- 
land Parle, Trentham, and establishments of a similar descrip¬ 
tion, where that great effect can be viewed from a high 
position, such as a terrace walk, or balcony; but when 
applied to what may be called English domestic gardening, 
it is a failure; a vain attempt at imitation, without an 
approach of the thing imitated. .Just let us fancy one of 
those gorgeous pieces of Gobelin tapestry reduced to the 
size of a cambric handkerchief; or the ceiling of the house 
of Lords adapted to a room twelve feet by fourteen; what 
should we think of the imitation, and what opinion should 
we form of the taste of the imitator ? But everybody 
“ beds out ” now-a-days. The squire beds out; the clergy¬ 
man beds out; the lawyer and surgeon bed out; Mr. 
Brown, who keeps the village shop, beds out; the city 
merchant, who has a detached villa on the Finchley-road, 
does the same; and why do they? Just because other 
people do ; and so the finest and most interesting herbaceous 
plants must give way to Scarlet Geraniums, Petunias, 
Verbenas, and such like. Where, now, can we see an old ! 
English garden, with old English flowers regaling the senses ■ 
with all that is beautiful and fragrant, and calling up those 
pleasing associations with days gone by ? It is only in 
imagination, or in the old poets, like Drayton, who says :— 
“Maids, get the choicest flowers, a garland and entwine, 
Nor Pinks, nor Pansies, let there want; be sure of Eglantine. 
See that there be store of Lilies, 
(Called of Shepherds Daffodillies), 
With Roses damask, white and red, the dearest Flower-de-lis, 
The Cowslip of Jerusalem, and Clove of Paradise.” 
And Old Ben Jonson— 
“Bring Corn Flag, Tulip, and Adonis flower; 
Fair Ox-eye, Goldylocks, and Columbine, 
Pinks, Goulands, King-cups, and sweet Sops-in-wine ; 
Blue Harebells, Paigles, Pansies, Calamint, 
Flower-gentle, and the fair-haired Hyacinth ; 
Bring rich Carnations, Flower-de-luces, Lilies ; 
Bring Crown Imperial, &c.” 
