J44 
THE COTTAGE GAllDENEE. 
to the uiatiy, that the most aeeoinplishcd architects arc 
I Init inditteront gardeners. That such buildings would 
I answer on the Continent, wo believe ; hut have we the 
j sky and the climate of Erance and Italy ? 
itetracing our steps, or taking a short cut across tlie 
lawn, we again get on the broad walk and approacli the 
mansion. On tlio cast side of the broad walk, and just 
below the terrace, is a scroll-like Italian garden, orna¬ 
mented with marble figures, and having some beautiful | 
young standards of Portugal laurels; but we must j 
mount the terrace to see it well. The design seems | 
somewhat intricate; but then every turn and bend arc | 
so graceful. Getting to the west end of the terrace, you 
see the mansion is there terminated by a conservatory. 
I'Tom this, as well as the rooms with which it com¬ 
municates, a pretty vista is formed, through the opened 
doors in the divisions of the kitchen-garden. Between 
them and the conservatory is a wide grass drive, and a 
beautiful flower-garden, the beds having stone edgings, 
and the walks of gravel. The south wall, which hounds 
it to the north, is covered with interesting plants, such 
as the Ceanotliiis azureus, and the finer Tea Hoses. 
The east wall already alluded to, in connection with the 
Azalea, along with other things, has one of the finest 
plants of the old yellow Rose in the country. I men¬ 
tioned more than a twelvemonth ago, how fine the 
Geranium beds, &c., were in this garden. 
Of the kitchen-garden 1 must not speak. I cannot 
think where I should begin and stop my pencil-marks. 
If not the best, it is one of the very best kitchen-gardens 
in England. Its extent is somewhere about five acres, 
and nicely divided by intersecting walls. The soil is for 
the most part artificial; Mr. Snow having received 
something like carle blanche to take soil wherever he I 
could find it. The staple, therefore, varies according to j 
the purpose wanted, but chiefly consists of a deep, rich, i 
sandy loam, resting upon gravel. This, and being so | 
fully protected, makes the garden a very early one. All j 
sorts of fruits and vegetables thrive well. In the middle 
of one of the divisions is the chief range of houses : a | 
plant-stove in the centre, with vineries and peach-house [ 
on the sides. In this stove, in addition to many good 
things, there is a fine collection of the Amaryllis group, 
most of them hybrids of Mr. Snow’s raising. The 
Vines are very luxuriant. The Peaches have been seen 
at the Metropolitan exhibitions. 
The division of the garden next Mr. Snow’s dwelling 
is none the least interesting. In some particular bor¬ 
ders near the house are beautiful old, but rare, lierba- 
ceous and bulbous plants. The centre part is chiefly 
occupied as the pit and frame ground, and here such 
crops as Sea-kale, P^hubarb, &c., are grown. Gn the 
south side, overshadowed by trees, is the fruit-room, a 
long building, perfectly dry, with double or hollow 
walls, double roof, means of giving air and letting off 
vapour at pleasure, a pattern that would please oven 
our friend Mr. Errington, and the excellency of which 
has been proved in the fine fruit that Mr. Snow has 
shown for years at the early Metropolitan exhibitions. 
But in this division, besides some small Eig and Peach- 
houses, there is a range of small lean-to houses, near 
]Mr. Snow’s dwelling, on the east side of the west 
boundary wall. Here there is always something nice 
to be seen; and among other things, a line collection 
of the Gladioli group; but what I mention them par¬ 
ticularly for, is to remind amateurs that these are the 
houses I have some time ago chronicled for being 
heated so economically by small narrow flues under¬ 
neath the paved floor. 
1 had no thought of making these dottings until I 
had finished the few words on the Azalea. If I had 
possessed notes, or told Mr. Snow of my intention, they 
might have been more interesting. But that may yet 
be mended. I forgot to say that the walks in the 
NovEJiiiEii 25. 
kitchen-garden are mostly, and all will be, edged with 
slate; the gravel is firm and clean. One characteristic 
of the place is the neatness ever ajqatrent, owing partly, 
no doubt, to tbc necessary supply of labour ; but partly, 
also, to the innate sense of the neat and the beautiful, 
and a thorough enthusiasm for his jirofession, which 
must be accorded to the respected superintendent. 
R. Etsri. 
JOTTINGS BY THE WAY. i 
(Conehided fruni page 100.) 
Noiitua.mi’Ton. — Close to the town there are two I 
j somewhat extensive nurseries, both well keid, and full ! 
! of excellent stock, especially of hardy Coniferaj, hardy j 
! ornamental shrubs and fruit-trees. The oldest one is i 
j now occupied by Messrs. Jeyes aiul Co. In front of one 
’ of the hothouses I observed a very lino Junijierus \ 
j excelsa, fully fifteen feet high, and a very unique speci- 
f men. In the flower department, 1 saw several ]>lants in 
i bloom of a tall Lobelia, named Queen Victoria, one of 
the best of its tribe. The petals are so broad that they 
almost touch each other, and the colour a rich scarlet- 
crimson. I was so much pleased with it, that 1 pur¬ 
chased some for the 2 ’in’pose of hybridizing. It is a 
variety that every grower of such things should procure. 
The owner of the other nursery is Mr. John Perkins. 
In it 1 observed a flne stock of trained Peaches, Nec¬ 
tarines, and other wall-fruit. In both nurseries there 
were some fine specimens of the best of the Arbor 
vit/B ; the one commonly called the Siberian variety 
{'Thuja Siberica). This is hardier than the Chinese 
{Thuja orientalis), and more comi)act than the American 
{'Thuja occidetUalis), forming bcautil'ul pyramidal-shaped 
bushes of a bright green colour all the year. In that 
])leasing jn-operty it far surpasses any other species of 
'Thuja. 
Gourteen Hall, the residence of Sir Charles Wake, 
Bart.; Mr Gardiner is the gardener at this jflace. It 
was the last 1 called at, and I saw several things that 
pleased mo much. The place is about three miles from 
the Blisworth Station, on the Great Northern Railway, 
and is situated in a well-wooded park, very much 
secluded from. the rest of the world. It may be 
characterised by the term “ quiet,” in the most ex¬ 
clusive sense. The flower-garden is rather extensive, 
and well attended to. I was much gratified with what 
was to me quite a novelty. The flower-beds were 
circularly disposed, and in the centre of each bed W'ere 
several standard Scarlet Geraniums in full flower. Just 
at that season, the end of August, the standard Boses 
were out of flower, the summer-bloomers being ])ast 
their season, and the autumnals or perpetuals had not 
come into bloom, but the standai'd Scarlet Geraniums 
were lino objects, and made a bright display of rich 
scarlet, causing no regret for the absence of Roses in 
bloom. Mr. Gardiner inibrmed me that he first raises 
young jflants, trains them uji in 2 )ots, dressing ofl’ all 
the side-shoots till they attain the requisite height (four 
feet) before ho allows them to make a head, lie then 
l)]ants them out in June, and they bloom till frost stops 
them. He then takes them up, jjots them, and keejjs 
them through the winter in some dry room till spring, 
then gently starts them into growth, and when the 
season returns replants them in the flower-garden. By 
this management they last several years. To prevent 
the winds from breaking off the side branches of the 
heads, he fixes a kind of ring or hoop to the stake that 
supports them, and fastens every shoot to this ring. 1 j 
recommended the adoption of this method of growing 
Scarlet Geraniums, the effect is excellent.’.'^ Amongst 
The variety used for forming: standards, is that known as Mrs. ; 
Maylor, What a fine one for that purpose Henderson’s Defiance Scarlet 
Geranium would be! 
