22 
THK COTTAGE GAKDENEll. 
October 9. 
branches on one side are dead, but the other still 
continues to grow. A more venerable relic of antiquity 
does not exist. 
The gardens arc placed behind the mansion ; a broad, 
winding walk on the skirts of the wood above alluded to 
loads to it. On the left hand, I noticed several very fine 
I trees, especially some noble Larches, some of which 
j })resented a very singlar ap])oarance from being clothed 
I with our common Ivy. This evergreen parasite has so 
j grown, that it forms quite a lofty green pyramid nearly to 
; the summit of the trees. So regular were the branches 
disjmsed around the supporting trees, that they almost 
; appeared the work of art. The most assiduous trimmer 
I with shears couhTnot have more elfectually and evenly 
j formed them. A"et the trees appeared healthy, though 
j upwards of a hundred feet higli, and ten feet in cir- 
I cnmference at the base. On the right hand, was a noble 
j grove of trees of considerable size and extent. Some 
I years ago, the common underwood was all stubbed up, 
I and the space ])lanted with common Laurels. These 
I have grown well, and are kept down by pruning to four 
or live I'eet in height. The eye of an observer can thus 
look over them and see all the stems of the noble trees 
perfectly. I was told this was an excellent preserve for 
l)hcasauts. Indopendant of that, it bad, to me, a very 
]deasing appearance, and is an example of evergreen 
underwood worthy of imitation. This walk is terminated 
by a dense arch of Horinbeams, at the end of which is 
the entrance to the gardens, the site of which is most 
judiciously chosen, being neither too high nor too low. 
The ground slopes gently to the south. Jt is laid out 
in the old style; that is, with broad, straight walks all 
round, within a proper distance from the walls to allow 
borders for the fruit-trees, and two equally broad walks 
crossing each other at right angles in the centre, in 
which is placed a large circular tank filled with water to 
supply the garden. These walks aro formed with 
green turf, which, in fine weather, is a most delightful 
carpet to walk upon, though objectionable, of course, in 
wet weather, or on dewy mornings. On each side of the 
cross walks is a broad border filled with flowers in the 
mixed style, which style Sir Charles prefers, though I 
could not help thinking these straight borders afforded 
a fine opportunity to exhibit the ribbon style of planting, 
so much followed at Trentham and other places. 
I was informed this garden was formerly thickly 
covered and shaded with large, old Apple and other 
fruit-trees. These Mr. Brown has been allowed to cut 
down and replace with young trees. In order to prevent 
the garden ever being again shaded, he has adopted a 
mode of keeping them within bounds, and rendering 
them handsome objects. I cannot say whether the 
i method is original; but this I know, that it is not 
common, or generally known. He planted maiden 
trees, that is, such as have not been cut back. He then 
had a strong iron rod formed into a hoop of six or seven 
feet diameter. Four or five strong Oak posts were driven 
into the ground in a circle round each tree of the same 
diameter as the iron ring. These posts stand out of the 
ground a foot, and the hoop is fastened to each by an 
iron staple, holding it firm and even fi’om the ground. 
As the lowest shoots grew they were fastened to the 
hoop with strings; the next tier to the first, and so on, 
as far as the trees have progressed. The tiers of 
branches are laid in so thin that there is plenty of light 
and air to ripen the wood, jierfect fruit-buds, and ripen 
the fruit. The intelligent reader will understand, at 
once, Mr. Brown’s aim; namely, to form his trees into 
perfect pyramids, well furnished on every side with fruit¬ 
bearing branches, and thus be enabled to produce the 
greatest quantity of fruit in the least possible space. I 
think such trees, so trained, will be handsome objects of 
tbemselves, and tlius not so formal and straight-laced as 
' the espalier mode of training. 
The wall-trees were also in the same condition; that 
is, old and past bearing. These have been all removed, 
excepting a few Peach-trees, and new borders made, and 
young, healthy trees planted, which are making good 
progress. By removing these old trees, and trenching 
the ground, the garden is quite renovated, and now 
produces excellent crops of bush-fruit. Strawberries, and 
abundant crops of vegetables. T. ArrLEBV. 
{To he continued.) 
EFFECTS OF A DBY AUTUMN, AND OTHEE 
MATTEL S. 
However pleasant a dry autumn may bo to the 
holiday makers, and also to the majority of working 
people, there are some ways in which it is anything but 
suitable for the purposes of cultivation; and, at the 
time I write (the end of September), many of our grass 
fields show as little signs of life as tbe scorched-up weeds 
by tbe side of a hard path continually trodden on; for 
we have scarcely had any rain since the beginning of 
August; and a considerable part of the time has even 
been hot, the thermometer, for several days, being up¬ 
wards of 80°, and on the 20rd it was 85°. Some slight 
showers about the Jst of the month, again a little on 
the 10th, partially revived vegetation, and, what was 
equally useful, encouraged the germination of seeds; 
otherwise the progress of many things has been sus¬ 
pended entirely. That a start will take place when we 
have rain, 1 liave no doubt, unless it be exceedingly late; 
but I do not like such late growths so well, because, 
being rapid, and immediately preceding severe weather, 
the tissues of the plants have not time to become 
hardened before they are subjected to the inclemencies of 
the season; however, there is generally a wise counter¬ 
balancing, very sharp frosts seldom setting in imme¬ 
diately after heavy rains, and our Brocolis, and other 
things, may possibly have time to perfect their autumn 
growth before the icy king fairly asserts his supremacy. 
One thing seems certain, that the delay in the autumn 
growths of various things, in light soils, will make our 
Caj^e and other Early Brocoli less useful than in most 
seasons; while Celery, Endive, Lettuce, and many other 
things, have been equally delayed. Now, as the majority 
of gardens and crops cannot by any means receive 
artificial irrigation, those in very dry districts must 
necessarily be suflering as described; however, there 
are some advantages even in this state of things. The 
fine weather has ripened most of our fruits well. 
Tomatoes, which in some seasons, especially in 1852, 
became diseased, similarly to tbe Potatoes, and ripened 
few fruit w'orth caring for, have done well this year. 
Wall Fruit trees will also have the chance to ripen their 
wood well, as they have done their fruit; and there is 
strong probability of Orchard Fruits doing the same. 
The presence of sunshine, with a clear, dry atmosphere, 
will, doubtless, be duly appreciated by them, as well as 
by the more tender; and though, as stated above, most 
of the vegetables common at this season have been 
hurried into an early autumn. Seeds have vegetated well 
where watering and shading were adopted; the warmth 
of the ground having more to-do with them than undue 
moisture ; crops of late Lettuces, Spinach, and the like, 
coming up as well as in July; while it has been an 
excellent season for the destruction of weeds. 
On the other hand, it must be confessed that flower¬ 
gardening has suffered much from the continuance of 
dry weather. Beds of Verbenas, which ought to have pre¬ 
sented, by this time, a uniform mass of bloom, have little 
more th an a multitude of half-ripened seed-stems. Petunias 
have done better; in fact, they look well, the white es¬ 
pecially ; and the Variegated Oeraniums look very well, 
' especially Mangles and Flower of the Day. Scarlets 
