162 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, December 13, 1859. 
two leaders for itself, cacli of which had grown two feet, or there¬ 
abouts in a season. A pretty Oupressus funebris was 8 ft. in 
height. An Araucaria was 25 ft. and sweeping the ground. 
Some specimens of Abies Morinda, or Smithiana, were 25 ft. in 
height; diameter of head 16 ft., and branches sweeping the ground, 
forming fine sugar-loaf-like pyramids. Finns ponderosa, 30 ft. 
in height. Araucaria Fraziliensis, 18 ft. in height, has two 
leaders ; foliage a little rusty ; planted twelve years. Cryptomeria 
Japonica , 26 ft. in height, dense, and compact. Ficea Finsapo 
i!early 20 ft.; very beautiful. v Taxodivm , fine plants. Abies 
Ceplialonica , 23 ft. in height; diameter of base sweeping the 
ground 20 ft. Finns cxcelsa, 24 ft. in height; diameter of base 
of head sweeping the ground 30 ft. Finns Teocote, 24 ft. in 
height; diameter of head 30 ft.; foliage more silky, drooping, and 
not seemingly so hardy as excelsa. Cupressus Lambertiana , 
17 ft. in height; brought as a plant, a few inches high, by Lady 
Julia Cornwallis five years'and a half ago. We must pass over 
fine plants of Finaster Austriaca, &c., to chronicle a splendid 
plant of double white Camellia that has stood out on this pine- 
tum-lawn several years ; height 8 ft. ; diameter of head 13 ft. ; 
and the points of the shoots smothered with buds, though many 
had been thinned out. Also, a vigorous Cork tree in the centre 
of the main walk referred to ; good height; diameter of branches 
55 ft., and circumference of bole, three or four feet from the 
ground, 10 ft. ; a very fine tree, though wanting nearly eighteen 
inches to equal the best specimen at Mamhead in girth. A fine 
Tulip tree that blooms profusely, and which sends out, eight feet 
or so from the ground, one immense limb, at right angles with 
the stem. A fine Copper Beech; diameter of head 60 ft.; and 
close to the end of the terrace some magnificent Elms, two of 
which, girthed at eighteen inches from the ground, 18£ ft. and 
19 ft. in circumference ; and at 4 ft. in height, 16 ft. in circum¬ 
ference, the diameter of the heads being 70 and 80 ft. Also, 
numbers of Larch trees, especially near the kitchen garden, 
clothed w ith Ivy to the summit, looking very pretty and romantic ; 
but confirming Mr. Robson’s several-times-repeated statement, 
that the Ivy would ultimately be the death of the trees. 
I return to the Dutch garden and orangery, or conservatory 
against the garden wall, to notice that the position is almost as 
fine as the terrace in front of the mansion. The ground in front 
of this garden is also laid out in turf-slopes and landings; the 
fourth landing from the garden having a fountain in the centre, 
fringed round with a canopy of Roses, terminating in a point. 
Beyond this there are several more slopes and landings, until the 
more level lawn is reached. Opposite the centre of the orangery 
all these slopes are furnished with stairs. In fact, in such places, 
and in the slips of the kitchen garden, there are enough stone 
steps to make a little fortufie. Though Mr. Robson had laid out 
this garden afresh in the Dutch style only a few years ago, yet, 
partly from the orangery needing some repairing, and partly from 
a nearly-formed resolution to replace it with something more 
worthy of the position, and partly from having no great esteem 
ior the open Dutch balustrading (which seemed to me, with its 
circular and segment-of-circle openings, so beautiful and suited to 
the position, though the pilasters outside might be shortened six 
or eight inches with advantage by raising the bank all that higher 
against them), there did seem to be a sort of abeyance feeling 
about this lovely spot. This alone can account for the balus¬ 
trading being deformed with Laurels on all sides, except the plea¬ 
sure-ground side, which Laurels had better have been sent to keep 
company with the many wagon-loads already removed. I have 
stated that this orangery is placed against the garden wall, the 
house is roundish—I forget if hexagon or what—but glass all 
round; and though the roof is low, yet not at all a despisable 
house. Now, the north boundary of this balustraded Dutch 
garden is about fifteen feet from the wall; and therefore between 
them a dismal Laurel-hedge was placed, in order that the balus¬ 
trade should not look upon the wall, nor yet the wall get a sly 
peep at the balustrade. If everything else is left as it is, remove 
these Laurels—and I know our friend’s fingers have been itching 
to get at them ; clean and colour the wall stone colour; cover it 
with Myrtles, Roses, Magnolias, &c., and make the windows in 
the ends of the orangery into doors, and there would be an in¬ 
teresting scene at once, and the balustrade would stand out in its 
beauty. The whole of that wall might be covered with glass, 
and still the distinctive feature be maintained. So much for the 
present. But some fifty feet east from the orangery, on the same 
wall, a range of greenhouses have been placed, perhaps seventy or 
eighty feet in length—the range commencing some ten feet or 
so from the end of the Dutch garden. Well, when there is more 
time than there is at present, and as the northern boundary of 
the Dutch garden might be removed, and the garden wall be made 
the boundary, what is to prevent that elegant pattern being 
carried along the front and round the end of the new houses, 
and thus enclose the whole in this Dutch balustrading ? All 
then would have a unity, whether the open wall were covered with 
flowering plants or covered with narrow glass-houses. 
These new houses, higher than the wall by using a hipped roof 
of glass, were floored with Portland cement, which had stood no 
end of scrubbing without injury. The houses were heated by 
cement-pipe flues about a foot in diameter; brick only being 
used near the furnace and where the flue sank under doorways, 
and answered w r ell; and the stages were very gay with scarlet 
Geraniums, Begonias, Fuchsias, and more especially with large 
quantities of fine-grown plants of the Globe Amaranth, white and 
crimson ( Gomphrena globosa). 
The kitchen garden was full to overflowing, but too small for 
such an establishment. Considering the season, a fair amount of 
hardy fruit had been obtained. There is a good range of houses. 
One a plant-stove, containing fine specimens of Orchids, &c.; 
the others fruit-houses—all of which had been gathered, with the 
exception of ono fine house of black Grapes. Glass-pits, heated 
and cool, were not wanting; but the supply of glass seemed 
small to nurse the great quantity of bedding plants turned out. 
Two long pits, without covering in the kitchen garden, told all 
about it as plainly as could be. The plants must be kept small 
and close together in the houses until March or so; and then bo 
turned out in these pits, and covered with spare sashes, mats, 
hurdles, and anything comeatable. 
To the east of the kitchen garden and pleasure-grounds are 
situated the houses and yards for the different breeds of poultry; 
with a fine run, when deemed necessary, in a part of the park. 
Lady Julia is a keen amateur, takes great interest in her birds, 
knows all the points in the different breeds, and has been a suc¬ 
cessful exhibitor at some of the large showB. It w r as easy to 
perceive that in this department Mr. Robson was far behind his 
young lady in critical skill. ’When a boy I used to be fond of 
Bantams, and seeing a cock so beautifully spotted as would have 
been a perfect treasure to me then, I expressed admiration at its 
beauty ; but her ladyship told me its comb was so defective she 
should not be able to keep it. It appears that her ladyship likes 
The Cottage Gabdekeh ; but although she admires flowers, it 
is the poultry part to which her attention is mostly directed. 
How many young ladies would promote health and increase 
happiness were they more taken up with any department of natural 
history. The tendency of such studies and pursuits is generally 
to harmonise and refine the feelings, and create within us a kindly 
sympathy for all around us. Perhaps we expect this kindness 
more from ladies than from gentlemen. But even in their case it 
is very delightful to see employers manifesting such sympathetic 
interest in the circumstances and trials of their workmen ; and 
these workmen, in turn, looking up to them with respect and 
more than esteem. Were there more of this generous sympathy 
on the one hand, and more fidelity and trustworthiness on the 
other, we should have less of those unseemly discussions as to the 
respective rights of capital and labour ; as the rights, so called, 
would be reciprocally merged in the felt and acted-upon obligations 
of duty. 
Very few out of many reminiscences must finish this lengthened 
notice. 
A little farther to the eastward, and in a position almost as fine 
as the mansion, is situated Mr. Robson’s new house, which for 
workmanship, roominess, and comfort, is a credit to all con¬ 
cerned. Much improvement has been effected in this respect 
since the period when gardeners, who by their genius gave a 
marking to the times in which they lived, Mere housed in back 
sheds not greatly better than coal-bunkers. Much yet remains 
to be done, even as to the securing of cheerful and healthy living- 
rooms. I have thought several times of having a chapter on the 
homes of gardenei’3 ; but I would now rather leave it in more 
competent hands. 
Lobelia erinus. —Mr. Robson uses largely a rather light blue 
variety of this which comes true from seed, and which when 
others have failed, will keep on all the season without showing a 
patch. I noticed long lines and beds n it bout a single break or 
failure. 
Salvia splendens. —By the side of t he walk that leads up to the 
new greenhouses, among other things was a splendid row of the 
above, which made my mouth water, as I have never been able to 
succeed with it here out of doors. Mr. Snow has frequently told 
