224 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, December 30, 1856. 
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I 
tion should, if possible, visit Dropmore, where they will see, j 
in the Cedar avenue, the bad results attending close 
planting. 
On wandering out of this avenue along the banks of the 
Avon, the river front of the castle comes into view, with the 
mount, its towers, the cascade, and the fine tower of St. 
Mary's Church, forming really a fascinating scene, and, as 
you approach towards the castle, is still kept up by groups of 
noble Cedars of Lebanon. Close to the water, and a little 
way from the castle, is a beautiful picturesque group of 
weeping Larch, that on sight must shake the countenance of 
the croakers against this tree, as deserving a place amongst ; 
the picturesque. Close to themis a fine group of Sweet Chest- 
nuts, and flanking up this side of the castle are two magnifi¬ 
cent old Cedars, not so remarkable for their fine stems as | 
their numerous and sturdy old arms, which, as it were, I 
embrace the castle and river. From, under their shade is 
seen a beautiful view of the cascade, which one could have 
wished to have seen more wild and irregular. However, it is 
a massive affair, and, taking into consideration that it was 
done by or for a miller, it is not to be despised. 
In sweeping the eye across the river, it meets a very unsatis¬ 
factory object in the shape of a straight canal cut through the 
meadow, in connection with, and only a little way from, the 
river. Had this been the work of a Duke of Bridgewater, 
or for Hampshire or Dorsetshire irrigation, it would have been 
excusable; but for a Warwick lord to mangle and distort 
the Avon in front of his castle in this manner is unbearable. 
What would “Capability Brown” have said to this? For 
though I see learned men up to this day sneer at his 
gigantic artificial rivers and lakes, still they must allow that 
he was one of the first to set the example to follow nature, 
which, I dare to say, is the only true teacher ; and had my 
great predecessor been called in here, he would have ad- 
vised swamping the whole meadow, and allowing the water 
to lash the base of the opposite hill, which is now covered 
with fine timber trees, and even allowed these moderns 
more room for their favourite swan or two. Why not so ? 
On retiring round the house you pass a huge artificial 
mount, said to be raised by Etbelfleda a thousand years ago, 
j where stood the ancient keep raised by that spirited princess 
to keep in awe the turbulent spirits of the age, which would 
now, in my opinion, make one of the best terrace flower- 
I gardens in the country ; but, if not turned into this, I would 
j strongly advise clothing it with Ivy, Virginian Creepers, &c., 
j and introducing Yuccas, Houseleeks, Sedums, &c., where, , 
in dry seasons, it appears difficult to keep other plants alive, j 
A little farther on some men were plastering up the stem 
of by far what has been the finest Cedar of Lebanon on the . 
grounds, half of the top of which had fallen a few days j 
before, and so mangled what is now standing, that it will | 
not be safe, at least, in stormy weather, to remain near it; for 
this tree, unfortunately, like the Elm, is liable to this when 
full grown, and seldom gives any notice previously to its fall. 
This brought us again to the outer court; but, before 
parting with Mr. Spinks, he showed me a place on the right, 
between this court and Warwick, which formerly had been 
a stone quarry, and is now partially levelled and planted 
with Cedrus deodara, Taxodium , &c., which appear to thrive 
exceedingly well; but, as it appears to me, a noble place of 
this description ought to have a distinct floiver-garden, and 
; the above, methinks, would be more appropriately applied if 
1 laid out as such. 
I Allow me, in conclusion, to thank Mr. Spinks for his 
! courtesy and attention, and record what I was told, that the 
! present Lord of Warwick is not only a great admirer of 
I the best varieties of the Conifer tribe, but also, in company 
with his lady, a generous benefactor to the poor.’—D. Fer¬ 
guson, Stowe, Buckingham. 
NOTES FROM PARIS. 
M. Carriers, head of the fruit ornamental tree depart¬ 
ment at the Garden of Plants, has lately published a work 
which is intended as a guide to propagators. It is entitled 
“Guide Pratique du Jardinier Multiplicateur, on VArt de 
propager les Vegetanx par Semis, Boutures, Grejfes, Sc. This 
is a small duodecimo volume of about 270 pages. It is 
published by Dusacq, and sold at three francs and a half. 
M. Carriere is also author of an excellent treatise on 
Coniferse. , , 
Another literary novelty, just announced by the same 
publisher, is a work on drainage, by M. J. A. Barral, chiet 
editor of the Journal d’Agriculture Pratique. It is entitled i 
Drainage des Terres Arables ; but this is in three duodecimo j 
volumes, which together make about 1,500 pages._ It j 
contains ten plates and several hundred wood engravings, j 
The published price is fifteen francs. In England most 
people interested in the cultivation of the land do not j 
require many arguments to convince them of the utility or | 
importance of draining their garden or fields, or much 
instruction as to the practice; but here the operation is not 
known or understood among the great body of those who 
live by the soil. The very name “ drainage,” and many ot 
the terms employed in describing its various forms, are all 
of English origin. Those writers, therefore, who recom¬ 
mend the modem system of culture, and explain its 
advantages to the French people, deserve well of their 
country. But for anything like general circulation among 
that class most likely to be benefited by it, M. Barrals work 
is much too lengthy, and might have been greatly con¬ 
densed with advantage. None but a practised book-maker ; 
would have run out such a subject to anything like the 
half of fifteen hundred pages. 
M. Victor Borie recommends Cli<srophyllum bulbosum to 
the notice of kitchen gardeners, and he states that, though j 
not quite new, since it was cultivated, about ten yeais ago, 
by M. Jacques, gardener to King Louis Philippe, still it 
is but very little known as an esculent, and, therefore, may 
I be considered as a novelty. It is stated that, when boiled 
and eaten with butter, the bulbs of this plant are delicious, ] 
! mealy, and agreeably flavoured. They are also recommended 
as being very light and nourishing, while they may be 
cooked in a few minutes. . , , 
With respect to culture, the bulbs are raised from seed, 
which should be sown in a rich, slightly moist soil about 
the end of August or in September. The autuitm sowing j 
is said to have been found much more satisfactory than that 
of spring. The seed may be sown in drills, or broad-cast m 
beds. In either case only a very slight covering of earth is . 
required. The drills may be about six or eight inches 
apart; no precautions against frost are requited. The 
young plants come up about the end of February or eaily 
in March, and the after-treatment is the same as for Carrots. 
The bulbs may be lifted for use in the month of June ; but 
the general gathering should not be before the middle of 
July, and they may be stored like Carrots. The bulbs which 
are chosen for seed are not put in the ground till Maich ot 
the following year. It has been found that the largest and 
most vigorous umbels give the best seed; that is, such as , 
produce the largest bulbs and the most abundant crop. ; 
The seed should not be sown in soil which has been | 
previously cropped with Celery, for it has been obsei ved that 
the result is not satisfactory. . 
In the course of the summer I spent a few days in the 
vicinity of Montfermeil, a village situated about twenty 
miles from Paris. This part of the country is, in general, 
much elevated and thickly wooded; but it is only near the 
valleys where the trees attain anything like their real i 
I height. Spacious avenues traverse the wood in different 
directions, and in some places they extend to more than two 
miles. Th ere‘are one or two small market gardens round 
about; but cultivation seems to be in a very primitive state. 
There are also some small private gardens neatly enough 
laid out, and full of all the common things which are 
required for ornament or utility. People here must always 
have a number of statues among their flowers near the 
house. Apollos and Venuses preside over every clump; 
yet in one case, where everything was on a respectable scale, 
and in keeping with the modern school, I noticed a singular 
deviation from good taste. Instead of Cedrus deodara. 
Araucaria imbricata, or other handsome evergreens, several 
laree specimens of Rhubarb were the only occupants of the 
smooth lawn in front of the drawing-room windows. 
In another place I was shown ten or twelve fine healthy 
Orange-trees, which might average about six feet high. 
They had been obtained for about sixpence a-piece from 
the gardener of a gentleman, who, having too many for 
his house, had ordered these to be thrown away. Here, 
