20 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, October 12, 1858. 
One of the marks of the go-aheadism of the age—the 
growing desire for movement and seeing fresh scenes— 
furnishes a fine field for the development of this national 
characteristic. It matters hut little whether a man 
actually travels or not, provided that a subject gives him 
an opportunity to grumble. Pop in upon that worthy 
gardener who believes in his heart that there is no place 
comparable with his own,—and, ere long, you are regaled 
with the chant, “ I cant get out, I never can get out,” just 
because he won’t go out, feeling, as he does, that, if he only 
did so, all the relish and sweetness of his chief cause of 
grumbling would be irrecoverably gone. How many, on 
the other hand, go a-touring every year, just that they 
may have the pleasure of grumbling. Take up any number 
of the Leviathan press, especially after the autumn pro¬ 
rogation of Parliament, and reckon yourself fortunate 
if you do not meet with a whole host of complaints, more 
especially as respects the Continent, regarding passports, 
vises, bad accommodation, exorbitant charges, gendarmes, 
surveillance, turning the effects of portmanteaus topsy¬ 
turvy, detention of luggage, and detention at times of 
their own valuable persons. I should be sorry to deprive 
all such of the pleasure of snorting their wrongs. “ But” 
the Times might just ask them, “ Didn’t you know all this 
before you crossed the water? Would it not be as well 
now that you tried some of the sights in the British 
Isles P ” 1 do not believe that one in twenty of those who 
talk so homely about Bidong (Boulogne), who seem at 
times in such ecstacies about the beauties of Peri (Paris), 
—pronouncing the word correct enough, no doubt, but so 
different to our jog-trot vernacular, that really it is some 
time before we can make out whether their lucubrations 
have reference to a spirit of the Persians, or to the bona 
fide capital of our Gallic neighbours ;—I do not believe 
that one in twenty of these admirers and grumblers, in 
turn, have ever given themselves the opportunity of visit¬ 
ing the Trosachs, of revelling amid the beauties of Scottish 
Lowland scenery, or of being struck with awe with the 
romantic grandeur of its highland wilds,—have ever 
visited the lake districts, so associated with the heights 
and depths of poesy,—ever climbed the beautiful Welsh 
mountains,—ever sought out the picturesque grandeur of 
the home and midland counties,—ever gazed on the pic¬ 
turesque, romantic, undulating scenery of Devonshire,— 
or visited the Cove of Cork and the Lakes of Killarney,— 
or had a kiss of the blarney stone,—though in one and all 
they would meet and receive a hearty welcome. 
For purposes in which gardening scarcely entered into 
consideration, I and a friend lately spent a few days in 
South Devon, and so pleased were we with the scenery 
we witnessed, and the kind treatment we everywhere 
experienced among total strangers, that I consider it 
a duty to warn all, to whom grumbling is a source of 
happiness, not to go there; for, if their grumbling can exist 
amid such places as Torquay, and the romantic scenery in 
its neighbourhood,—if not dreamed away on the downiest 
of beds, if not exorcised by Devonshire ham, eggs, and 
pullets, it will be sure to be effectually drowned in a vessel 
of Devonshire cream. So grumbler, if you do venture, 
go well armed, and resolve not to be pleased. 
The beauties of the landscape, however striking, could 
not quite keep us from indulging the ruling passion, by 
visiting, when at Exeter, the celebrated nursery of the 
Messrs. Yeitch, so well known for the introduction of 
novelties, and the superior cultivation practised in all 
departments. To gain access to the nursery, you must 
pass through the town to a distance of something like two 
miles from the Exeter station. The main entrance walk, 
or promenade, is distinguished by having fine specimens 
of the best hardy trees and shrubs,—generally in pairs, 
opposite each other, along its sides,—thus at once pre¬ 
senting to the purchaser a great amount of information 
as to the character and outline of the plants he might be 
induced to purchase. About midway the length of this 
promenade walk, two walks branch off at right angles, 
one leading to the conservatory, plant-houses, &c., and 
the other to a curvilinear - like house, used chiefly for 
sheltering the tender beauties of the Pine tribe. This 
cross walk is graced with fine specimens of Araucarias, 
Deodars, &c. Near the point of juncture, a rough piece 
of rockwork is thrown up by means of large blocks of 
stone, &c.; and this is chiefly devoted to plants with 
singular or fine foliage, — as Wellingtonias, Yuccas, 
Pampas Grass, hardy Ferns, &c., which will become 
more interesting every year. On the right-hand side, a 
miniature lake is enclosed, supplied with Water Lilies, 
&c., and its sides also planted with Alpines and Ferns. 
Amongst these, a row of scarlet Geraniums had also been 
placed,—no doubt for the purpose of pleasing visitors, 
even in such a place, with a lighting up with gaudy colours, 
but which appeared to us, to be the only departure from 
that appropriateness and refined taste everywhere else 
observable in this nursery. I have of late noticed, that in 
such places, designed to represent a piece of wild natural 
scenery, there is, frequently, too much apparent of high 
keeping, uniform width of walks, &c. A friend of ours 
has thrown up a large rockery of this description, chiefly 
for Ferns, Alpines, and fine-leaved plants of all kinds ; 
and one of its charms arises from allowing Arabis, Sedums, 
and the smaller Phloxes, &c., to encroach more or less 
upon the walks, depriving them thoroughly of the idea of 
trimness and regularity. 
At the end of this promenade, two other walks branch 
off at right angles, one to the left, leading to the offices, 
yards, pits, &c.; and the other going round large banks 
of Boses,—as fully in bloom, in the last days of August, 
as they could have been in the first days of July. A gate 
in the fence enables you to enter the private demesne of 
Mr. Yeitch, sen., and to notice the pretty lawn, orna¬ 
mented with flower-beds round its side, filled on the 
grouping system, some with one colour in each, and others 
with contrasted colours, mixed, &c. The most observ¬ 
able features, however, were fine specimens of Araucarias, 
Wellingtonias, Deodars, beautiful variegated Hollies, and 
an avenue formed chiefly, as far as I recollect, of Irish 
Yews, as a private entrance from another road. 
Although, on the whole, the establishment contains a 
good amount of glass, yet there was much less than I 
had expected to find, considering what quantities of 
plants had issued from it for so many years,—showing that 
energy and concentration of purpose had more to do with 
its fame, than mere house room, or extent of ground. In 
getting among the pits, I was pleased to find one long one 
devoted to Alpines and hardy Ferns, in pots, which must 
be very interesting, especially in the spring months, when 
so many of the former are in bloom. In order that 
visitors might be able to form some idea of what the little 
Ferns in the pots would come to, a span-roofed house 
had been made, merely covered with thin canvass, the 
sides consisting of a hedge of Cupressus sempervirens, as 
far as I recollect. A large vase was placed in the centre, 
with a jet for water, and the Ferns were arranged around, 
in vases and large pots: many of them, especially the 
smaller kinds, were very fine specimens, and all screened 
from the sun by the canvass shade, and perfectly at home. 
It had not been determined on, whether, on removing the 
canvass in the autumn, when the sun’s rays were less 
powerful, the Ferns should be left there, exposed all the 
winter; but, if so, I presume some means would be 
resorted to for protecting the pots and vases at least. 
I may here notice, that a large square seemed devoted 
to the most showy herbaceous plants, such as a great 
variety of Phloxes, large specimens of Statice latifolia, 
and others, finely in bloom ; beds of Delphinium formo- 
sum, and lines of Delphinium eardinale, which looked very 
nice with its scarlet flowers ; and, I have no doubt, would 
tell well if the plants were planted thick enough. In 
the ground appropriated for annuals, the beauty had in 
most cases gone, but there was a nice mass of blueish- 
lilac Nyctevina selaginoides, showing it would tell well 
