GG 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, November 2, 1858. 
thirty-five feet in width and height,—with Musas of dif¬ 
ferent kinds in fruit, and Cycas revoluta throwing up a 
strong fruiting-stem, with nothing the matter with the 
plants, except that one and all were crying out for more 
room. Also, through a large orchard-house, with few 
things in bloom, but also filled to overflowing,—many of 
our best stove plants finding a home there, and also in the 
palm-house. There is, also, a span-roofed heath-house,— 
about fifty feet long, fifteen wide, and about thirteen in 
height,—having a Portland stone platform in the centre, 
and a shelf, two feet wide, of the same material all round. 
A New Holland - house, furnished in a similar manner, 
was chiefly filled with well-grown Puclisias : that tribe 
of plants (the New Holland), and many of the Heaths, 
were rusticating in frames,—some under glass, and some 
under thin bunting, and some thoroughly exposed, accord¬ 
ing to them circumstances. There were also beds sur¬ 
rounded with neat posts, rafters, and rails, of a permanent 
character, permitting of shelter being thrown over them, 
and also removable at any time. Many of the New Holland 
plants and Heaths had a row of large, equal-sized pebbles 
placed round the sides of the pot, to secure moisture and 
coolness to the roots, even whilst the collar of the plant 
was considerably elevated. All seemed to be potted in 
the rough, fibry material, which was kept looser still by 
means of pebbles, and pieces of charcoal, and a fair ad¬ 
mixture of pure sand, which Mr. Barnes was among the first 
to practice, and recommend to the gardening world. In 
these standing beds, were large quantities of Chrysanthe¬ 
mums, Salvias, Primulas, &c., for autumn and winter 
blooming. We also looked into a neat, commodious, 
propagating-house, but which had no great number of 
tenants just then. The chief pine-house, or pit, is span- 
roofed, and not much under 100 feet in length, with full 
command of heating power, for bottom heat, top heat, 
and throwing in volumes of vapour when desired. The 
plants were healthy and robust, but not at all remarkable 
for their strength, or height, though, as we saw, producing 
good fruit. Some years ago we were also struck with 
the short, stubby plants at Trentham. The careful culti¬ 
vation, the great command of heating power, counteracted 
with such thorough command of light on all sides, and a 
plentiful admission of air,—all tend to produce this 
stubby habit. The plants were in pots, and growing in 
open, lumpy, fibry soil, enriched at times from the va¬ 
rious manure-water receptacles. 
So far as I recollect, there is only one long light on 
each side of the span, the lower end resting on a low side 
wall. Such a long light woidd be unwieldy in general 
circumstances, and would cither require to be taken off, 
or held up, when examining, or watering the plants,— 
both to a certain extent interfering with economy in 
labour. All this is prevented by a very simple con¬ 
trivance,—a hollow space is left, between the central 
ridge board and the ridge roll, sufficient to allow the end 
of one light to pass over the other. The flush, or coping 
board, is divided, on each side, into as many pieces as 
there arc lights, and each of these pieces is hinged to the 
ridge roll; a turn button between every two keeps this 
coping flushing-board as close as if it was fastened all 
the way along; turn these buttons, and you may push 
your lights up high enough, on either side, for all neces¬ 
sary purposes. This plan might be adopted, with much 
advantage, in wide span-roofed pits. We also found 
great quantities of Pines growing in rough dung beds, in 
an enclosed corner, with the dung packed up to the top 
of the frames and rough boxes : but we will describe the 
mode of managing hot-beds when we come to the kitchen 
garden. 
Besides these, we found two peach-houses with good 
wood, the fruit all gathered and the wood rough-pruned, 
in order that the light should have more influence, and 
the energies of the plants be more concentrated in the 
wood left; also two vineries of good size,—one in a bear¬ 
ing state, and the other fully exposed, the fruit and 
nearly 'all the leaves being gone. In this house, the 
plants were chiefly grown in a raised pit, surrounded by 
wood in the centre of the house, in order that, for early 
forcing, the roots should be more thoroughly under 
control. Whatever else there might be in the front range, 
it had the elegant temple already mentioned for its 
centre, and a conservatory on each side,—each between 
forty and fifty feet in length, and about eighteen feet in 
width and height. 
Before leaving this village of glass-houses, I may state, 
that the shed room for tools, mushroom-houses, working 
under cover, potting sheds, &c., is very ample,—the 
potting benches being of as durable material as the 
shelves in the heath and orchid-house, and the supports 
dividing the space below into bins for different kinds of 
soil, charcoal, &c., none of which is ever mixed before 
using, every care being taken to get the compost sweet 
and aired, without the decay of its fibre; that the 
whole of these sheds, down to the ashpits of the furnaces, 
were in trim order ; that a fine Glycine Sinensis covered 
a large space of the roof of one of these ranges of 
sheds ; and that, with the exception of the regular stand¬ 
ing-places for plants, under such stages as I have referred 
to, the whole of the pathways and open spaces round the 
houses were pitched with pebbles, set firmly and regu¬ 
larly on end,—each being about the size of Lapstone 
Kidney Potatoes,—such pebbles, of all sizes, being found 
plentifully on the shore. Not a single weed was per¬ 
ceptible, and in the heaviest rain, as well as during the 
brightest sunshine, a pleasant, firm pathway was pre¬ 
sented, in which you could leave no foot marks. I may 
here mention, also, that in all the pathways in the grounds, 
having any considerable declivity, the sides of the walk, 
for about the width of a foot, are pitched with smaller 
pebbles ; and, in order still further to prevent the running 
and dislodging of the gravel in rain storms, iron pipes, 
with small openings, are placed at intervals across the 
walks. 
From what has already been stated, the position of the 
flower garden will be easily seen extending southwards 
as far as the steep bank of grass, bounded on the east and 
west by the Magnolia walls or hedges, each 230 feet long ; 
that wall, also, extending near to the water, and thus 
enclosing most of the beautiful level lawn between the 
flower garden and the water. Standing in front of the 
temple in the centre of the conservatory range,—the 
temple graced with busts, in niches, of the Duke of 
Wellington, Nelson, Sir Walter Raleigh, &c., and a small 
border close to the houses, throwing up in abundance 
spikes of the Belladonna Lily,—you find that, after passing 
the wide, smooth, gravel walk, a grass avenue divides the 
garden into two equal divisions. On each side, not far 
from this gravel terrace, are placed two small, beautiful 
fountains, and rich vases, &c., are not wanting as acces¬ 
sories. Bight opposite the avenue, a fine artistic fountain 
is placed in the centre of the sheet of water, and, farther 
on, a wide break in the steep bank, which bounds the 
garden in this direction, brings in the obelisk already 
referred to, in the centre of the vista, and thus agreeably 
breaking the sky outline. The space from the top of 
that bank to the park is planted; and at the west corner 
is a gigantic Lime tree, little less than 100 feet in height, 
with girth large in proportion, and its branches hanging 
in the most graceful manner down to the bank. 
At regular intervals round the piece of water is a row 
of beautiful standard Sweet Bays, the heads kept in 
regular, but yet not heavy outline, by a regular pruning, 
but so done, that the cuts of the knife were invisible, 
unless sought for. In the west corner, was also a col¬ 
lection of Yuccas, forming a striking contrast to the 
smooth lawn, from which they were not distant, though 
separated. 
A small border separated the Magnolia walls (two) from 
the walks, and this had temporary flowering plants along, 
its edge ; but these, I understood, were to be discontinued 
