THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, November 2, 1858. 
67 
in future, and witli great propriety, as the Magnolias 
could occupy all the space comfortably, and as anything 
else was thoroughly dwarfed and meagre beside them. The 
Magnolias are almost entirely of the Exoniensis variety 
of grandiflora. On one side I couuted more than three 
huudred open flowers, and then gave up. By nipping out i 
the points of a number of shoots in the spring, especially 
of those not likely to bloom, fresh shoots are produced, 
that bloom freely in autumn, and swell their buds even 
in winter. These latter, cut and placed in a house in 
water, where there is a moderate heat, open freely, and 
thus, unless in an extra severe season, Magnolia blooms 
may be obtained all the year round. With little of the 
envious in my temperament, I did feel just an inkling of 
jealousy towards our Devonshire friends, in noticing their 
Magnolias, Hydrangeas, Myrtles, and Bigs. 
The flower garden, as a whole, was a pleasant change 
from the fashionable - grouped flower gardens in this 
neighbourhood. There were many little groups of bed¬ 
ding plants, that came in nicely between fine specimens : 
of trees, and masses of shrubs, many of which bloomed I 
in winter, and early in spring. Instead of blazes of colour, 
without a sufficiency of light and shade, there was a great 
variety of outline and form, arising from the naturally 
diversified mode of growth and foliage presented by the j 
numerous trees and shrubs. Nicely as the flower-beds 
looked, I could well believe, that the garden in spring, 
when enriched with blooming bulbs, Primroses, Poly¬ 
anthus, Violets, &c., would be quite as lovely as in the 
end of August. Beautiful foliaged plants were also 
brought into request. Close to the grass avenue, in front 
of the temple, were two fine plants of Draccena longiflora; 
and, in other parts, fine specimens of Yucca grandifiora 
aud Pampas Grass. Beautiful Junipers and Cypresses 
were there, as well as Deodars, different Pines, very 
largo Araucarias, and Abies Douglassii, with their more 
massive outlines. Either here, or close at hand, a splendid 
Araucaria was bearing female cones, swelling freely, 
having been fertilised from another fine tree bearing male 
cones. A beautiful Deodar was also bearing cones on 
several of its branches. Space would fail to chronicle the 
Camellias, the large Myrtles, the Aloysias, Leptosper- 
mums, Edwardsias, Arbutuses, and, more especially the 
Escallonia, which here find a suitable home ,—Escallonia 
Montevidensis, and the other best kinds, not only living 
without protection, but blooming freely in most winters. 
In addition to other cares, Mr. Barnes, though requiring 
a good number of bedding plants, lias not made more 
work, by covering a large space with that peculiar style 
of gardening alone ; but, if such a style of gardening, 
combined with the highly artistic, should ever become a 
desideratum at Bicton, I know of no place where it could 
appear to better advantage, than on the beautiful lawn 
between the flower garden and the water. All the sur¬ 
roundings would add to the beauty and the grandeur of 
such a position. The present flower garden would be a 
nice contrast; and, as there is abundance of water, the 
vista opening between the banks might be transferred 
into a series of cascades. One word more. The very 
steep banks render them more artistic, than if they had a 
greater slope; but the artistic beauty is considerably . 
lowered, from the apparent difficulty of mowing them,— 
an idea which must strike every one who has handled a 
scythe. It transpired that few of the men could do it 
well. Where there was so much space, a few feet wider | 
at the base could make but little difference in appearance, 
and would add much in the way of comfort. There were 
some round, whitish knobs of wood, here aud there, on 
the banks. My friend wanted to bet ever so much that 
they were Mushrooms. The bet came to nothing, as, in , 
such matters, a farthing’s worth is generally my standard. 
Bat it struck me afterwards, that these rounded pieces of 
wood might cover the holes in which the scythe’s-man in 
the centre might be able to stick his heels, aud thus, at 
times, steady himself. These very steep grass banks seem 
to be getting fashionable. Such excessive steepness, in 
my humble opinion, is purchased at too great a price, so 
far as comfort in management is concerned. 
A door opens in the Magnolia wall on the east side, 
close to the steps at the steep bank, and you are ushered 
into a rock or block garden, with a shell and mineral house 
at its highest point. These had all been removed, and 
the house was in the hands of the masons, &c., as the dry 
rot had got into it. This block garden was chiefly graced 
with Ferns, small Alpines, and other fine-leaved plants. 
Perhaps the most interesting of the latter were two lofty, 
very graceful plants, forming almost a natural arch, of 
the Palm-like Arundinaria falcata. I saw either the 
same kind, or one extremely like it, shortly afterwards, 
at the Crystal Palace, under the name of Arundinana 
Himalaya. 
The most striking thing, as a work of art, in this 
garden, is a pillared fountain, some ten feet, or more, 
in height, formed of stone, flints, &c., and covered with 
Perns, Lycopods, and common Mosses, through which 
the water, after issuing from the top, trickles down very 
prettily. Here we get fine peeps of the parish church 
through the trees ; and, emerging southward from the 
block garden, we get again on a beautiful lawn, orna¬ 
mented with splendid Magnolias, Araucarias, and almost 
every variety of Thorn along its banks. This lawn 
separates the rockery from the church, and is intersected 
by a beautiful rivulet, the banks of which are graced 
with large plants of Arundo donax, to be diversified with 
masses of the Pampas Grass, and, I believe, the elegant 
Arundinaria, just referred to. This stream winds onto the 
American garden, containing all the best Rhododendrons, 
Azaleas, and a large collection of all such bog plants, the 
first sight of which we had that morning, when coming 
from Budleigh Salterton, the road passing close to it, and 
merely divided from it by a steep bank of trees. 
The church has been erected by Lady Rolle, as a 
memorial of her husband, the late Lord ltolle, and the 
interior is a rare combination of fitness, in unison with 
elegance and simplicity. Part of the old church is still 
standing, and contains, in a recumbent position, two 
exquisite marble statues of two predecessors of the 
family, and a most elegant and elaborate piece of carved 
work on stone, to the memory of the late Lord Rolle. 
From the front of the church, the eye sweeps over part 
of the scenes I have attempted to describe, taking in part 
of the flower garden, and the buildings beyond. The 
beautiful itself is a monitor for good. How tranquilising 
such scenes!—how soothing to the spirit, harassed with 
cares aud anxieties ! In such trees and flowers, there 
are heart-searching, heart-humbling, and heart-elevating 
sermons. Rightly read, they must ever prove a good 
preparation for the more solemn teachings of the sanc¬ 
tuary. Here such influences may well act and re-act on 
each other. 
The kitchen garden, to the lover of good culture, and to the 
young gardener, is, perhaps, the most important feature at 
Bicton. We have less regret, however, in skipping it hurriedly 
over, as the theory and practice of cultivation there carried on 
were detailed in the earlier volumes of this journal. We were 
rather surprised at its smallness, but that is remedied by close 
and rotation cropping. Naturally of a thin sandy soil, the staple 
is now greatly increased in depth and fertility, by loosening more 
and more of the subsoil every year, and adding what fresh soil 
can be obtained from the neighbourhood, and the refuse from 
potting benches, &e. Most of the cropped ground is divided into 
ridges, running north and south, twelve feet wide at the base, and 
raised from fifteen to twenty-four inches in the centre. The 
ridge acts as a protection to each side alternately. As surface and 
rather deep-soil stirring are much insisted on, these wide ridges, 
in addition to other advantages, enables this stirring to be given 
without treading the ground, as most stirring may be done from 
the hollow alley between the ridges. I have long used similar 
ridges, even when running east and west, with advantage. 
Mr. Barnes sows his Cauliflower seed in the last week of Sep¬ 
tember but the mam crop in the second week of October, in a slight 
