148 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, December 7, 1858. 
in tlie neighbourhood of the mansion. These gardens 
occupy a jutting-out corner opposite the Devil’s-point 
battery at the victualling yards ; and, though nominally 
passing under the name of the Italian, the French, and 
the English garden, most of the distinctive features they 
may have once possessed are now lost, by the encroach¬ 
ments of the surrounding trees, and, perhaps, by their 
peculiarities not being kept distinct. 
We were fortunate in meeting at the entrance with 
the worthy gardener, Mr. Polly, who has had the ma¬ 
nagement here for about half a century, and in whom the 
fire of enthusiasm for his craft burns as brightly as it did 
in his younger days. We came first to what is called the 
Italian garden, of a circular form, with a fountain in the 
centre, and flower-beds round it, set off with lines and 
avenues of large Orange plants, in tubs ; backed with a 
spacious conservatory, 100 feet in length, into which the 
Orange trees are removed in winter; and fronted with 
a terrace, ornamented with various statues, having a 
Bacchus at one end, a Yenus at the other, and an Apollo 
in the centre. Close to this is the French garden, backed 
by a range of houses, for growing serviceable plants,layed 
out in parterres, and graced with festoons, bowers, and 
trelliswork. Beyond this is what is called the English 
garden, consisting chiefly of lawn, shrubbery, and borders. 
But most of these gardens were suffering from confinement. 
There were also shrubberies, as well as a flower garden, 
close to the house, the latter planted partly on the group¬ 
ing, and partly on the old mixed system, and all, but 
especially the three former, decorated profusely with 
urns, vases, and statues. The house is an elegant structure, 
in the castellated Tudor style, placed on a raised platform, 
the ground falling regularly to the beach. 
I do not guarantee the exact size of the specimens 
mentioned, but I believe it will be found that there is a 
close approximation. Ono side of the house is nearly 
covered with Myrtles, that are a mass of bloom every 
season. The plants are pruned close in, on the spurring 
system, in April, and during the summer the young 
flowering shoots are produced in a dense mass all over the 
space :—One Magnolia grandiflora tree, more than thirty 
feet in height, and more than 100 years old, from which 
young trees had been raised that were beating their pro¬ 
genitor. Orange trees, fourteen feet and more in height, 
with stems more than a foot in diameter. Several Cork 
trees, fully equal in height to those at Mamhead; but 
none, so far as I judged, so large in diameter or circum¬ 
ference of stem. Fine spreading evergreen Oaks, 100 feet 
in height. A huge Cupressus Permudiana, about twenty 
feet in circumference at three feet from the ground. 
Photinia serrulata, twenty feet in height by twenty-four 
feet in diameter of branches. Magnolias, of sorts, very 
fine. Pittosporum Tobira, some eight feet in height, and 
twelve feet in diameter. Pomegranates, large and healthy. 
SweetBays, forty feet in height, and thirty feet in diameter 
of head. Chinese Privets, from sixteen to twenty feet in 
diameter, and wide in proportion. Erica arborea alba, 
ten feet in height, and as much across. Arbutus, thirty 
to forty feet in height, and large circumference of head. 
Portugal Laurels, from thirty to forty feet in height, with 
clean stems from seven feet to ten feet, and circumference 
of stem from seven feet. Chimonanthus fragrans, about 
fourteen feet in height, and more in diameter of head. 
Calycanthus preco.r, fifteen feet in height, and fully 
twenty-one feet in circumference of head. Indian Bam¬ 
boos, more than twenty feet in height, and growing freely 
and gracefully. Camellias and Myrtles of great size. 
Hydrangeas, ranging from six to nine feet in height, and 
more than double’ in diameter of head. We noticed one 
perfectly beautiful Hydrangea, on an open lawn, from 
seven feet to eight feet in height, and nearly double that 
in diameter at the base, rounded off to a blunt cone in the 
centre, and the whole plant, from the ground to the 
summit, being one dense mass of deep blue flowers. On 
the afternoon previous, we admired the ladies and their 
dresses, on the Hoe, the great promenade of Plymouth,— 
for the time being, blue in its various shades was the 
fashionable colour for dresses. Our friend, generally 
gallant, was actually rude enough to say, that for all the 
elegance of the ladies, and expand themselves as they 
might with crinoline and steel bars, they would yet be 
far, as respects their dresses, from equalling that gorgeous 
Hydrangea. These Hydrangeas were blooming with 
many shades of colour, from pale pink to deep blue, and 
many had pink and blue blossoms on the same plant. 
Mr. Polly told us, that the colour there was greatly in¬ 
fluenced by the application, or the non-application, of a 
rich leaf-mould dressing to the roots, and that so 
generally was this the case, that, according to the treat¬ 
ment, one side of a large plant would produce blue, and 
the other side pink flowers. 
I would now allude to a few matters, in the way of con¬ 
clusion. 
1. Plants for the seashore. —Mr. Polly finds that none 
are superior to the Qgiercus ilex and the Pinus pinaster. 
As this is a matter of growing importance, it would be 
well if Mr. Polly would give a full detail of his very 
lengthened experience. It transpired, that on this subject 
Prince Albert is as anxious as any enthrtsiast among us. 
There is the budding of a tendency to imagine that old 
gardeners are not quite up to the mark in these wondrous 
railway times. It was very pleasing to find, as Mr. Polly 
said, that when the Prince visited Mount Edgecombe, he 
was among the first persons he inquired for ; and that 
plants and trees suited to amarine residence, and the mode 
in which visitors conducted themselves, when admitted 
freely into such a demesne, always constituted principal 
topics of inquiry and conversation. We could gather 
that, in such circumstances, the Prince was quite favour¬ 
able to visitors having access to refreshments, provided 
they were of an innocent, invigorating, and not of a 
stimulating character. 
2. Securing the comfort of visitors. —I do not know if 
upon other days it would be regular for visitors to ob¬ 
tain refreshment, except at the Edgecombe Arms, at the 
beach ; but on the public days (Mondays) there are 
several places appointed within the demesne,—such as 
lodges and cottages, where parties can be provided with 
hot water and the necessary utensils for tea, at the fixed 
charge of twopence each,—such parties providing them¬ 
selves with all the necessary supplies of tea, sugar, and 
eatables. This is not only a great advantage in such a 
bracing, extensive place, to those not the most vigorous 
and robust in health, but it offers to families and friends 
all the charms, with none of the inconveniences, of a 
gipseying picnic. Of course, those houses that receive 
this permission are so far answerable for the good con¬ 
duct of their temporary visitors. Mr. Polly assured us, 
that, with hardly a single exception, these multitudes of 
Monday visitors conducted themselves so well as to leave 
nothing to be desired. 
3. Treatment of the garden labourers. —I was grieved 
to learn, that the noble proprietor of this beautiful place 
could seldom live at the mansion, owing to bad health, 
but chiefly resided on the opposite side of the bay. 
Sometimes long-continued affliction embitters the spirit, 
and thus scourges our woes into additional poignancy; 
in other cases, it causes the heart to beat more tenderly 
for humanity, and enables us to sympathise more 
thoroughly in the distresses and troubles of others. This 
practical sympathy, seen and felt by those above him, is 
the most powerful instrument for reaching the heart of 
the working man. There can be no mistake as to its de¬ 
velopment at Mount Edgecombe. So far as I know, 
there may be a general rate of wages, below which none 
are paid; but a double encouragement is given to in¬ 
dustry and application, in the principle of giving an ad¬ 
vance of wages according to proved ability,— an advance 
which continues in health and hi sickness, in youth and in 
old age. If placed on the superannuation list, and unable 
