211 
THE COTTaGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Jantaby 4 , 1859. 
vapour. With healing power, however simple, the little 
spring rivulet passing through the house would be very 
useful, as well as interesting. However simple the mode, 
we would advise all who wish to enjoy their greenhouses, 
to have means of heating them, not only in frosty, but in 
long periods of dull weather. Other things being equal, 
the greater spaee of atmosphere enclosed, the less trouble 
will the management entail. The smaller the number of 
feet of air enclosed, in proportion to outside surface, the 
sooner will such a house be heated and cooled, and con¬ 
sequently more continuous inspection will be required. 
K. Fish. 
ELVASTON CASTLE. 
Amongst the few places of note, shut up in strict se¬ 
clusion from the rest of the world, Elvaston Castle was 
one which the pen of an eminent horticultural writer had 
made famous for its Pine trees, and features of an extra¬ 
ordinary character. Many and fruitless were the at¬ 
tempts made in years gone by to get a peep at this 
remarkable place. But that all-powerful leveller of dis¬ 
tinctions, death, having removed the former proprietor of 
the place, its present possessor exhibited a more liberal 
spirit, and opened the long-concealed treasures of 
Elvaston to the inspection of the public, on certain occa¬ 
sions, and under certain conditions. As it often happens, 
however, when the difficulty of access was removed, the 
anxiety to see it, in a great measure, ceased also. Never¬ 
theless, many availed themselves of the privilege: yet 
we have few descriptions of it in print. Possibly, some 
may have been deterred by the difficulty of describing a 
place differing so much from others in its principal 
features ; or, perhaps, a feeling of delicacy may have pre¬ 
vented others from publishing what they did not approve 
of. Be this as it may, Elvaston Castle, though unques¬ 
tionably an attractive place, is certainly not so much so 
as it was a dozen yeare ago. 
The mention of-Derbyshire conveys an idea of high 
hills, cascades, and all the features of rugged and romantic 
scenery ; but, though Elvaston is, I believe, in this 
county, the situation is one exactly the reverse to the 
above. A level plain,‘extending apparently for several 
miles, through which the river Derwent sluggishly Hows, 
and fields bearing heavy crops of corn and grass, with 
but a thin sprinkling of timber, and that not remarkable 
for size,—this will give you an idea of the natural 
scenery; and, though some low situations have the ad¬ 
vantage of the more romantic outlines of mountain and 
water, here there is little or nothing that way, to vary 
the general monotony of the neighbourhood. Every¬ 
thing, therefore, that Elvaston possesses in the way of 
sylvan beauty has been added to it, few places, that 1 
am acquainted with, having less assistance that way from 
their natural position. But I do not think the same 
effects could have been produced on a broken, uneven 
surface as is here produced on a level one ; consequently, 
what most people would have regarded as an evil has 
been the very basis of all the operations carried on here 
for so many years, and with such untiring assiduity. 
The mere planting of a tree, or plot of ground—which, in 
very many instances, completes the work required for 
some years, when a natural group, or clump, is concerned 
—is not the case here, for trees have been planted to as¬ 
sume certain artificial shapes and purposes, which have 
taken a lifetime to attain ; and the care and attention 
they have received during that time proves the undeviat¬ 
ing purpose of those having the work in hand. But, as 
a more precise description of it may be preferable to 
generalities, I will here give such an idea of it as my 
memory will allow me, for I did not take any notes at 
the time I saw it. 
The castle, or rather mansion, is of unpretending ap¬ 
pearance, and is situated about five miles from Derby. 
The river Derwent flows between it and the Borrowach 
station, on the Midi and Conn tre 8- rail way, about a mil# 
distant. I believe there, is a high wall surrounding 
the grounds, or • park, the approach by carriage-road 
being somewhat of the same description as the other 
features—that is, flanked with Pines the whole way ; 
and, consisting of easy and agreeable curves, it is very 
likely the same as it was before the other grounds were 
planted. Nevertheless, it is proper to mention, that 
even this carriage-road has an edging, not of turf cut in 
the usual way, but of some low-growing tree, or shrub, 
clipped with mathematical precision about a foot high, 
and about double that in width, Pines of various kinds 
being planted beyond it. But this is not so remarkable 
as the long, straight avenue, planted on the turf, the 
trees leaving a clear opening of about eighty or one 
hundred feet: one end points to some important object, 
as a Church, or distant hill; while the other centres on 
other great features, to be noted hereafter. The front 
row of these avenues was often formed of the Irish Yew ; 
second row, Araucaria imbricata; third row, Cedrus 
deodara ; and behind that, some other trees of a miscel¬ 
laneous character, all, however, being Pines. The inner 
end of one of these avenues was blocked up by a mass of 
Golden Yew, planted so as to form a peculiar object in 
the centre, and also to form some other work, which the 
visitor is suddenly introduced to by an intricate opening, 
the feature being a sort of architectural imitation of a court, 
with colonnade, arches, &c., complete. Sculpture is very 
sparingly introduced, and that very prudently, perhaps ; 
for one or two of the most remarkable of these courts, or 
gardens, as they are called, is certainly spoiled by an 
ugly glazed building, which may have a parallel in Japan 
or China. To gain access to one of these oddities, it is 
necessary to step over a barrier at the threshold, upwards 
of two feet high ; but the many fanciful figures within 
the enclosure, in which you seem shut up from tlm rest 
of the world, inspire the visitor with wonder and admira¬ 
tion of the perseverance which actuated the designer and 
executor of these works. Here are columns of Yew,— 
accurately clipped to a style which Sir E. Barry, or 
anyone else, would have little to improve upon,—sur¬ 
mounted by an eagle taking wing, or, in some cases, a 
cock; also a seines of columns in exact line, bearing an 
archway of the same sylvan material. But, as may be 
expected, no ingenuity could obtain a perfectly green 
surface on the underside of the roof of an aisle; yet 
everything possible was done, and a degree of symmetry 
was attained which could hardly be excelled in masonry. 
Some of the columns of Yew were surmounted with the 
figure of a crown, formed by bending (perhaps on an iron 
frame) the boughs into the proper shape ; and, at certain 
places, portions of the Golden Yew were grafted on with 
good effect, to represent gems, or other ornaments, on 
that peculiar article of royal attire. Other plants were 
also used as well as the Yew—namely, the Chinese and 
American Cedar, and several low-growing shrubs. The 
central portion of one of these courts was occupied as a 
garden (so-called), the plants forming it being low-grow¬ 
ing shrubs, clipped to a certain fanciful shape, and in 
such a manner as to occupy just a certain position as a 
flower-bed. Of course, several plants were wanted for 
each, and some variety was given to the never-changing 
appearance they must have, by the different hues of the 
foliage — such as the common Juniper, Yew, Golden 
Yew, Kalmia latifolia, Ac. But the chief merit was 
the novelty and accuracy with which each part was 
done. 
It may be proper here to say, that the Chinese summer¬ 
house, alluded to above, was intended to overlook the 
garden, which it partly does. But the garden tails short 
of interest, compared with the columns, pyramids, long 
colonnades, and wall-looking buildings, with accurately- 
formed doorways ; and other things, impossible to par¬ 
ticularise. It is sufficient to say. that, generally speaking, 
everything was in pairs—one side represented the other; 
