November 21, 1885. THE GARDENING WORLD. 
185 
entered through a grand iron fencing with gates, over 
which is the famous escutcheon of the family—a man 
with a flail, threshing, and the motto, “ Now, thus”— 
perhaps the oldest coat of arms among English families, 
and which we have reason to think was founded on an 
incident in the family history, but which we cannot 
now explain. We regret we could not see our friend, 
the head gardener, Mr. Sargesson, who has been here 
over forty years, and who, we regret to say, was too 
unwell to leave his room. Mr. Sargesson has for some 
time been wheeled about the garden in a chair, and to 
the credit of Sir Humphrey and Lady Annette de 
Trafford, they still keep him in the position of superin¬ 
tendent of the gardens, notwithstanding his great 
infirmities. The writer has a vivid recollection of the 
first visit he paid to this place in 1852, and the great 
pleasure he experienced in going round the place with 
Mr. Sargesson ; and much of the information he gained 
then has been of great use to him since. There is a 
various plant-houses and Vineries. There are many 
things amongst the plants here which were largely 
grown years ago, but which have, in many places, been 
elbowed-out by less worthy stuff. As we pass on the 
left we see a good crop of Grapes, and in a lobby are 
some noble Shaddocks. These have been a speciality 
here for many years. We were shown specimens pre¬ 
served over fourteen years ago in the house, where they 
have been much esteemed. There were some fine fruits 
on them. Peaches are done well also. 
At the back of these houses is another garden con¬ 
taining other houses and pits. Some nice Pine Apples 
were swelling up, and Cucumbers were growing at the 
back of the Pine pits. There were here also, again, the 
old-fashioned shrubby species of Cape Pelargoniums, and 
specimen Cactus of the kinds which Green and others 
loved to exhibit at Chiswick and “the Park ” in days of 
yore. There are plants here which would have delighted 
him, as for instance, C. speciosissimum, 8 ft. high, and 
while up the columns are trained climbers, and overhead 
trained on chains, are Cobtea scandens variegata, Tac- 
sonias, &c., rambling about of their own sweet will, 
intermixing with baskets of Ferns and flowers, and 
around the sides are Zonal Pelargoniums and Fuch¬ 
sias. 
The flower garden is laid out in geometrical beds ; at 
each corner, on the outsides, are four well-matched Yews. 
When brought from Wilmslow some years ago, these 
plants averaged five tons each, so that one may imagine 
what kind of shrubs they are now. Here also are one or 
two grand specimen standard Rhododendrons, one 
plant of Everestianum is an exceptionally fine specimen 
in size and shape. Here also is a clump of Berberis 
Darwinii on the grass ; while clumps of hybrid Rhodo- 
dendrons, Thuya, and Rose beds combine to form a 
pretty picture, and Tulip trees, deciduous Cyprus, 
Turkey Oaks, and fine Elms, add to the picture a noble 
background. We noticed an old-fashioned archway 
Ckinum Powelli in its kaiser’s garden at Southbokough. 
fine range of glass in this garden, extending nearly the 
whole width. In front of the entrance is a pine stove ; 
as we walk towards it we note some fine hedges of 
Pyrus japonica, though, alas! suffering from the series 
of wet, sunless summers and severe frosts. Further 
along we see another walk parallel with this, full of 
herbaceous plants. In front of the Pine stove are some 
flower beds, some of them filled with Oxalis Boweana 
and Zephyranthus, throwing up hundreds of white 
Crocus-like flowers. These beds have been undisturbed 
for many years, though they have a dressing of decom¬ 
posed manure frequently. 
As we enter the Pine-stove, on either hand are 
glorious masses of Strelitzia Regina, with scores of its 
curious Orange and blue-tipped flowers. These are 
planted out at the end of the Pine-pits ; Pines are 
chiefly successions. Along the curbs and round the 
sides are flowering plants—numbers of Amaryllis aulica 
superba, Dracaenas, &c. Overhead, and hanging in 
festoons, are Passiflora, and hanging baskets of Ferns— 
Panicum variegatum and other plants ; while on one 
side, and running up the roof, is a wonderful specimen 
of the night-blooming Cactus. On our right hand are 
proportionally through. We were told the garden walls 
were formerly covered with Banksian Roses, but they 
were killed in 1881 with the snowstorm and frost of 
March. We are obliged to pass over much that we saw, 
and enter the pleasure ground and flower garden. The 
latter is a sunk pannel with an ornamental fountain in 
the centre, as was so much the fashion twenty-five years 
ago. The garden was designed by Mr. Kemp, of 
Birkenhead, and the work and planting was carried 
out by Mr. Sargesson. In this garden is a lofty conser¬ 
vatory, standing on a terrace surrounded by stone 
balustrades, and approached by stone steps. This house 
was built by Messrs. John Weeks & Co. in 1860, and 
is one of their best efforts. On the balustrades are 
vases containing Pelargoniums, Agapanthus, &e., while 
to balance and harmonise the whole, are variegated 
Hollies, and Sweet Bay Laurels, pyramids, kept clipped 
close in ; these are growing in tubs. In the centre of 
the house in a circular bed, is a fine specimen of double 
white Camellia, 18 ft. by 18 ft., and which produces 
thousands of flowers each year. On either hand are grand 
plants of Brugmansia suaveolens, Rhyncospermums, 
Indigoferas, and other plants intermixed with Camellias ; 
adjoining a rockery, passing under which leads out into 
some other walks, these lead out on to the lawns and 
pleasure grounds which are well laid out 
But the space at our command prevents us doing 
justice to our friends work, we must therefore pass on, 
for we have nearly another two miles to walk before 
we get out of the Park. We are now in the hamlet of 
Whiggleswiek, and we pass through a fine avenue of 
trees, part of the once famous wood of this hamlet; 
this is perhaps half a mile long. On one side of us are 
herds of young cattle grazing; in the deer park, the 
noble antlered stags seem too lazy to move at our 
approach, but look hard at us ; on the other hand are 
Channel Island milch cows and hunters turned out to 
rest. Presently we pass a noble Beech and a cluster of 
Spanish Chestnut, Sycamore, and Oak, chiefly Quercus 
pedunculata, some of their boles measuring over 16 ft. in 
circumference. Baines, the Lancashire historian, says 
there formerly stood another mansion in this hamlet, 
but we think he is in error, for all this park has 
been trenched over, and the only remains found 
have been some hovels, in which resided some half- 
dozen serfs or villians, retainers of the former lords. 
