June  24,  1897. 
JOURNAL  of  horticulture  and  cottage  gardener. 
549 
Proceeding  a  little  farther  we  come  in  contact  with  the  high  portion 
of  the  slopes. 
The  Queen  Victoria  walk  or  drive  passe3  along  near  the  edge  of  the 
great  natural  terraoe,  and  from  it  glimpses  are  obtained,  between  the 
trees,  of  the  deep  picturesque  dell  below.  On  the  park  side  of  this 
walk  are  to  be  planted  at  wide  intervals  a  number  of  trees  of  the 
blue-tinted  Mount  Atlas  Cedar,  Cedrus  atlantica  glauca,  which  are 
destined  to  become  historical,  for  they  are  to  commemorate  the  great 
reign  of  their  Royal  owner,  which  is  now  being  so  heartily  celebrated 
in  all  parts  of  her  vast  dominions.  The  Mount  Atlas  Cedar  is  a  beau¬ 
tiful  hardy  long-lived  tree,  the  glaucous  form  growing  as  freely  as  the 
green,  and  is  singularly  attractive.  The  young  trees  are  established 
in  baskets  for  the  purpose  of  insuring  their  growth  when  planted  in 
the  summer.  They  will  add  a  distinct  feature  of  interest  and  beauty 
to  the  Royal  demesne. 
The  Slopes  of  Windsor. 
Pass  we  now  to  the  lower  ground.  For  quiet,  secluded,  romantic 
scenery  the  slopes  of  Windsor  are  justly  famed.  This  is  really  a  wood¬ 
land  garden,  ex¬ 
tending  from  the 
extreme  northern 
end  of  the  Castle, 
near  the  100  steps 
leading  from  the 
town  to  the 
Castle,  clothing 
the  steep  banks 
of  the  Castle 
heights,  and  the 
ground  on  the  flat 
below  for  nearly 
a  mile,  with  mag¬ 
nificent  trees  of 
great  size  and 
antiquity.  They 
are  mostly  Beech, 
Chestnuts,  Elms, 
Oaks,  Planes, 
with  many  Scotch 
and  ordinary  Fir 
trees.  The  level 
on  which  we  are 
standing  is  up¬ 
wards  of  200  feet 
higher  than  the 
lower  portion  of 
these  grounds.  As 
there  is  a  shady 
and  rural  walk  on 
the  top  edge  of 
this  precipitous 
bank  we  will  walk 
quietly  along,  noting  features  of  interest  on  the  way.  The  first 
matter  to  arrest  attention  is  the  soothing  sound  of  falling  water. 
This  is  from  a  small  cascade  in  the  depths  below,  the  water  after¬ 
wards  running  through  the  grounds  in  a  beautiful  winding  stream, 
soon  finding  its  way  by  the  side  of  the  Lime  avenue  to  the  Thames,  from 
whence  it  was  diverted  higher  up  the  river  at  great  cost  many  years 
ago.  Here  also  is  seen  in  the  distance  a  summer  house,  with  a  garden 
enclosed,  which  at  one  time  was  frequented  by  the  young  Princes  and 
Princesses,  who  there  played  and  planted  their  flowers.  We  cannot 
pass  by  without  noting  the  beautiful  condition  of  the  carriage  drives 
and  walks  which  wind  through  and  intersect  these  grounds  in  all 
directions. 
A  broad  drive  cuts  through  the  steep  banks  of  the  slopes  and  across 
the  walk  we  are  on.  This  is  the  private  carriage  drive  leading  from  the 
Castle  to  the  South-western  lodge  and  station.  By  the  side  of  this 
drive  in  the  bank  are  formed  some  wonderful  caves,  such  as  would 
delight  the  hearts  of  children  to  play  hide-and-seek  in.  Crossing  over 
this  drive  we  proceed  along  the  ledge  of  the  slopes,  still  under  the  shade 
of  haadsome  trees,  admiring  on  both  sides  the  many  flowering  trees 
and  shrubs,  with  myriads  of  Primroses  peeping  out  of  the  grass  banks, 
until  we  come  to  a  sort  of  subway  constructed  of  chalk,  flints  and 
rough  stonep,  cleverly  formed  with  a  curve,  in  order  to  hide  from  view 
as  long  as  possible  the  object  to  which  it  leads — a  pretty  rock  garden, 
and  which  it  succeeds  in  doing  admirably. 
This  garden  was  formed  and  planted  many  years  ago  under  the 
personal  care  and  supervision  of  her  Majesty  and  the  Prince  Consort. 
It  is,  as  it  were,  cleft  out  of  the  steep  bank,  and  planted  with  alpine 
trees  and  plants  ;  at  the  base  below  is  an  irregular  artificial  basin  of 
water,  fed  by  a  stream  or  waterfall  running  down  the  bank,  and 
immediately  above  this  is  a  curious  grotto,  the  inside  walls  of  which, 
as  well  as  the  root  and  floor,  are  formed  by  myriads  of  small  pebble 
stones  fixed  in  cement.  What  a  work  of  patience  this  must  have 
been  1  Altogether  this  is  a  most  interesting  rock  garden,  appropriately 
kept  in  a  semi-wild  state. 
Queen  Adelaide’s  Cottage. 
Still  proceeding,  we  come  to  another  pleasant  surprise  in  the  beautiful 
gardens  and  cottage  named  after  H.R.H.  Queen  Adelaide.  This  secluded 
and  quiet  retreat  is  at  the  extreme  end  of  the  slopes  from  the  Castle.  The 
cottage,  which  is  of  a  beautiful  design,  rests  against  the  bank,  looking 
over  the  park  towards  the  River  Thames  and  Datchet.  It  has  about  it 
a  lovely  little  garden  of  the  old-fashioned  sort,  with  high  hedges,  and 
many  nooks,  [corners,  and  surprises  here  also  is  he  cottage  of  the 
Foreman  of  the 
Slopes,  clothedtas 
an  arbour  by  a 
luxuriant  old 
Vine,  from  the 
Grapes  of  which 
many  gallons  of 
excellent  wine 
have  been  made. 
Also,  close  by, 
is  the  historical 
and  interesting 
Lutheran  Beech, 
now  of  large 
dimensions,  and 
in  perfect  health. 
It  is  said  to  have 
been  raised  from 
the  Beech  tree 
near  AlteDstein, 
in  the  Duchy  of 
Saxe  -  Miningen, 
under  which  tree 
Luther  was  ar¬ 
rested  at  the  time 
of  the  Reforma¬ 
tion.  The  little 
offshoot  was 
brought  to  Eng¬ 
land  by  King 
William  IV.  when 
Duke  of  Clarence, 
and  planted  by 
Queen  Adelaide 
in  the  gardens  of  her  residence  at  Bushy  Park.  Her  Majesty  bequeathed 
the  tree  to  H.R.H.  Prince  Albert,  with  the  request  that  it  should 
be  transplanted  in  the  grounds  of  Adelaide  Cottage,  which  was  done 
in  1850.  The  original  tree  at  Altenstein  succumbed  iu  July,  1841. 
It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  present  beautiful  one  will  long  live  and 
flourish  to  perpetuate  s )  interesting  and  historical  an  event. 
Here  in  a  separate  enclosure,  entirely  hidden  from  view  by  huge  Yew 
hedges  are  situated  the  glass  houses  and  pits  in  which  the  thousands  of 
summer  bedding  plants  are  grown.  A  short  rise  up  a  broad  avenue 
takes  us  out  of  this  delightful  garden,  and  also  out  of  the  slopes,  and 
we  stand  again  in  the  open  Park  not  far  from  the  kennels  of  the 
Queen’s  pet  dogs,  and  from  where,  to  the  right,  we  again  have  a 
glimpse  of  the  east  side  of  the  Castle  towering  in  solitary  grandeur 
with  the  sky  as  a  background. 
Beautiful  Avenues  and  Noble  Trees. 
Crossing  from  the  slopes  to  Frogmore  we  enter  one  of  the  most 
important  avenues  in  the  Park,  running  from  east  to  west  from  the  River 
Thames  to  Windsor.  There  are  many  of  these  great  avenues  round  the 
Castle,  and  the  most  delightful  of  all  is  the  old  Lime  avenue  leading 
from  the  slopes  to  the  river.  In  the  summer  this  is  a  perfect  Gothic 
arch  half  a  mile  long  of  dense  green  foliage.  Hereabouts  also  are  some 
notable  trees.  Immediately  to  our  right  is  a  Cedar  of  Lebanon,  planted 
by  the  late  Mr.  Thomas  Ingram  less  than  fifty  years  ago,  and  which 
