August  4,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OR  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
89 
has  been  made.  The  neatness  of  everything  would,  perhaps,  cause 
surprise  to  many  people  who  know  of  the  owner  not  living  there  ;  but 
it  serves  to  show  that  his  interest  in  the  home  of  his  forefathers  has 
not  diminished,  even  though  he  has  sought  another  roof  for  himself. 
Perhaps  the  most  remarkable  feature  of  the  estate  is  found  in  the  hedges, 
many  of  which  are  quite  20  feet  in  height.  These  are  very  numerous,  in 
fact  several  miles,  measuring  both  sides,  have  to  be  well  kept  and  neatly 
clipped.  It  is  clear  to  see  that  some  definite  plan  has  been  followed  in 
their  formation,  but  what  it  may  have  been  it  is  impossible  to  say.  Some 
distinct  resemblance  may  be  caught  of  portions  of  the  planting  at 
Versailles,  but  whether  the  celebrated  French  garden  was  actually  copied 
I  am  not  prepared  to  say.  These  hedges,  which  are  entirely  of  Beech, 
extended  from  a  central  place  in  all  directions,  and  through  them  in  the 
distance  are  some  charming  views.  The  labour  involved  in  keeping  them 
in  order  must  be  tremendous,  and  that  they  receive  proper  attention  is 
proved  by  their  condition.  What  is  the  exact  extent  Mr.  Freshwater  could 
not  say,  though  he  was  quite  convinced  that  it  must  mount  into  miles. 
There  can  of  course  be  no  doubt  that  very  many  persons  would  fail  to 
Standing  near  the  water  in  the  front  of  the  picture  close  to  the  larger  of 
the  two  Agapanthus  shown  the  effect  is  very  g>  od.  What  is  known  as 
the  T  pond  is  contiguous  to  the  ruins  of  the  mansion,  and  is  a  piece  of 
water  with  broad  walks  on  each  side  beneath  the  towering  trees.  It  was 
delightfully  cool  on  the  hot  afternoon  when  this  visit  was  paid,  the  shade 
of  the  trees  being  most  welcome  after  the  brightness  of  the  sun.  At  or 
in  the  distance  beyond  some  of  these  avenues  are  handsome  stone  monu¬ 
ments  that  seem  to  add  finish  to  the  views.  One  of  these  in  the  central 
space  towards  which  the  several  broad,  hedge-flanked  walks  converge  is 
most  handsome.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  stone  seat,  and  from  here  the 
best  appreciation  of  the  extent  of  the  hedges  can  be  got.  One  of  the 
loveliest  scenes  showed  the  Rhododendrons,  of  which  mention  has  been 
made,  as  a  simple  mass  of  colour  beneath  the  trees  beyond  the  wide  and 
undulating  paTk.  _ 
The  subtropical  garden  (fig.  17),  by  the  same  photographer,  is  very 
much  handsomer  than  anyone  might  suppose,  and  is,  as  a  matter  of  fact, 
most  interesting.  As  may  be  seen,  it  is  enclosed  by  three  walls,  of  which 
the  two  side  ones  have  a  gradual  fall  towards  the  normal  level  in  the 
front,  and  here  may  be  found  a  very  extensive  collection  of  what  are 
\ 
Fig.  17.— THE  SUBTROPICAL 
admire  these  hedges  on  account  of  their  formality  ;  but  it  must  be  borne 
in  mind  that  when  Bramham  was  formed  the  taste  in  gardening  ran  in  a 
groove  which  demanded  that  everything  should  be  prim,  precise,  and  of 
set  design.  These  points  have  undoubtedly  been  achieved,  and  an  indi¬ 
viduality  has  been  given  to  the  place  that  it  probably  could  not  otherwise 
have  attained  to.  There  they  are,  and  they  are  likely  to  remain,  as  it 
would  be  a  great  pity  to  destroy  them  now  that  they  have  grown  to  such 
noble  dimensions  simply  because  they  are  not  in  the  prevailing  taste. 
Their  evenness  is  remarkable,  gaps  and  breaks  being  exceedingly  rare, 
and  where  they  have  occurred  and  attempts  have  been  made  to  fill  them 
by  replanting  young  trees,  failure  has  invariably  accrued.  The  only 
thing  that  can  be  done  is  to  lay  in  branches  from  the  trees  on  each  side 
and  endeavour  to  cover  the  defects  ;  but  as  has  heen  said,  these  are  few, 
and  consequently  little  of  this  work  is  entailed.  High  steps  surmounted 
by  a  square  platform  have  to  be  requisitioned  for  trimming  the  hedges, 
which  is  an  operation  that  extends  over  several  weeks. 
Passing  along  one  of  the  hedge-formed  avenues  with  great  trees  of 
various  kinds  above  our  heads  we  reached  the  small  stone  structure,  shown 
at  the  back  of  the  illustration  (fig.  16),  which  we  have  reproduced  from  a 
photograph  by  Mr.  J.  Maffett.  The  broad  central  walk  leading  down  to 
the  lake  is  flanked  on  each  side  with  grass,  in  which  beds  are  cut,  these 
being4  stocked  with  Pelargoniums,  Begonias,  Ageratums,  Coleuses,  and 
many  other  kinds  that  will  suggest  themselves  to  the  practical  reader. 
Photo .  by  Air .  John  Mntf’eit , 
Boston  Spt .  Yorks . 
GARDEN,  BRAMHAM  PARK. 
termed  subtropical  plants.  The  Palms,  Dracaenas,  Agaves,  and  Castor 
Oils  all  show  fairly  well  in  the  illustration,  but  it  is  needless  to  say  they 
look  far  better  in  the  life.  Everyone  is  in  excellent  health  and  quite 
clean,  the  form  of  the  garden  showing  them  off  to  the  greatest  possible 
advantage,  while  the  background  of  noble  trees  is  of  material  assistance 
in  making  the  picture  more  complete  and  interesting.  Considering  the 
facilities  at  command  for  storing  and  raising  tender  plants,  we  think  this 
little  section  of  the  ground  a  very  great  credit  indeed  to  Mr.  Freshwater, 
who  obviously  makes  the  most  of  what  he  has. 
Bearing  in  mind  the  fact  that  there  is  no  mansion  at  Bramham,  it 
could  not  be  expected  that  the  glass  structures  would  be  numerous. 
Certainly  there  are  lery  few  of  them,  but  they  were  all  well  filled  with 
health)  flowering  and  foliage  plants,  the  collection  of  scented  Cape 
Pelargoniums  being  particularly  excellent.  The  vegetable  gardens  are 
decidedly  good,  and  comprised  splendid  quarters  of  all  needful  kinds. 
One  of  the  gardens,  devoted  mainly  to  vegetables,  is  situated  in  the  midst 
of  a  plantation,  but  notwithstanding  the  trees  with  which  it  is  quite 
surrounded,  it  is  n  ade,  by  good  cultivation,  to  yield  a  large  quantity  of 
valuable  produce.  It  is  a  most  secluded  spot,  that  would  be,  perhaps, 
more  suitable  for  a  wild  garden  than  for  the  purpose  to  which  it  is  now 
put.  More  might  be  said  of  Bramham  and  its  beauties,  but  now,  with  a 
word  of  thanks  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Freshwater,  we  must  draw  to  a  close, 
and  return  homewards  with  our  guide  to  Grimston.—  H.  .T.  Weight. 
