April  27,  1899. 
JOUR^^AL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
343 
rock  garden,  adjoining  the  church,  in  which  the  skill  of  Mr.  McPherson, 
the  able  and  indefatigable  head  gardener,  in  arranging  the  stonework  and 
flowering  plants,  is  conspicuous.  This  is  a  new  and  striking  feature  of 
the  pleasure  grounds.  In  the  centre  of  it  is  a  fountain,  with  Water  Lilies, 
under  which  you  catch  the  gleam  of  goldfish.  The  Earl  and  Countess  of 
Londesborough  take  the  deepest  interest  in  every  detail  of  the  old  garden, 
and  also  of  the  noble,  well  timbered,  undulating  park,  in  which  stands 
their  picturesque  house,  festooned  with  creepers,  and  surrounded  with 
trailing  Roses  and  arches  of  purple  Jasmine.  On  the  slope  below  the 
house  are  beds  of  flowers,  beyond  which  is  a  little  lake,  where  the  stork 
and  crane  and  black  swan  and  innumerable  rare  waterbirds  may  be  seen 
disporting  themselves  under  the  spreading  Beeches.” 
It  would  be  nothing  less  than  a  waste  of  time  to  pass  again  over  the 
road  the  Canon  has  so  charmingly  traversed,  for  it  is  certain  we  could 
not  add  one  iota  to  its  interest.  We  may,  however,  before  returning  to 
the  more  utilitarian  portion  of  the  estate  present  two  photographic 
illustrations  that  have  been  provided  for  us  by  the  kindness  of  Mr. 
McPherson.  It  will  tes:en  that  one  (fij’.  77)  is  a  water  scene  with  trees 
well  worthy  of  close  examination.  One  of  the  best  crops  at  the  time  of 
this  visit  was  seen  in  the  Tomato  houses,  in  which  were  hundreds  of 
plants  in  the  best  of  health  and  condition.  They  were  carrying  immense 
numbers  of  fruits,  none  of  which  was  large,  but  ranged  about  medium 
size,  and  were  smooth  in  shape.  From  such  fruits  there  is  no  waste, 
but  the  greatest  possible  depth  of  flesh  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the 
specimen.  The  variety  is  one  of  Mr.  McPherson’s  raising,  and  he 
adheres  to  it  because  he  can  find  no  other  that  better  answers  his  purpose. 
The  demands  upon  his  resources  are  great,  and  it  is  not  likely  that 
too  many  Tomatoes  will  be  produced.  Cucumbers  again  were  in  the 
finest  condition,  and  bore  their  straight  fruits  of  moderate  length  in 
quantity.  Such  are  desired  in  preference  to  fewer  specimens  that  are 
individually  of  larger  size. 
In  a  long  and  lofty  case  against  one  of  the  walls  was  a  magnificent 
show  of  Peaches  and  Nrctarines — ^^not  one  or  two  fruits,  but  hundreds  im 
excellent  condition.  No  one  could  wish  to  see  trees  in  better  health  than 
those,  and  it  was  perfectly  obvious  that  their  requirements  were  thoroughly 
understood,  and  their  wants  promptly  supplied.  Healthy  wood  and 
Fig.  78.— in  THE  PLEASURE  GROUNDS  OF  LONDESBOROUGH  PARK. 
and  hills  in  the  background  ;  fig  78  shows  quite  another  aspect,  and  i 
illustrates  two  of  the  broad  borders  of  herbaceous  perennials  to  which  j 
reference  has  previously  been  made.  1 
A  portion  of  the  gardens,  in  which  an  abundance  of  splendid  produce  { 
is  grown,  is  very  old,  but  several  of  the  glass  structures  have  been  either  1 
renovated  or  renewed,  and  the  department  is  admirably  managed  and  | 
equipped.  The  walled  garden  in  which  they  are  located  is  quite  j 
picturesque,  which  is  more  than  can  be  said  of  many  places  that  are  i 
devoted  to  vegetables  and  fruits,  and  which  are  often  severely  pla  n.  The 
stream  that  passes  through  between  broad  grass  vrrges.and  the  many  hardy  ! 
flowering  plan.s  that  have  to  be  accommodated,  lend  an  air  of  attractive¬ 
ness  that  might  well  be  extended  to  other  similar  places.  Even  the  old  \ 
walls  and  buildings  add  to  the  effect  which  would  probably  be  detract!  d  ] 
from  by  modern  erections  — at  any  rate,  from  a  picturesque  point  of 
view,  though  they  might  be  increased  ia  value  if  the  standpoint  of  the 
severely  practical  be  adhered  to.  If  is  better  as  it  is— the  practical  and 
useful  in  association  with  the  ornamental  and  the  beautiful. 
Under  glass  the  useful  preponderates,  as  space  is  too  valuable  to 
permit  of  the  purely  ornamental  occupying  it.  Everything  is  grown 
with  n  view  to  being  put  to  sopae  use,  and  consequently  the  houses  are 
leaves,  with  the  beautiful  fruit,  were  living  testimony  to  this.  Mr.. 
McPherson’s  motto  may  apparently  be  summed  up  in  one  word,  and  that 
is  “thoroughness.”  The  vineries  and  their  occupants  ars  in  the  same 
creditable  condition,  and  though  they  have  been  compelhd  to  do  good 
work  in  the  past,  they  look  in  every  respect  capable  of  maintaining  a 
similar  standard  in  the  future  with  the  skilled  treatment  to  which  they 
are  subjected  ;  and  so  it  is  with  everything  in  the  houses,  whether  they 
be  Iruits  and  vpgetable»,  plants  grown  for  their  foliage  or  their  flowers — 
each  has  individual  attention,  and  is  accorded,  as  far  as  possible,  exactly 
the  treatment  that  is  most  conducive  to  the  best  results.  In  the  frames 
the  same  conditions  prevailed  in  the  varied  occupants,  which  renders 
repetition  unnecessary.  _ 
Out  of  doors  a  comparatively  new  fruit  garden  is  rapidly’  attaining  to 
profitable  condition,  and  will  probably  be  producing  splendid  crops  before 
many  more  years  have  passed  away’.  The  trees  are  numerous,  and  were, 
when  seen,  conspicuous  mainly  for  their  excellent  form  and  the  cleanli¬ 
ness  of  the  whole  of  the  growth.  Naturally  some  were  superior  to  others, 
but  there  w’as  little  or  nothing  to  cavil  at  in  the  collection  as  a  whole. 
Those  in  the  older  garden,  both  in  the  open  and  on  the  walls,  were 
equally  as  creditable,  but  they  had  not  the  glow  and  vigour  of  youth  as 
with  the  new.  Pippin  and  stone  Iruits,  with  Currants,  Gooseberries, 
