July  19,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER 
59 
Tatton  Park. 
In  pleasant  country  two  miles  from  the  market  town  of  Knutsford, 
•Cheshire,  lies  Tatton  Park,  the  home  of  the  Egertons  of  Tatton.  The 
•drive  from  the  lodge  close  to  the  town  is  through  a  magnificent  avenue 
of  spreading  Beech.  On  the  occasion  of  my  visit,  however,  I  approached 
Tatton  from  an  opposite  direction,  detraining  at  Ashley,  whence  there 
is  two  miles  along  a  country  road  ere  the  entrance  is  reached.  The 
time  of  my  visit  was  early  May,  when  Nature  had  again  pub  on  her 
garb  of  freshest  green  after  a  prolonged  rest.  The  orchards  were 
wreathed  in  bloom,  the  groves  resounded  with  melody,  the  Marsh  Mari¬ 
gold  decked  the  margins  of  the  brooks  and  pools  with  gold,  and  the 
modest  Violet  scarcely  deigned  to  raise  her  head  along  the  hedgerow 
aide.  Tatton  Park,  the  seat  of  Earl  Egerton  of  Tatton,  Lord -Lieutenant 
of  Cheshire,  is  some  1886  acres  in  extent,  and  has  a  herd  of  lOOP  deer, 
with  water  covering  71  acres.  The  park  has  been  largely  replanted  by 
"the  present  lord  previous  to  1891.  The  drive,  upwards  of  a  mile  in 
length,  by  which  I  approached,  had  a  double  row  of  young  Limes 
planted  at  36 
•feet  apart  and 
protected  by  tri¬ 
angular  wooden 
cradles  and  wire 
netting.  Large 
•clumps  of  Pines 
and  deciduous 
trees  were 
noticeable  on 
every  side,  and 
belts  of  Ehodo- 
dendrons  skirted 
the  drive  at  in¬ 
tervals.  The  hall 
ef  freestone,  in 
the  Ionic  style 
ef  architecture, 
was  builc  in  1805; 
the  entrance  on 
the  southern  side 
is  a  noble  portico 
supported  by  four 
massive  columns. 
The  Fruit  Houses 
The  extensive 
gardens  under 
the  charge  of  Mr. 
Cliffe,  who  was 
unfortunately 
away  from  home 
at  the  time  of  my 
visit,  and  I  had 
to  depend  upon  Mr.  Booker,  the  foreman,  to  show  me  around,  and 
to  make  matters  worse  he  was  a  comparative  stranger  to  the  place,  and, 
as  a  consequence,  my  description  of  these  gardens  will  perhaps  not  do 
them  justice.  A  splendid  range  of  frnit  houses  contains  in  the  five 
vineries  Black  Hamburgh,  Madresfield  Court,  Muscat  of  Alexandria,  and 
in  the  remaining  two  divisions  mixtures  of  Gros  Maroc  and  Gros  Colman. 
In  this  range,  too,  were  four  Peach  houses,  in  all  of  which  the  trees 
had  set  well  and  were  in  various  stages  of  development.  The 
trees  in  the  later  houses  were  similarly  excellent.  The  structure 
devoted  to  Brown  Turkey  Figs  is  in  another  part  of  the  kitchen  garden. 
The  four  trees  were  bearing  a  capital  crop.  A  second  Fig  house  was 
stocked  with  White  Marseilles,  from  which  Figs  had  been  gathered 
since  early  in  April.  About  eighty  plants  of  Queen  Pines  were 
showing  fine  fruit ;  while  the  Cucumbers  in  a  long  span -roofed  house 
were  robust  and  bearing  splendidly ;  the  varieties  were  Lockie’s 
Perfection  and  Telegraph,  A  similar  structure  with  beds  on  each  side 
had  been  recently  planted  with  Melons;  while  a  third  contained  a 
stock  of  vigorous  Hackwood'Park  Tomatoes  showing  their  first  trusses- 
One  of  the  necessities  of  'Tatton  is  a  continuous  supply  of  French 
Beans,  and  a  considerable  amount  of  space  is  therefore  devoted  to 
them.  Lady  Downe’s  Grape  was  in  flower,  and  in  the  early  vinery, 
filled  mainly  with  Black  Hamburgh,  the  berries  were  colouring  very 
satisfactorily.  Royal  Sovereign  Strawberries  were  ripening  in  another 
house,  on  the  back  wall  of  which  Veitch’s  Climbing  French  Bean 
was  in  luxuriant  health ;  successional  Strawberries  were  in  cold 
frames. 
The  Conservatorv. 
Close  to  the  mansion  is  a  lofty  curvilinear-roofed  conservatory,  in 
which  Camellias  and  Roses  are  planted.  The  rafters  are  festooned 
with  greenhouse  climbers,  amongst  which  were  Acacia  dealbata  and 
A.  longiflora,  also  many  of  the  charming  old  blush-flowered  Begonia 
incarnata.  The  side  stages  and  margins  of  the  walk  were  arranged 
with  Zonal  and  Cape  Pelargoniums,  Gallas,  and  Indian  Azaleas,  An 
adjoining  greenhouse,  the  pillars  and  rafters  of  which  were  clothed 
with  Begonia  incarnata  and  Lasiandra  macrantha,  were  many  scented 
leaved  plants. 
The  Fernery. 
The  fernery  is  no  less  than  100  feet  long  by  50  feet  in  width,  and 
30  feet  high.  It  is  an  imposing  house,  and  is  the  most  remarkable 
feature  of  Tatton  Gardens.  There  are  no  less  than  eighteen  large  Tree 
Ferns  planted  out,  and  which  include  Dickspnia  antarctica,  D.  squarrosa, 
Cyathea  dealbata,  and  Alsophila  australis.  A  large  example  of  the 
latter  at  one  end 
reaches  the  roof, 
and  in  the  centre 
a  splendid  Sea- 
forthia  elegans 
has  attained  a 
similar  noble 
height.  '  There 
are  two'Chame- 
rops  excelsa,  and 
two  AreoaBaneri. 
On  each  side  of 
the  central  path 
and  amongst  the 
giant  Ferns  are 
rocky  mounds 
clothed  with  Se- 
laginella,  Trades- 
cantia,  and 
smaller  -  growing 
Ferns.  Raised  on 
pedestal  stands 
above  the  surface 
of  a  pool  at  the 
extreme  end  were 
pans  of  Filmy 
Ferns,  consisting 
of  Todes.  super- 
ba,  Trichomanes 
ra  d  i  c  a  n  s,  and 
Hymenophyllum 
chilense.  The 
projecting  rocks, 
to  a  considerable  height,  were  adorned  with  many  noble  Woodwardia 
radicans,  whose  overhanging  fronds  were  more  than  a  yard  in  length. 
The  Plant  Houses. 
A  range  of  three  span-roofed  plant  houses  was  next  entered.  In 
one  of  these  were  two  plants  of  Epiphyllum  truncatum,  6  feet  long, 
trained  up  the  rafters,  and  thick  in  proportion ;  they  had  been  a  mass 
of  bloom,  and  were  particularly  conspicuous.  Begonia  corallina, 
planted  out,  also  ran  up  the  rafters,  and  was  very  pleasing.  The  stages 
were  stocked  with  Crotons,  Dracaenas,  Pandanus,  Panax  Victoriae,  and 
other  useful  table  plants.  A  collection  of  healthy  Odontoglossum 
crispum  was  also  noticed  in  another  house,  while  the  end  division 
contained  Anthurium  Scherzerianum  Wardi  full  of  their  most  brilliant 
spathes.  Dipladenia  Brearleyana  was  planted  out  and  trained  on  the 
roof,  and  was  opening  its  great  pink  trumpet  blooms,  and  Clerodendron 
Balfourianum  was  laden  with  flower.  Other  roof  climbers  were 
Dipladenia  boliviensis,  Thunbergia  laurifolia,  and  Cissus  discolor.  The 
Orchid  range  was  divided  into  compartments,  in  which  were  Cattleyas, 
Laelias,  Oncidiums,  Dendrobiums,  Cypripediums.  Cattleya  chocoensis 
was  in  flower,  as  also  was  C.  citrina  and  Oncidium  sphacelatum.  Other 
plants,  grown  for  winter  use,  included  Poinsettias,  Linura  trigynum, 
Clerodendron  fallax,  Bouvardias,  and  Calanthe  Veitchi.  Eucharis  are 
well  and  largely  grown. 
Fig.  14. — Tatton  Park. 
