October  25,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
379 
«.ttnoBphere  rarely  to  be  obtained  in  gardens  of  a  similar  character,  and 
.at  nightfall,  under  the  influence  of  soothing  strains  of  music,  and  seated 
or  strolling  amid  the  lights  and  shadows  of  fragrant  shrubs  and  sweetly 
perfumed  flowers,  one  may  well  be  excused  if  a  comparison  to  the 
fairyland  of  one’s  youthful  fancies  is  conjured  up  and  indulged  in. 
God  created  the  country  and  man  made  the  town,”  says  the  proverb  ; 
but  here  indeed  may  be  found  a  combination  of  both,  under  the 
happiest  possible  circumstances. 
Perhaps  the  flnest  point  of  vantage  is  standing  about  the  centre  of 
the  grounds,  on  the  edge  of  the  lake,  with  its  elegant  little  wooded 
island  in  mid-stream,  looking  upwards  towards  the  blue-tinted  and 
Heather-clad  moors,  and  carrying  one’s  eyes,  as  a  climax,  to  rest  upon 
the  little  white  inn,  designated  the  Cat  and  Piddle,  reputed  the  highest 
hostelry  in  England,  and  situated  at  an  altitude  well  over  2000  feet- 
Soloman  s  Mount,  clad  in  ultramarine  hues,  and  the  picturesque  village 
of  Burbage  are  also  conspicuous  features  in  the  landscape ;  while  the 
Corbar  Woods  on  the  right  flank,  densely  covered  with  Fir  and  Pine, 
The  semi-underground  grotto-like  rockeries  full  of  fossils  and 
many  rare  Ferns,  including  the  handsome  Osmnnda  regalis,  form  an 
agreeable  variety  in  one’s  strolls,  and  a  truly  grateful  retreat  on  a 
hot  summer’s  day.  On  the  last  occasion  that  it  was  this  scribe’s 
good  fortune  to  make  these  grounds  a  favourite  lounge  a  violent 
thunderstorm  had  temporarily  flooded  these  rockeries  as  well  as 
washing  down  large  masses  of  gravel  from  the  higher  walks.  A  sad 
story  was  related  to  me  anent  the  lake  looking  so  placid  and  harmless 
in  the  noonday  sun.  One  solitary  swan  of  stately  mien  and  proudly 
arching  neck  was  sailing  grandly  over  the  waters.  It  was  a  bird 
of  terrible  and  cruel  habits,  his  snow  white  appearance  grievously 
belying  his  black  record  of  crime.  Only  the  previous  summer  it 
had,  after  its  mate  had  patiently  sat  her  course  of  six  long  weeks, 
torn  their  little  joint  offspring  to  pieces  soon  after  their  appearance 
in  the  world,  and  had  this  present  season  capped  the  enormity  of 
this  crime  by  deliberately  drowning  the  mother  by  forcing  her  under 
water  till  life  was  extinct. 
Fig.  105.--A  GLIMPSE 
and  their  sombre  appearance  lit  up  by  the  setting  sun,  form,  as  a 
passer-by  of  French  nationality  enthusiastically  exclaimed.  Quel  joli 
coup  d’oeil ! 
Speaking  of  Burbage,  I  think  it  was  the  rectory  which  struck  me  as 
being  a  gem  of  floral  beauty,  with  its  Mimulns  and  other  flowering 
creepers  almost  covering  the  house  in  every  part ;  and  its  garden  of 
bright  flDwers  and  shady  nooks — fit  place  for  a  poet  to  dream  in,  or  the 
lover  to  indulge  his  happiest  hours.  I  think  the  perfect  manner  in 
which  the  lawns  were  kept  impressed  me  as  much  as  anything  about 
the  actual  cultivation  of  the  gardens  ;  of  considerable  extent,  undulating 
and  sloping  in  all  directions,  as  well  as  beautiful  stretches  on  the  flat, 
the  very  highest  credit  must  be  awarded  to  thoqe  in  charge.  The 
bowling  green  as  a  dead  level  may  doubtless  hardly  be  excelled  else¬ 
where,  and  a  square  of  magnificent  and  noble  proportions  it  is  too.  At 
a  point  of  vantage  not  far,  from  here  the  large  dome  of  the  hospital 
(said  to  be  the  largest  in  the  world,  though  surely  the  Duomo  of 
Florence  must  be  a  severe  rival),  formerly  the  Riding  School  of 
the  Dukes  of  Devonshire,  may  be  observed,  a  visit  to  which  for  its 
marvellous  echo,  reminding  me*of  a  somewhat  similar  building  and  echo 
at  Bankipore  in  Bengal,  will  well  repay  one.  ^ 
OF  BUXTON  GARDENS. 
After  this  sad  and  painful  digression,  let  me  dilate  for  a  moment  in 
closing  upon  a  happier  and  brighter  theme.  Good  wine,  saith  the 
Scriptures,  should  be  kept  till  last.  I  will  exhibit  mine  in  the  form  of 
a  floral  display  rarely  to  be  seen,  even  in  the  most  carefully  kept  private 
garden.  Early  in  the  season  the  Rhododendron  and  Azalea  are  of  course 
hosts  in  themselves,  and  a  feast  for  the  eye  to  dwell  upon.  But  later 
one  gains  in  colour  and  variety.  Perhaps  the  Viola  is  the  chiefest  of 
the  smaller  plants,  and  here  attains  an  excellence  which  its  beauty  well 
merits.  Of  every  known  colour,  this  beautiful  little  flower  with  its  pure 
and  modest  demeanour  meets  the  gaze  at  every  turn.  The  showy  red 
Potentilla  and  the  tribe  of  Lilium  occupy  important  spheres  in  the 
internal  economy  of  these  grounds,  while  Alpenroses,  Mimulns,  close 
growing  rock  plants,  yellow,  white,  and  pink,  in  showy  little  groups, 
with  specimens  in  almost  bewildering  variety  of  summer  bedding 
plants  seem  to  vie  with  each  other  and  the  larger  and  more  important 
looking  groups  of  perennials  in  bidding  for  a  lion’s  share  of  the 
popular  regard.  A  sojourn  here  in  this  beauty  spot  of  Nature  and 
Art  is  indeed  a  veritable  and  rich  education  in  itself,  and  power, 
fully  calculated  to  inspire  the  wanderer  with  higher  and  nobler 
feelings. — J.  A.  Carnegie-Cheaies. 
