ART. XIII.

Remarks on one of the Designs in the Article “On Laying out and Planting the Lawn, Shrubbery, and FlowerGarden." By W. P. AYRES.

I HAVE just been reading over your article " On Laying out and Planting the Lawn, Shrubbery, and Flower-Garden," p. 547., and, though you have censured poor gardeners rather severely, I must confess that, as designers or even carriers out of plans for lawns or flower-gardens, we are by no means undeserving of censure. You might, however, in passing, as well have stated that many who profess and call themselves " landscape-gardeners" are equally ignorant of the true principles of design, as a walk through nine tenths of the gardens in the country, both public and private, will most fully testify; and I think you yourself could not name half a dozen professional landscapegardeners in the United Kingdom whom you would undertake to pronounce men who really understood their profession as an art of design and taste. A gardener of reputed eminence, at present intrusted with the formation of an extensive garden, when interrogated by a non-professional friend of mine as to the principles of constructing plant and forcing-houses, replied, “Oh, it is merely a matter of taste:" and, while men in high places disseminate such notions, it is not to be wondered at, that landscape-gardening and garden architecture, as an art and a science, should make but very lethargic progress.

The greatest barrier to the progress of improvement in landscape-gardening is the want of taste among the aristocracy and gentry; and, until they are somewhat better informed as to the principles of the science, so as to be capable of understanding plans that are laid before them for their approval, it is nonsense to expect much in the way of improvement from gardeners. But so soon as they shall require original designs adapted to the local peculiarities of the situation they are intended to embellish, then will they have a race of gardeners capable of doing things properly. At present the rage is for imitation; and if a gentleman requires a new flower-garden, or to alter an old one, he does not think of having an original design, but takes a pattern from some celebrated garden, as, for instance, Dropmore, Chatsworth, Woburn, or some such place; or, what is worse, collects a number of fancyformed beds from various places, and huddles them together, with about as much taste or system as an infant would display in forming a map of the world. Thus it is no uncommon thing to see a Swiss cottage with a geometrical flower-garden, and a terrace in the front; or a splendid Italian villa surrounded by an irregular garden of common trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants. If I wished for an example of really bad taste, I would point to the flower-garden at Wimbledon, figured in the Suburban Gardener, p. 162. [see p. 650., in which we say, “in point of general design, this flower-garden has nothing to recommend it"]; indeed it is almost inconceivable how such an abortion could have been jumbled together. The flower-gardens in the Horticultural Gardens at Chiswick, though of a different character, are nearly as bad, and no man could group them so as to make them look well. In making these remarks it is not my wish to give offence; but it may be fearlessly stated that the gardens in question are at least half a century behind the spirit of the age.

Again, in the gardens at Hewell, noticed with considerable commendation and éclat in the Gardener's Chronicle for 1843, p. 663., a few weeks back, there are a splendid fountain and flower-garden at the bottom of an old stone quarry, and a grass garden in the front of the conservatory; two examples of perhaps as bad taste as could well be conceived. Had they placed the fountain and dressed flower-garden in front of the conservatory, and consigned the grasses to the company of the other British plants in the rock garden, I think they would have been much more appropriately arranged. The waterdipping willow at Chatsworth was always a monstrosity in my estimation, and

would be a more fitting appendage to Vauxhall or a cockney tea-garden, than to the princely domain in which it is placed.* Look again at the gin-glass in tea-saucer fountain in the lake near Buckingham Palace, and at the cast-metal fountain in the Serpentine in Kensington Gardens. The erection and execution of these two abortions is a national disgrace. But, if one were disposed to find fault, it is not difficult to pick out subjects for censure; would it were otherwise!

Your arguments at page 551., relative to having the beds in flower-gardens of various sizes, are particularly clear; but it strikes me that in the two plans, figs. 118. and 119., you have rather exceeded your own principles, inasmuch as I think the large corner beds in fig. 118. are too large to group properly with the smaller beds; and the same may be said of the horseshoe-shaped beds in fig. 119. Were the largest beds in the plans a little smaller, and the next sizes a trifle larger, I think the whole would be more proportionate, and I am certain could be more effectively planted. By the same rule that you very properly insist upon the beds being of various sizes, I demand to have them planted with plants proportionate to their size; and, to effect, this the large beds must either be reduced in size, or the small ones become blanks in the garden.

In offering these remarks, I do not know whether I shall come under the lash you have directed against "the overweening self-conceit of young gardeners, especially Scotch ones;" but, if I do, it is yourself and the West London Gardeners' Association that are to blame for having taught me to become a caviller. Brooklands, Blackheath Park, October 7, 1843.

ART. XIV. Arboricultural Notices.

THE following are selected from the Hortus Collinsonianus, just printed, and noticed in a subsequent page. "By various memoranda it appears that Mr. Collinson frequently employed Gordon the nurseryman to raise his seeds, particularly those from the warmer climates, and among his papers there is, in his own handwriting, the following tribute to his abilities. The skill and ingenuity of some men is surprising. On August 30. I was at James Gordon's, gardener, at the last house on the left hand at Mile End; there he showed me a pot of seedlings of the cactus, or great melon thistle, perhaps the first ever raised from seed: but what shows his great knowledge and experience in vegetation is his way of raising the finest dusty seeds; before him, I never knew or heard of any man that could raise the dusty seeds of the kalmias, rhododendrons, or azaleas. These charming hardy shrubs, that excel all others in his care, he furnishes to every curious garden; all the nurserymen and gardeners come to him for them; and this year, after more than twenty years' trial, he showed me the loblolly bay of Carolina coming up from seed in a way not to be expected; this elegant evergreen shrub is next in beauty to the magnolias: and his sagacity in raising all sorts of plants from cuttings, roots, and layers surpasses all others; by which our gardens are enriched with an infinite variety, and for many years I have not been a little assistant to him in procuring seeds and plants from all countries. This honourable mention of Mr. Gordon, who is now in his fifty-sixth year, is an act of gratitude due to his memory from his old friend-Peter Collinson, in my sixtyeighth year. Mill Hill, Sept. 2. 1763.' The loblolly bay is the Gordònia lasiánthus, and from the circumstance here mentioned, this splendid shrub may probably have been selected, at the suggestion of Mr. Collinson, to perpetuate Mr. Gordon's name." (H. C. p. 5.)

*This water-dipping willow, as a relic of the gardens of a former age, we should be sorry to see removed.-Cond.

Acer sacchárinum is described as having leaves silvery beneath, and a variety as platanifòlio. (Hort. Coll., p. 2.) This last is probably A. s. nigrum, noticed in our Volume for 1841, p. 397., as being in the Paris Garden, with the leaves not in the slightest degree velvety beneath, and uniting with difficulty when inarched. We hope some spirited nurseryman

will procure plants.

Arúndo Donax flowered in September, 1762, and does not die down every year, as Miller states. (H. C. p. 5.) Castanea vésca. "Mem. Sept. 16. 1758. In Writtle Park, three miles on the left of Ingatstone, in Essex, belonging to Lord Petre, is a stately chestnut tree, which is now flourishing, that I measured, 5 ft. above the ground, and found its girth 45 ft.-P. Collinson.' My friend, Edward Forster, informs me that this noble tree has been gone many years; and that the tradition in the neighbourhood is, that fifteen deer could shelter under it. By another memorandum, it appears that the possessor of Mr. Collinson's copy of Martyn's Hist. Plant. will find two drawings of this splendid tree bound up with it; and he has added a short description of it to his history of the Tortsworth chestnut, in the Gentleman's Magazine for 1766." (H. C. p. 10.)

Ceanothus americànus. A very pretty tea is made from the dried leaves, good for inveterate coughs, and shortness of breath. (H. C. p. 10.) Cèdrus Libàni. “Mem. 1751. Our two large cedars of Lebanon, on each side the grass walk, were given me by the Duke of Richmond, and brought from Goodwood.' Six cedars of Lebanon, five years old, in the field, Ap. 30. 1761, given me by Mr. Clark, all grew,' and thus it is probable that the ages of the two noble trees, which remain at Mill Hill, may be nearly ascertained. See Loudon, Arb. et Frut. Brit. vol. i. p. 56. In the sixth edition of the Gardener's Dictionary, it is said that the cedars at the Chelsea Garden were planted in 1683, when about 3 ft. high; and to this Mr. Collinson has added the following remark: Mr. Miller concludes that these cedars, at 3 ft. high, were five years old, and they undoubtedly were the first in England.' It appears from Evelyn, that, in 1664, the cedar was unknown in England." (H. C. p. 10.)

Cérasus lusitánica. "Mem. The Portugal laurel, now the greatest ornament of our gardens, was, in the year 1719, first brought from Portugal to Mr. Fairchild, a famous gardener for rarities, at Hoxton, and was for some years kept in a greenhouse; it was exposed by degrees, and has since been found to endure all weathers." (H. C. p. 11.) The date of introduction in the catalogues is 1648, which would thus appear to be a mistake. Comptònia asplenifòlia. The leaves make a fine tea, and, used as hops, give a good flavour to beer. (H. C. p. 14.)

Córnus flórida. See Arb. Brit. vol. i. p. 55. “Mem. 1761, May 17. Invited by Mr. Sharp, of South Lodge, on Enfield Chase, to dine and see the Virginia dogwood; the calyx of the flowers (wonderful to see) are flowers as large as figured by Catesby, and (what is strange) it is the only tree that has these flowers amongst many hundreds that I have seen, and it began to bear them in 1759.'" (H. C. p. 15.)

The Fulham Nursery. "Mem. 1760, Oct. 4. An American cluster nut, sent me by Christopher Gray, the greatest nurseryman between Parson's Green and Fulham: his garden on both sides the King's Road.'" (H. C. p. 15.) Corylus Colúrna. "Mem. The Turkey nut, in the Mill Hill garden, is very remarkable from all others, for the husk rises high, and branches out every way, and covers the nut. This is a remarkable acquisition, for the captain that brought them from Turkey, eating them in a drinking-room, one of them dropped into the crack of a rotten window board, where it took_root: my gardening friend, Mr. Bennett, coming there and seeing it, transplanted it to his garden, from whence our tree was a layer, and brought here anno 1756.'" (H. C. p. 15.)

Gymnocladus canadensis. "Mem. Mr. Du Hamel sent me a Bonduc, from

66

In this year of the peace

Paris, and planted in my garden, May 19. 1763. Mr. Buffon sent me another." " (H. C. p. 23.) Hypericum Kalmianum smells like Resèda. (H. C. p. 25.) Juniperus caroliniàna, and J. virgínica. Miller, as well as Mr. Collinson, has followed Hermann and Boerhaave in arranging J. caroliniana and J. virgínica as separate species, and Miller says that the difference is constant, if the seeds are carefully gathered from the same tree, but that they frequently arrive mixed together from America, which has occasioned them to be mistaken for varieties." (H. C. p. 27.)

Juniperus phoenicea. "Cedar of Phoenicia vulgo, brought by Sir Charles Wager from the Island of Ivaca, in the Gulf of Malaga, when he carried Don Carlos to Naples, not before in our gardens; it is also called Juniperus hispánica." (H. C. p. 27.) Juniperus thurífera. "Extract of a letter to Mr. Collinson from Mr. Bowles, intendant of the Spanish mines, and dated Madrid, March 4. 1766: There are sweet-scented junipers in Spain, with red, purple, and brownish berries, and some of them grow monstrous large in the south-east mountains, near the source of the river Tagus; their leaves and smell are exactly like savin, and full of berries; I measured one of these trees, 14 ft. in girth, and widespreading, like a beech.'" (H. C. p. 27.)

Larix americàna. "Mem. Black larch, first brought from New York by P. Collinson at Peckham,' and from the original tree the specimen which Mr. Lambert has figured was taken. Sir E. Smith, in Rees's Encyclopædia, says that this interesting tree' was cut down about the year 1800 to make a rail by its sapient possessor.' (H. C. p. 28.)

Ligustrum vulgàre var. "Collinson, as well as Miller, appears to have considered the evergreen privet to be a separate species; and the latter, when he adopted the Linnæan nomenclature, called it L. itálicum." (H. C. p. 29.) Liriodendron Tulipífera. "Mem. The tulip tree, at Waltham Abbey, in flower June 26. 1745, 96 ft. high, and 9 ft. round, or 3 ft. in diameter, is now, 1761, the largest tree. In 1756, the famous tulip tree in Lord Peterborough's garden, at Parson's Green, near Fulham, died; it was the tallest tree in the grove, above 70 ft. high, and perhaps 100 years old, being the first tree of the kind that was raised in England, and had for many years the visitation of the curious to see its flowers and admire its beauty, for it was as straight as an arrow, and died of age by gentle decay; but it was remarkable, the same year this died, a tulip tree I gave Sir Charles Wager flowered for the first time, whose house and garden was opposite to Lord Peterborough's, and this tulip tree I raised from seed, and was thirty years old before it flowered. So Parson's Green is not likely to be without a tulip tree. P. Collinson, F.R.S.' In the catalogue it again appears under another letter as the Arbor Tulipifera an Liriodendron Catesby.' In the Catalogus Plantarum, published by a Society of Gardeners in 1730, it is said that this tree was formerly preserved with great care in greenhouses, by which means many of them were destroyed.' (H. C. p. 31.) Lycium chinénse. "Mem. In the spring, 1752, my honoured friend, the Duke of Argyle, presented me with the curious trees and shrubs undermentioned, from his garden at Whitton, on Hounslow Heath," and among them is, one China purple-flowered lycium, sent from China to the Duke for the tea tree.' This lycium is the supposed true tea tree' mentioned in a letter of Collinson's, which my friend Dawson Turner has printed at p. 391. of his Extracts from Dr. Richardson's Correspondence."" (H. C. p. 32.)

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Lycium ruthénicum. L. sibíricum flowered for the first time in 1769; flowers purplish; new. (H. C. p. 32.)

Archibald Duke of Argyle. See Arb. Brit. vol. i. p. 57. "The following memorandum appears to have been written by Mr. Collinson soon after the decease of His Grace, and is not among the notes which Mr. Lambert has published in the Transactions of the Linnæan Society. The Duke of

Argyle, on the 15th of April, 1761, died as he sat in his chair, my honoured friend and great patron of all planters, aged seventy-nine, a very hearty man of that age. In the year 1723-4, he took in a part of Hounslow Heath, to add to a little farm, and began planting by raising all sorts of trees and shrubs from seeds from our northern colonies, and all other parts of the world; he had the largest collection in England, and happily lived to see to what a surprising maturity they had arrived in thirty-seven or thirtyeight years. Great was his benevolence, for he gave to every one to encourage planting, and raised plants on purpose to oblige the curious at this seat of his called Whitton. He had a fine collection of rare birds and beasts; he was a great chemist, natural philosopher, mechanic, astronomer, and mathematician. He was a wonderful amiable man, plain in his dress, without pride or vain ostentation; his library was scarcely to be equalled. He was forty-one years old when he began to sow seeds for his plantations.' (H. C. p. 32.)

Plátanus orientalis, said to have been first planted at Lord Verulam's seat, now Lord Grimston's, near St. Albans. (H. C. p. 41.) Peter Collinson, F.R.S.

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See Arb. Brit. vol. i. P. 54. "Mr. Collinson resided at Peckham from his infancy, till he removed to Mill Hill, after which it appears not unlikely that his brother lived in the old family house; and as Mill Hill, prior to the removal, belonged to his father-in-law (Mr. Russell), he may probably have enjoyed the use of both gardens for a much longer period than he occupied them. Dr. Fothergill, in his Memoir of Collinson, says: 'It was a favourable circumstance to himself, that he was in partnership with his brother James Collinson, in a business that did not always require their attention together. They lived in great harmony, and reciprocally afforded to each other opportunities for their respective pursuits. Both, however, had a strong relish for horticulture and planting, and both had acquired a just conception of rural elegance."" (H. C. p. 42.) Punica Granàtum. "Mem. Oct. 2. 1767. On south walls at a gentleman's garden at Parson's Green, and at Gray's Nursery Garden near the same place, I saw three pomegranate trees, full of fruit, without any covering or art, of a beautiful red colour; I measured one fruit 9 in. round; there were many more near the same size, and some less. I eat one little inferior to those brought from abroad; perfection can't be expected in our climate, but the novelty and beauty of the scarlet blossoms and fruit deserve the best south (or south a point or two to the east) wall in every curious garden. In the years 1759 and 1760 these trees had fruit on them; 1758 no fruit.' In other memoranda the pomegranate is mentioned to have fruited at Mill Hill, and that 1757 was 'remarkable for plenty of nuts, peaches, and nectarines, and all sorts of plums, though few apricots, and that in 1758 there was great plenty of nuts and apples.' Oct. 10. 1765, visited my friend Mrs. Gaskry, at Parson's Green, near Fulham; this long hot dry year has had remarkable good effects on all wall fruits; apricots, peaches, and nectarines ripened much earlier, and have been excellent, but the most remarkable was the plenty of pomegranates; near two dozen on one tree, of a remarkable size, and fine ruddy complexion, of the size of middling oranges, and one that was split shewed the redness and ripeness within."" (H. C. p. 43.) Robínia hispida. "Mem. Sir John Colliton, at Exmouth, one of the proprietors of Carolina, had sent him from thence the first red acacia, anno 1741' and from his inability to find a plant in the neighbourhood of London, in 1748, Catesby's figure appears to have been taken from a dried specimen." (H. C. p. 46.)

Salisburia adiantifolia. "Mem. June 9. 1767. Mr. Gordon, senior and junior, dined at Mill Hill, and brought me in a pot what Dr. Kæmpfer, in his Amanitates Exotica, p. 812., names Ginko vel Ginau, arbor nucifera folio adiantino. I planted it against a south wall; stood very well all the last winter, which was very severe, 1767-8, and thrives finely.' When I visited Ridgway House, at the beginning of the present century, if I am not