Mansion Residences. The house at Tatton Park is finely situated; but the park, though naturally much varied, and containing a fine piece of water seen in the middle of the picture from the garden front, has too many single trees. It is injured, because by this means a sameness of appearance is produced, and there is everywhere a thin sprinkling of trees, instead of broad masses of wood and lawn, broken at their margins, and entering into each other. In short, what landscape-painters call breadth of feature is wanting. In the pleasure-ground the edgings of many of the walks and beds are entirely to our mind; and Mr. Edgerley has followed our suggestions in this Magazine, of confining some of his numerous flower-beds to one natural order; others to one genus; and others to one colour of flower. The kitchen-garden is well managed by Mr. Reynolds, one of the best pine and grape growers in England; and in the hot-houses we found the best crop of grapes over pines which we have seen since leaving London; except those at Trentham and Knowlsley, also over pines, and which were about as good, but not better. In these three cases, and indeed in most others where we have found excellent crops of grapes over pines, the pines have been spurred in, and only one shoot kept under each rafter. At Dunham Massey we found excellent crops of pines, and grapes over them; though here the pines are chiefly fruited in pits. In the pleasure-ground, some of the edgings of the walks and beds approximate to our idea of what they ought to be. The same may be said as to the edgings at Hootton House. The kitchen-gardens at Knowlsley Park have been reformed by Mr. Smith, and most admirable crops of grapes, pines, and peaches, are now in full perfection. Considering the state that these gardens were in when we saw them in 1819, the greatest credit is due to Mr. Smith. At Croxteth Park, the gardens have, in like manner, been reformed by Mr. Balmer, jun., an intelligent, strong-minded, reading young man. His object is late crops, and, in them he has the greatest success. At Lathom House, a considerable part of the edgings are as they ought to be; and, considering that the family were in London when we called, this place was kept in admirable order by Mr. Kidd, to whom we have strongly recommended the hot-water system of heating, and curvilinear houses. The woods and plantations here, we have already mentioned, are managed in a superior style by Mr. Lawton. Rufford Hall is a dull flat place, but part of the edgings and other things, which will be mentioned in the details of our tour, are to our taste.
