Luscombe Castle; Charles Hoare, Esq. Well known for its beauty and the high order in which every thing, even to the farm offices, is kept. The grounds are said to have been originally laid out by the late Mr. John Veitch, father of the present nurseryman of that name. The castle is placed on the side of an ascending valley, and the two sides of this narrow valley are beautifully varied by trees, which thicken into woods as they approach the summits of the two ridges, so that the house may be said to stand on the side of a valley surrounded by hang ing woods. There are a number of large magnolias and other choice trees and shrubs, including the two largest plants in England of Picea cephalonica, of which the history has been given by Sir Charles Napier in our Arboretum Britannicum, and in a former volume of this Magazine. The finest place to be met with has some fault; and that of Luscombe is, that there is not room enough about the house. It does not stand on a sufficiently large platform; nor did there appear to us an obvious and all-powerful reason why it should be set down precisely where it is, rather than any where else. When this all-sufficient reason is not furnished by nature, art should supply the deficiency; and, therefore, Luscombe Castle ought to have been supported by terraces. Such was our general impression on the spot; but all first impressions ought to be corrected by a second inspection, and by reflection, so as to support them by reasoning. Among the trees of which we took notes were: in the kitchen-garden, an olive 12 ft. high and 8 ft. wide, after being twelve years planted; another, 13 ft. high and 10 ft. wide; both these plants have ripened fruit; Callistemon salignus, 12 ft. high and 6 ft. wide; lemons, citrons, and limes, 12 ft. high. In the pleasure-ground, Magnolia grandiflora, 36 ft. high; M. fuscata, 12 ft. high; and Eriobotrya, 12 ft. high. Two trees of Edwardsia were from 20 ft. to 30 ft. high, but are now cut down; there are also many plants of Magnolia grandiflora, 30 ft. high; Picea cephalonica, two plants, each 12 ft. high; Cedrus Deodara, 12 ft. high; Pinus insignis, 8 ft. high; P. australis syn. palustris, 15 ft. high; many hydrangeas 6 ft. high and from 10 ft. to 20 ft. in diameter, all with red and blue flowers at the same time, which we observed to be generally the case throughout Devonshire; Araucaria imbricata, large fuchsias and myrtles, camellias, coronillas, cedar of Goa, Judas trees, catalpas, chimonanthus, and many other fine things. In the kitchen-garden, a splendid row of the belladonna lily, now in full flower throughout Devonshire.
