. Henry Nicholson Ellacombe hon. canon of Bristol, vicar of Bitton and rural dean, 1822-1916 a memoir . d continuity of cultiva-tion under ideal conditions alone can bring. Henceit has come about that, notwithstanding the extra-ordinarily high pitch to which the cultivation of plantshas been brought within the last few years, Bittonremains almost unique among inland gardens, while fewplaces similarly situated can compare with it whererare flowering shrubs are concerne I. It was Ellacombes habit to ascribe much of hissuccess as a cultivator to the alluvial soil and genialclimate of his county,
. Henry Nicholson Ellacombe hon. canon of Bristol, vicar of Bitton and rural dean, 1822-1916 a memoir . d continuity of cultiva-tion under ideal conditions alone can bring. Henceit has come about that, notwithstanding the extra-ordinarily high pitch to which the cultivation of plantshas been brought within the last few years, Bittonremains almost unique among inland gardens, while fewplaces similarly situated can compare with it whererare flowering shrubs are concerne I. It was Ellacombes habit to ascribe much of hissuccess as a cultivator to the alluvial soil and genialclimate of his county, and while these factors, as wellas the warm vicarage wall, had much to do with thewonderful growth of plants and shrubs, they wouldhave counted for comparatively little if not reinforcedby the knowledge, ripe experience, and sympathypossessed by the Canon. EUacombe was no stay-at-home, and in his regularvisits to friends contrived to see nearly all thatwas worth seeing in the many fine gardens thathave sprung into existence during the last thirtyyears. In the course of his life he shared in all the. THE BITTON GARDEN 135 extraordinary changes that have Ufted gardeningand the cultivation of plants from the moribundcondition in which they were in the sixties to thewonderful standard of recent years, and his influencehas been all for good. There is perhaps no part of England where the soilis deeper and richer than in that part of the Avonvalley in which Bitton is situated. It has only onedrawback for a garden. Being heavily impregnatedwith calcareous matter the cultivation of all lime-hating plants is debarred. Thus Canon Ellacombegrew practically no rhododendrons and except for a fewheaths very little of the Ericacca:. Wisely, as we think,he set his face against importing peat and the likeinto his garden for the purpose of making specialprovision for such plants. His gardener, Ashmore,used sometimes to feel rebellious about the limitationsthe lime imposed upon them, and a conspir
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