Page 207 [207]
OCR
Historic. GARDENS (OBROUVIRGINIA and the two squares next the entrance were laid out in formal gardens. As the walks extended to the north and south the borders were planted with fig bushes for some distance. hen followed borders of raspberries, currants and gooseberries. Farther on there were quinces, apricots, nectarines and cherries, and there were two squares planted with rare peach trees. From north to south across the garden ran the pear-tree walk, a heavy green sward border on either side, out of which grew the carefully nurtured dwarf pears. Then there was the long grape-walk, and towards the eastern side of the garden was its most interesting feature, the cedar-hedges, one plot nearly encircled by the cedars was used as a forcing garden for the early vegetables. The hotbeds and cold frames were on the extensive eastern slope and were well protected by the hedges. There were some unusual shrubs, a very handsome Irish yew being of special beauty. Miultiflora roses, now rarely seen, formed what would now be styled a pergola, but was in those days called an arbor, down the greater portion of the central walk. The forces of two invading armies visited Rock Castle. General Tarleton, during the Revolutionary War, at the head of a large cavalry force, swept off everything in his course, and he wreaked his special, petty spite upon the Flemings, his near of kin. He cut down, with his own sword, from the wall of the principal room, the coat-of-arms of Fleming and Tarleton and bore it away with him. Later, in 1865, a marauding company of Federal cavalry, ordered to destroy the locks on the James River and Kanawha. Canal, in the absence of the Rutherfoords, forcibly entered the house, broke into the wine-cellar and, despite the entreaties of the faithful house-servants, destroyed everything they could not carry off with them, leaving a desolate house and no provisions for Mrs. Rutherfoord and her little children, who returned by carriage from Richmond a few days later. During 1864-1865 a box containing jewelry and silver was buried by Mr. Rutherfoord and his “head man”’ behind the hedge, [126]
