442 THE GARDENER. [Oct. 



huddled togetlier near to those narrow ways, where the evergreen 

 shrubs are thickly disposed in ungainly and heavy clumps, intruding 

 into the very centre of the grounds, — where, in short, the available space 

 is frittered away and consumed, so that the effect produced is contrac- 

 tion and want of room to a degree that is most undesirable. In many 

 cases this state of matters is brought about by the desire to crowd too 

 many features on to a space to which they are not adapted, and where 

 there is only room for a few good ones to be effective ; and the result is, 

 that the one next to entirely does away with the effect of the other. 

 There is, for instance, no feature of a place more pleasing than a well- 

 kept green lawn or terrace, but far too often this is a feature next to 

 obliterated by the undue extent of flower-beds, shrubs, rockeries, &c., 

 leaving no open space for repose, or to convey a feeling of room and 

 extent. A spacious walk is always an effective feature, and gives im- 

 portance to even a very moderate-sized place ; while a mere pathway, 

 on which two can scarcely walk abreast, is often laid down instead. It 

 is necessary, for the more minute enjoyment of any demesne, to have it 

 more or less intersected with roads and walks ; and there is scarcely 

 another feature that contributes so much importance to grounds as 

 broad and well-laid-down walks ; and wherever the landscape-gardener 

 judiciously breaks up his space with these, we consider that a very 

 important part of his work is accomplished ; and it is less likely that 

 errors of detail should follow, than when the work is begun in an 

 undecided and paltry manner. 



We cannot refer to a more striking example of how a small space 

 may be made to look large, secluded, and charming, by a master of 

 landscape-gardening, than to the grounds of the Royal Botanic Society's 

 gardens in the Regent Park, London. Here we have what was an 

 almost dead level piece of ordinary nursery-ground, not 20 acres in 

 extent, and circular in shape, when it fell into the hands of Mr Mar- 

 nock, a gentleman who has displayed more originality and brains, and 

 less conceit and ostentation, than any contemporary horticulturist. Any 

 one going into these gardens now by the main entrance may fancy 

 himself in a large secluded policy 50 miles from town ; and yet it is 

 not 20 acres in all, and is surrounded on every side by town and 

 throng. Here it will be found that all artificial boundaries are 

 carefully hidden by banks, trees, and shrubs. A magnificent 

 broad walk is driven up through the very centre of the grounds to 

 nearly the whole diameter, and has for a terminating object a large and 

 most elegant conservatory. It might have been a mansion. A fine 

 sweep of green lawn lies right and left of this noble walk, which lawn 

 blends into and loses itself in diversified grounds on both sides. On 

 the right there is mount and lake and rock, on the left a variety of 



