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THE ENGLISH NATIONAL GARDEN. 







f^^-'l^^^ 



Fig. 51. — nt Great Palm-House at Kew. 



great Cornish granite blocks. It is heated 

 by 12 furnaces, and by hot-water pipes and 

 tanks, carried beneath the floor. The ag- 

 gregate length of these pipes is about five 

 miles. The smoke from the furnaces is 

 conveyed through a subterranean flue, in a 

 brick tunnel, 6 feet high, (through which 

 one may conveniently pass,) to the distance 

 of about 400 feet, where an ornamental 

 shaft or tower is erected 96 feet high. In 

 the top of this chimney and tower is a re- 

 servoir to supply the houses with water; 

 and at its base is a coal yard, and from 

 this the coal is conveyed on a railroad 

 through the tunnel alluded to. In the cen- 

 tre of the building is a gallery 30 feet high 

 from the floor, ascended by a spiral stair- 

 case. From this gallery the plants are 

 easily watered over the top ; and the taller 

 plants are more easily examined, and ap- 

 pear to much better advantage than from 

 the floor level. It is really a charming 

 sight which you have from this gallery, 

 looking down on magnificent Palms, Sugar 

 Canes, Cocoa Nut Trees, the great Strelit- 

 zia Augusta, and many rare and beautiful 

 tropical trees, in the most healthy and 

 luxuriant condition. 



It affords one some positive idea of tro- 

 pical vegetation. The plants are all in 

 tubs, so that each one is placed where it 



ought to be, and can be moved about as 

 circumstances may require. All the pil- 

 lars in the house are clothed with climbing 

 plants of variety and beauty. A Thtmber- 

 gia grandijlora had reached to the summit. 

 I was so much interested in examining 

 matters in general, that I had little time to 

 note any detail ; but I saw a fine collec- 

 tion of Begonias in bloom ; the beautiful 

 Pentas carnea, covered with blossoms ; Gold- 

 fussia gypsophyUa, with very pretty light 

 blue flowers ; Plumbago rosea, from the 

 East Indies, profusely covered with delicate 

 rosy blossoms. 



The design and finish of this structure, 

 and the arrangement and condition of the 

 plants now in it, reflect the highest credit 

 on Sir William Hooker, and Mr. Smith, 

 the director and curator of the garden, not- 

 withstanding they have had appropriations 

 of money at will, which can accomplish 

 almost anything. 



On one side of the house is a pretty mi- 

 niature lake, (as you will see in cut;) and 

 the grounds around the house are being 

 suitably laid out in flower gardens, &c. 

 Some 30 or 40 men were busy grading and 

 laying down turf, &c., when I was there. 

 An extensive Pinetum is also being formed 

 in its vicinity. 



Returning from the Palm-house, we have 



