248 PARKS AND PLEASURE-GROUNDS. 



The rest of the garden should be rather open, well 

 provided with walks, and the arboretum and flower- 

 garden, in particular, should be interspersed and 

 adorned with lawns of varying size. In this quarter 

 there should be a close approach to the aspect of the 

 private pleasure-ground. 



The decorated grounds should be ornamented with 

 plant-stoves, conservatories, and green-houses for the 

 growth and exhibition of the rare and showy exotics 

 that require protection or artificial heat. The proper 

 distribution and arrangement of these glazed structures 

 are matters of primary importance. Perhaps there 

 is a tendency to mass them too much together. "We 

 do not disapprove of imposing ranges of ornamental 

 glass-houses ; at the same time, we prefer the divided 

 interest of groups of two or three houses, so placed as 

 to form prominent objects on the principal lawns. 

 Perhaps some of these should be employed to lighten 

 and diversify the effect presented on ordinary occasions 

 by the area left open for exhibitions ; but to wall in 

 that space all round with glazed structures we think in 

 worse taste than to leave it open altogether. 



Speaking generally, we would say that the more 

 decorated parts of these gardens should be in the 

 highest style of the art, and should combine the broad, 

 winding, and varied lawn of the pleasure-ground, with 

 the richly grouped beds and figures of the flower-gar- 

 den. 'We may add, that the trees, shrubs, and plants 

 cultivated should not be mere botanical rarities. Pos- 

 sessed of some intrinsic ornamental properties either 

 of elegance of form or beauty of flower, they, when 

 new, should be presented in considerable masses, in 

 order that they may be introduced to public notice, 



