80 AN AMERICAN FARMER IN ENGLAND. 



but a large proportion were of the common ranks, and a few 

 women with children, or suffering from ill health, were evi 

 dently the wives of very humble labourers. There were a 

 number of strangers, and some we observed with note-books 

 and portfolios, that seemed to have come from a distance to 

 study from the garden. The summer-houses, lodges, bridges, 

 &c., were all well constructed, and of undecaying materials. 

 One of the bridges which we crossed was of our countryman, 

 EEMINGTON S patent, an extremely light and graceful erection. 



I obtained most of the following information from the 

 head working-gardener. 



The site of the park and garden was, ten years ago, a flat, 

 sterile, clay farm. It was placed in the hands of Mr. PAXTON, 

 in June, 1844, by whom it was laid out in its present form 

 by June of the following year. Carriage roads, thirty-four 

 feet wide, with borders of ten feet, and walks varying in 

 width, were first drawn and made. The excavation for a 

 pond was also made, and the earth obtained from these 

 sources used for making mounds and to vary the surface, 

 which has been done with much naturalness and taste. The 

 whole ground was thoroughly under-drained, the minor drains 

 of stone, the main, of tile. By these sufficient water is ob 

 tained to fully supply the pond, or lake, as they call it, which 

 is from twenty to forty feet wide, and about three feet deep, 

 and meanders for a long distance through the garden. It is 

 stocked with aquatic plants, gold fish, and swans. 



The roads are macadamized. On each side of the carriage 

 way, and of all the walks, pipes for drainage are laid, which 

 communicate with deep main drains that run under the edge 

 of all the mounds or flower beds. The walks are laid first 

 with six inches of fine broken stone, then three inches cinders, 

 and the surface with six inches of fine rolled gravel. All the 

 stones on the ground which were not used for these purposes, 



