412 THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTURE. 



greater quantity of land than was requisite for the park, in 

 expectation of considerable profit arising from its resale. 



In 1843, they procured an act authorizing them to pur- 

 chase lands for improvements and the formation of a park ; 

 and, acting upon this authority, they immediately obtained 

 190 acres, of which 120 acres were appropriated in perpetuity 

 to the public use. 



Mr. Joseph, now Sir Joseph Paxton, the celebrated land- 

 scape gardener to the Duke of Devonshire, was employed to 

 design and direct the works ; a thousand workmen were em- 

 ployed in carrying his designs into execution, under the 

 immediate direction of Mr. Edward Kemp, a very clever 

 landscape gardener, and author of " How to lay out a small 

 Garden," and the " Hand Book of Gardening." 



In a little more than a year the entire plot of land, once, 

 in some parts, a low swamp, exhaling the most pestilent va- 

 pors, was drained, graded, planted and fenced at an expense, 

 including the lands, of about £130,000 — Mr. Paxton receiv- 

 ing £800 for his services. 



The villa sites around the park have since been sold for 

 nearly enough to pay the entire cost of the lands and improve- 

 ments ; many fine villas are already built. The remaining 

 lots are owned by individuals and held at high rates. 



In the arrangement of the park a serpentine drive of nearly 

 three miles in length encloses the park proper, and forms the 

 inner boundary of the villa sites ; another drive passes through 

 the centre, and eight more develop the land appropriated to 

 villa sites ; — one end of each of the latter terminates opposite 

 the end of a public street, with a lodge and gate. Broad 

 gravel paths develop the interior in a beautiful and artistic 

 manner, — the larger part of which is in lawns hurdled and 

 pastured with fine sheep and cows. The great breadth of 

 these lawns produces a wonderful effect of magnitude. 



The grand entrance to the park is built of a drab-colored 

 sandstone, in the Grecian Ionic style, having a colonnade of 

 twelve coupled columns in front, the entablature of which is 

 surmounted with massive attic bearing a richly sculptured 

 shield, which is to be emblazoned with the arms of the com- 



