MUNICIPAL PARKS 151 



with a gently sloping lawn in front, park-like meadows, 

 and fine trees beyond the dividing sunk fence, and distant 

 peeps of the country towards Harrow. The approach 

 from the Finchley Road is by an avenue of chestnuts, and 

 a flat paddock on one side is a hockey and cricket-ground 

 for ladies. There are some really fine oaks, good beeches, 

 ash, sycamore, Spanish chestnuts, and Scotch firs ; but the 

 most remarkable tree is a very fine tulip, which flowers 

 profusely nearly every year. At the bottom of the Park 

 an undisturbed pond, with reedy margin, is much fre- 

 quented by moor-hens. The valley above is railed ofi^ for 

 some red deer, peacocks, and an emu, while three storks 

 are to be seen prancing about under the oak trees in the 

 open Park. The most attractive corner is the kitchen- 

 garden, which, like the one in Brockwell, has been turned 

 into an extremely pretty flower-garden. On one side is a 

 range of hothouses, where plants are produced for bed- 

 ding out, and a good supply of fruit is raised and sold 

 to the refreshment-room contractor on the spot. Two 

 sides have old red walls covered with pear trees, which 

 produce but little fruit, and the fourth has a good 

 holly hedge. The vines from one of the vineries have 

 been planted out, and they cover a large rustic shelter, 

 and have picturesque though not edible bunches of 

 grapes every year. The way the planting of roses, 

 herbaceous and rock plants, and spring bulbs is arranged 

 is very good ; but the same misleadingly-worded notice 

 with regard to the plants of Shakespeare is placed here 

 as in the Brockwell " old English garden." ^ There 

 is a nice old quince and other fruit-tree standards in 

 this really charming garden. In another part of the 

 grounds there is an orchard, not ** improved" in any. 



^ See p. 171. 



