228 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Henry YIII. His son, Edward YL, was born there. It was 

 occupied by Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth in turn, and at 

 times by James I. Charles 1. was imprisoned there. Charles 

 n. and James H. also occupied it, and so did William HI. and 

 Queen Anne. George H. was the last sovereign who resided 

 there. Without dwelling upon the numberless objects of art 

 within tlie palace, which is full of the choicest paintings, it 

 may be stated that the building itself occupies no less than 

 eight acres, including the court in the centre, and that the 

 walks in the gardens, wilderness and palace are about three 

 miles in extent. The latter are laid out in the French style, 

 then very popular not only in England but on the continent. 

 The trees were trimmed by rule and measure, and the graceful 

 forms of nature made to assume an artificial primness which 

 does not please me. The same style was adopted and carried 

 out at the Palace of Shonbrunn in Vienna, and at Versailles. 



The lawns are closely and beautifully shaven by a small lawn 

 mower, which does the work perfectly. I saw it often used in 

 various parts of England, and am sure it might often be used 

 here with advantage. It is drawn by one man, or may be by a 

 horse, though there is an objection to the tramping of a heavy 

 animal. The artificial lakes, surrounded by water-fowls, the 

 park, with its large numbers of deer, the gardens of flowers and 

 shrubbery, all add their charms to this lovely spot ; but art 

 appears here at every turn. Hollies and yews are formed into 

 peacocks and other shapes of birds and animals. There are 

 large orange trees in full bearing also. But the greatest curi- 

 osity is the great vine, a Hamburg grape, planted in 17G8, and 

 of course nearly a hundred years old, said to be the largest in 

 Europe. It is covered by a glass shed seventy-two feet long 

 by thirty wide. The vine enters the house at one corner, and 

 is thirty-six inches in circumference at three feet from the 

 ground. The length of the main branch is one hundred and 

 ten feet ; this, with another leading l>ranch and their olfshoots, 

 covers a space of two thousand two hundred scjuare feet. In 

 1861 this vine bore nine liundred pounds, not all cut off till 

 February. When I was there it had on it one thousand three 

 hundred clusters, largo and fine. All the fruit goes to the 

 royal family. 



The floor of the vine house is of flat stone. About a third 

 part of it consi:^ts of excavations or holes five or six inches 



