SUBURBAN KESIDENCES. 83 



any one to cultivate his gai-den with a view to profit, unless he could do so 

 with his own hands, or with those of a servant whom he was obliged to keep 

 at any rate; because, assuredly, for the 15/. or 20/. a year which he must pay 

 a hired gardener he might purchase as much fruit and vegetables as he could 

 grow in a garden of the extent we have mentioned. 



Design V, — Two suburban villas, the gardens of which are laid out prin- 

 cipally with a view to the culture of fruit trees and vegetables. 



128. General arrangement. — In fig. 35., a is the entrance from the street; 

 6, the steps to the front door ; c, the hall and staircase ; d, a library or busi- 

 ness-room ; e, breakfast parlour, school-room, or bed-room; /, dining-room; 

 and g, drawing-room. This house is supposed to be only two stories high ; 

 the upper story containing two best bed-rooms, a servant's bed-room, a 

 nursery containing a bath, and a water-closet ; and the basement floor con- 

 taining a kitchen, back kitchen, and other offices, with a servants' water- 

 closet. The entrance to each house is protected by a porch, which is extended 

 as far as the boundary wall on each side ; thus forming a low horizontal roof, 

 which will contrast effectively with the higher roof of the house. Beneath 

 each porch there is a bench for sitting on. Both houses are surrounded by a 

 platform, or terrace of pavement, 3 ft. broad, and 9 in. higher than the sur- 

 face of the walk, and which covers a vacuity all round the house as deep as 

 the foundations; thereby keeping it perfectly dry. This platform also adds 

 much to the dignity of the edifice, and forms a walk which is at all times firm, 

 and comparatively dry and sheltered. 



129. The front gardens are of turf, varied by flower-beds. That on the 

 right has a rhomboidal figure in the centre, planted with gooseberries, with 

 four semicircular beds round the central one, planted with strawberries. That 

 on the left has a raised bed in the centre, with a border of turf, and four small 

 diamond-shaped beds to harmonise with the rhomboidal bed in the right-hand 

 garden. The centre bed may be filled with peat earth, and planted with 

 Faccinium madeirense, or some other species of Faccinium which bears fruit 

 freely ; and the diamond-shaped beds may be planted with the wood straw- 

 berry. The fruit of the common bilberry ( Faccinium Myrtillus) arrives at 

 maturity at the same time as that of the alpine, or wood, strawberry ; and the 

 two, when mixed together, and eaten with sugar and cream, are delightfully 

 refreshing, as every one who has travelled in Poland or Sweden in the sum- 

 mer season must have experienced. In open, airy situations, the central bed 

 might be planted with i?ubus arcticus, which is also a most delicious fruit, 

 with a flavour resembling that of the raspberry, but far superior. If none of 

 these fruits will thrive in the situation, or if peat soil to grow them in be 

 thotight too expensive, then the twice-bearing-raspberry may be planted, 

 which requires no particular soil, but only to be taken up and have the soil 

 renewed every four or five years ; which, indeed, is the case with all travel- 

 ling-rooted plants, which it is desired should continue to fruit freely. The 

 row of trees adjoining the street fence is supposed to be damsons, which come 

 early into flower ; and the fruit, being small and thickly set among spines, is 

 not easily stolen. The plants on each side of the party-railing may be goose- 

 berries, currants, or raspberries, according to the taste of the occupier ; or 

 they may be dwarf apples. The row of detached standard trees between the 

 entrance gate and the porch (6) may be pears, trained en quenouille ; that is, 

 distaff fashion (see fig. 36.) ; or en pyr amide {see fig. 37.) ; by either of which 



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