LARGE COUNTRY VILLAS. 281 



r. Wash liouse. s, Pump. ^ Yard. u. Stable. 



UH, Dung-pit V, Walk from the entrance-front to the Hower-garden. 



«■, Walk connecting the kitchen-garden wth the flower-garden. 



.v. Gate in the wire fence which separates the flower-garden from the field. 



I/, Entrance to the field, from a small paddock communicating with the stable-yard. 



i. Shnibbery, and boundary fence. 



I, Steps from the drawing-room 2, Beds for low flowers, on gravel, and edged 

 with box. 3, Aloe-tub 



4, A mound, raised 18 in., having its interior slope as steep as it will stand (that is, with a 

 base of 2 ft.). Upon the top is a hedge of dwarf China roses, jasmines, and sweetbriars, 

 kept 1 S in. hiiih, and terminating in each end in a small circle, out of the centre of which 

 rises a standard rose tree. The exterior slope, as indicated by the shadinif, is long, 

 and gradually diminishes, like a glacis, till it imperceptibly unites with the common 

 level 



5, Beds for groups of dahlias on grass, the highest plants being in the middle of the beds. 



6, Dug border, in front of a plantation of evergreens and low deciduous flowering trees, for 

 high and low perennials, and annual flowers. 



7, Dug borders for perennials, annuals, &c., and plants out of the green-house 



8, Dug borders for low flowers, all upon grass. 'J'he two conical trees shown at the steps, 

 are arbor vitjes. 



9, Dug borders, on ^rass, for high flowers, &c. Next to the palings are various deciduous 

 trees and evergreen shrubs ; and the palings are covered with common laurels, trained 

 like fruit trees. This paling is of common Baltic deal, Kyanised, but not painted, and it 

 appears to stand very well. 



10, JIulberry tree. 



I I , Yew hedge, to separate the flower-garden from the entranae front. 



r.', Sloping bank of turf, having a rise of 3 ft. on a base of 7 ft. This slope was formed 

 in consequence of the house standing on an inclined plane. The house now has the 

 effect of standing on a horizontal platform. 



13, St»ps leading from the lower to the upper flower-garden. 



1 4, Wall to the offices, which, containing no \vindows, is covered with peach, nectarine, and 

 apricot trees. Flowering creepers might be substituted ; or it might be treated as a 

 consen'ative wall, and covered with myrtles, camelUas, oleanders, fuchsias, &c. 



Fig. 176., p. 284., is a view of the entrance- front of this villa. 



372. Management of the grass field. — The total quantity of land at Fortis 

 Green is 4^ acres, of which \\ acre is occupied by the house, pleasure 

 ground, kitchen- garden, slirubberies, &c., and 3 acres are exclusively 

 devoted to sheep. 



373. There are two modes of stocking a farm with sheep upon a small scale. 

 — First method. — Buy in September, or in the beginning of October, three 

 ewes m lamb, per acre, at 25-s. each, which will, on an average, produce four 

 lambs an acre, in February (though there are fi-equently five or six). These 

 lambs will be fat in May, or early in June, and will sell for 27*. each. The 

 fleece of each ewe will weigh about 41bs., and will sell for Is. per lb. ; and, 

 nine or ten weeks after the lambs are gone, the ewes themselves will sell for 

 30s. each. This is a fair average, if the season is mild; but, as that cannot 

 always be reckoned upon, it is prudent to grow mangold wurzrl or Swedish 

 turnips in some corner of the garden, which, with a truss of hay (rowens) to 

 each sheep, will provide for the winter, when the ground is covered with 

 snow ; and thus the ewes will be kept in good condition, and be better pre- 

 pared to afford milk for the lambing season. Spare Brussels sprouts and 

 Scotch kale are very useful to give to the ewes after limbing, as they are 

 extremely productive of milk, but too much is apt to induce rot, therefore 

 caution is required. 



