and Forcing-Department at Syon. 505 



livers them in sacks, as is usual about London), and poured 

 through three small holes (o o o) in the roof, which is a per- 

 fect security from stealing, and saves much labour. When 

 wanted for the back sheds, the coals are taken out by a door 

 which opens into the compost ground. The coals for the 

 head-gardener's use are also delivered from the lane, through 

 the roof, into a small shed {p) opening into the yard attached 

 to his house [q). 



The cultivated part of the garden, in front of the forcing- 

 range, was begun to be altered in July, 1826. The old hot- 

 houses being taken down, and the walks grubbed up, the surface 

 was I'educed to determinate levels, new walks formed, so as to 

 throw the whole into compartments and borders, and the soil 

 was every where renewed, or prepared vv'ith a mixture of good 

 new soil, to the depth of three feet. The gravel of which the 

 walks are formed was dug out of particular portions of the 

 subsoil, and its place filled with rubbish from the removed 

 buildings, and with exhausted soil, waste gravel, &c., which 

 would otherwise have required to be carted away. The cir- 

 cumstance of procuring the gravel in this wa}^, and at the 

 same time getting rid of the rubbish, must have saved a very 

 considerable expense. The perfect level of the walk in front 

 of the range {r r), the uniform slopes from it of the north 

 and south walks [s s s s), the regularity of the borders and of 

 the compartments, equal, in this kind of beauty, any thing 

 we ever saw. Nothing can be finer in the way of a kitchen- 

 garden view, than the appearance of the forcing-range, and of 

 the garden in front of it, when entering at the main door (t), 

 and walking up the central walk (ts). The upper border 

 (u u u u) is planted with the finest sorts of Flemish pears, to 

 be trained eii j^yramide ; the other borders are planted with 

 a complete collection of all the select table apples (dwarfs) 

 on paradise stocks. Detached trees and dwarfs are preferred, 

 as admitting more sun and air to the vegetables around them, 

 and because, on the Vv-hole, such trees are more certam ot 

 producing a crop in adverse seasons than espaliers. The 

 reason of this is, an espalier hedge has only two sides, and 

 the whole of tlje blossom and crop is on the surface ; whereas 



a globular or a regular bush has many sides, and has blossoms 



11 11 



and fruit in the interior among its branches, as well as on its 



outer surface. On the south side of the south wall is a useful 

 border (u u), bounded by a sunk fence, on the top of which is 

 a holly hedge to be kept about 3 ft. high. Beyond this bor- 

 der is a carriage road, which leads from the public lane {a a) 

 to the farm offices which are situated southward of the garden 

 (w). Opposite to the main entrance of the garden (/) is the 



