Bagshot ParJc, Knapp Hill Nursery. 571 



stalks. Gnaphaliura eximium very finely in flower. The front wall of 

 the green-house concealed by a projecting oblique^ or nearly horizontal, 

 trelHs, covered with passion flowers, which is thought better than seeing so 

 much of the wall, Mr. Toward's dwelling-house is one of the smallest and 

 lowest we have ever seen, and, on observing this to him when last there, he 

 informed us that a new one was about to be built; for which reason we said 

 nothing, though we had been blamed by certain gardeners who knew Mr. 

 Toward's case, and sympathised with him, from not being much better off 

 themselves. The truth is, that in this case, and several others, our silence 

 has proceeded from a fear of doing more injury than good, by leading the 

 employer to take oflence at his gardener. Candour and sincerity, however, 

 is doubtless the best for all parties in the long run, and we are determined in 

 future to speak our own mind as to gardeners' houses, and every thing else, 

 without considering whether it may be pleasing or otherwise to either ser- 

 vant or master. It is our duty to do so ; and we are the more likely to do 

 it without injuring any one, since we are always open to the correction of 

 all our readers, from the most humble to the most learned or powerful. 

 We have repeatedly stated that there is no class of servants so badly 

 lodged as gardeners ; and we are perfectly certain of this, that we cannot 

 do masters a greater service than by inducing them to render their servants 

 comfortable. We are not alluding to wages, but to those requisites and 

 conveniences which every country gentleman may create on his estate, by 

 the mere application of a little labour from those servants whom he already 

 employs. A good and comfortable home is the first source of happiness to 

 every man ; and thereafter a good and well- furnished house, a certain quan- 

 tity of fuel, of potatoes, of flour, of cow's milk, and the keep of a pig or a 

 goat, will go much farther in rendering a mari'ied servant content than an 

 'increase of money wages. The skeleton of a new house is put up for 

 Mr. Toward; but we regret to say that it is such as we cannot approve of. 

 The situation is too shady and damp. The ground floor should have been 

 raised at least 4 ft. above the surface, which, by sinking 4 ft. under it, would 

 have given two useful cellars. The bedrooms cannot be much above 6ft. 

 high in the clear, whereas in the meanest cottage they should not be lower 

 than 9 ft. We were informed the house was kept low, in order to prevent 

 it from intruding on the view from the walks ; but the humane way of 

 doing this would have been to have had all the rooms on the same floor. 

 This house is proceeding very slowly; it is not yet floored or plastered, and 

 we would recommend its being pulled down, and a proper one built in a 

 more dry, open, and airy situation. Mr. Toward will be deeply offended at 

 our having mentioned his house at all ; but we must do our duty. No ser- 

 vant ever spoke with more respect and attachment of his employer than 

 Mr. Toward does of the Duchess of Gloucester, whom we firmly believe to 

 be a most amiable woman. The defect we have complained of, we are 

 persuaded, proceeds entirely from want of a little reflection on the part of 

 her upper managers, and by no means from want of humanity. 



The kitchen-garden here has a ruinous appearance ; the forcing-houses 

 seem to be tumbling down, and the tops of the walls would require to be 

 weeded as well as the walks, which is the case, as we are informed, with the 

 garden walls of that fine old place, Longleat. Notwithstanding these dis- 

 advantages, Mr. Smith continues to raise good crops of various articles. 

 There is a bee-house with a good many hives, for the purpose of producing 

 glasses of fresh honey every day ; they are under the care of an enthusiastic 

 and enlightened bee-master, once a lieutenant in the navy. 



Knapp Hill Nursery; Mr. Waterer. August 6. — We had heard much 

 in London, and from various gardeners in the country, of the splendid col- 

 lection of new seedling azaleas which flowered here in June last, not one 

 of which is yet given out to the trade; but, of course, at this season w:e 

 could only see the foliage. Among other things we noted Andromeda ^r- 



