Workhouse Gardens, and Gardens of Prisons. 97 



would pass a law to oblige all builders of cottages unalienably to attach a 

 certain quantity of land to each as a garden, as suggested Vol. VII. p. 410. 

 A bill has been lately (December, 1831) brought into Parliament, which 

 proposes to oblige parishes to provide gardens for all their cottage dwell- 

 ings ; but the practicability of this, on the plan proposed in the bill, appears 

 to us very doubtful. (See our observations on this subject, Vol. V. 

 p. 712.) We prefer, as an artificial and temporary measure, some plan by 

 which abundance of labour may be created in every part of the country. 

 We have suggested for this purpose the reforming of the public roads all 

 over the island, under the direction of district engineers, the expense to be 

 paid out of the general taxes. (See our letter on the subject in the Morn- 

 ing Chronicle of Dec. 31. 1831.) 



We have strongly recommended workhouse gardens (Vol. V. p. 714.) 

 for the aged and infirm poor ; and we had the pleasure of seeing at Co- 

 ventry (May 6. 1831) our ideas in great part carried into effect. The 

 three parishes which compose the town of Coventry are under one 

 system of management as far as it respects the poor; and an old monastery 

 and its extensive garden have been turned into a lodging and working- 

 place. The garden is cultivated entirely by the inmates, and chiefly the 

 old men, as the women are supplied with in-door work, and there is a 

 schoolmaster for teaching the children to read, write, and count. It was 

 observed to us, by Mrs. Mercer, the highly respectable matron, who has 

 the entire management of the establishment, under the direction of a com- 

 mittee, that all the old men who were able to work, however little, took 

 great pleasure in being employed in the garden, and she only regretted that 

 there was not more ground. Mrs. Mercer is very fond of horticulture, and 

 directs the cultivation of the garden under her care most judiciously. It 

 was in the very best order, and without a single weed. She has a border 

 devoted to flowers, and, as it does not contain many sorts, we venture to 

 call on our friends in her neighbourhood, Mr. Brown, Mr. Knox, and Mr. 

 Oliver, to send her a few plants and seeds, and a few cuttings and suckers 

 of shrubs and roses. 



We are persuaded that it would be a great improvement in the manage- 

 ment of the workhouse poor of London, and of other large towns, to 

 have workhouses in the country, in the midst of large gardens, for their 

 aged and infirm inmates, who might then be usefully and agreeably em- 

 ployed in the gardens in raising part of their own food. The idea of so 

 many aged persons spending their last days in workhouses, is indeed deplor- 

 able ; but it seems to be inseparable from the wretched state of society in this 

 country. In the great Marylebone workhouse*, which has a front that, for 

 length, and the size and number of the windows, might be compared to a 

 Russian palace (and indeed it closely resembles that of General Apraxin, at 

 Moscow, of which we possess an elevation), there are constantly from 80 

 to 120 very old men and women, who are led or carried out, one by 



* We visited this immense establishment on the 28th of December last. 

 It covers several acres, and consists of several courts, surrounded by build- 

 ings, or by high walls, including a chapel, an infirmary, a girls' school and 

 a boys' school, and a prison. The infirmary fronts the New Road, and has 

 a simple unbroken elevation, with large windows on the first floor ; produc- 

 ing, on the whole, considerable grandeur of effect The total number of 

 inmates is about 1440 grown-up persons, and about 300 children. Of the 

 grown-up persons at least 500, we were told, are able-bodied men, who 

 cannot get work ; above 100 are old men and women, unfit for any kind of 

 employment, some of them bed-ridden, Between 200 and 300 are in the 

 infirmary. The whole appeared to us as well managed as an institution of 

 the kind possibly can be. 



Vol. VIIL — No. 36. a 



