Birmingham Botanical Horticultural Garden. 409 



©fd more economical character. The garden was thus con- 

 structed, that it might, from the beginning, and at all times 

 during the progress of our plan, form a whole, which, though 

 not so perfect as it is contemplated finally to be, would still 

 be complete and perfect in its kind. How this is to be 

 effected will best be shown by describing the working-plan 

 and section, Jig. 71.; the vertical profile,^. 72.; the plans 

 of part of the arboretum, figs. 73. and 74. ; and the plans, sec- 

 tions, and elevations of the hot-houses, figs. 75, 76, 77, and 78. 



Fig. 71. Working-plan for the general distribution of the 

 Birmingham Botanic Garden. The contents of the whole 

 are thus disposed of: — Botanic garden, (i) 7 acres ; pleasure- 

 grounds (k), l 2\ acres; American garden, (l) f of an acre ; 

 flower-garden (m), \ of an acre; orchard and fruit-tree nur- 

 sery (n), \\ acre; kitchen-garden and agricultural ground 

 (o), 2 acres; reserve garden and experimental ground (p), \ 

 of an acre; space on which the hot-houses stand, gravel 

 walks, &c, If acres : in all, 16 acres. 



: , The section a b, taken on the line a b in the plan, shows 

 the inclination of the surface in the plan. In this section 

 are seen the entrance lodge, 1 ; circular clump of variegated 

 hollies, 2 ; hot-houses, 3 ; tower, with steam or hot water ap- 

 paratus under, water cistern over, and surrounding under- 

 ground carriage way, 4; basins, with jets of water, 5, 6, 7; 

 large basin, and grand jet at the bottom of the garden, 8 ; 

 overshot water wheel, supplied by a pipe from 7, for raising 

 water to the cistern in the tower, 9 ; and water-closets, 10. 



The details of Jig. 71. are as follow : — 



A, Main entrance from Birmingham. 



b, c, d, Lower parts of the grounds : the fall from a to b is nearly 70 ft ; 

 from b to c the rise is about 10 ft.; from b to d the fall is about 3 ft. 



e, Circular range of glass ; the darkest shaded part, viz., the entire outer 

 circle of pits, and one hot-house, and a green-house, being that which is 

 proposed to be first executed. 



f, House and offices now existing, and proposed to be retained for the use 

 of the curator, the council, &c. 



g h, A tunnel for communicating by carts, &c, between the road and the 

 engine for heating the hot-houses, and also with the curator's house and 

 offices. 



i, Botanic garden. The general surface is turf, on which the herbaceous 

 plants are placed in dug groups, for the most part circular, and limited 

 to one genus each ; and the ligneous plants are planted singly on the 

 turf, with the exception of the lowest of the under-shrubs ; which, like 

 the herbaceous plants, are placed in dug groups. The finer varieties of 

 roses, azaleas, and some other shrubs, are not understood to be included 

 in this collection, but only the species and more hardy varieties. 



k, Pleasure-ground ; consisting of" lawn varied with groups of the most 

 ornamental flowers and shrubs, with some trees; including a rosary, 

 an open alcove or covered seat, and a variety of sculptural and archi- 

 tectural ornaments. On this lawn various structures for birds, monkeys, 



