274 Domestic Notices : — Englan d. 



of which, however, only three are enclosed within walls, the remainder lying 

 chiefly betwixt the latter and the river Cherwell. Its contiguity to the water 

 has at all times rendered the situation subject to damp ; but the most serious 

 evil incident upon such a locality, namely, the liability to flooding, seems now 

 to be removed, owing to the large quantities of new soil which have from time 

 to time been introduced, and which have raised its general level considerably. 

 Neverthless, as that which is brought in has not always been of a good quality, 

 the addition of many fresh loads of soil, of a better description, seems even at 

 the present time to be required, for the sake of the plants therein cultivated. 



" The whole of the space within the walls has hitherto been applied to the 

 elucidation of the Linnasan system, the eastern division being chiefly occupied 

 by British, the western by exotic plants, arranged after that method. The 

 increasing interest, however, felt in the present day for the natural method of 

 arrangement, seems to render it desirable that this latter half should henceforth 

 be set apart for its illustration : but, in order to accomplish this, it will be 

 necessary to gain some additional space, which can only be done by removing 

 the double yew hedge that traverses the centre of the garden, and which has 

 long been regarded as objectionable from harbouring vermin. 



" The space without the walls has hitherto been turned but to little account ; 

 but it seems desirable that, in future, a portion of this ground should be de- 

 voted to plants employed in medicine, agriculture, or the arts : the former 

 being enjoined to be cultivated in some part of the garden by the original 

 framers of the statute relating to the Sherardian Professorship ; the latter 

 being particularly insisted on in the will of that munificent benefactor to the 

 establishment, the late Professor John Sibthorp. 



" The remainder might be made available for the purposes of an Experi- 

 mental Garden, for ascertaining the effects of soils, or of chemical agents, 

 upon vegetation, and for other researches of a similar description. 



" The only means which we possess at present for the cultivation of aquatic 

 plants being a few narrow cisterns, or tanks, lined with copper, which are 

 placed at the farther extremity of the garden, a basin of considerable size 

 seems a desideratum, for which the centre of the space enclosed within the 

 walls would afford a convenient site, 



" The houses existing at present for the reception of exotics areas follows : 

 A stove-house, 30 ft. long, 14 broad, and about 12 in height, very badly con- 

 structed, having glass only on one side, and much out of repair. Two green- 

 houses, each 30 ft. long, 10 wide, 14 ft. in height in front, but only 10 at the 

 back, extremely ill-constructed for most kinds of plants, and likewise in very 

 bad repair. Lastly, a green-house, in the centre of the western division of 

 the garden, without any glass on the top, and very indifferently supplied with 

 light from windows in its southern front. It is 66 ft. long, 13| in height, and 

 in the centre 22 wide, narrowing at the sides. These houses were erected 

 about a century ago, at a time when the mode of constructing green-houses 

 was but ill understood, and when the cultivation of hot-house plants was al- 

 most unknown. The decayed condition of the frames, timbers, &c, involves 

 a considerable annual expense ; for it would appear, taking an average of the 

 last five years, that no less than 60/. per annum is required for keeping these 

 and the other buildings connected with the establishment even in their present 

 condition. 



" Up to the period of the erection of the new bridge over the Cherwell, 

 near Magdalen College, a house had been kept up for the professor of botany, 

 who is indeed expressly enjoined to reside, if possible, at the garden. In the 

 year 1795, however, the improvement of the approaches to the bridge occa- 

 sioned the pulling down of the house, and one of the green-houses was then 

 converted into the purposes of a library and lecture-room, which is conse- 

 quently now the only apartment of which the professor can avail himself, 

 whether for the purposes of private study or of public instruction. This room 

 is of the same size as the largest of the green-houses already specified, and 

 serves as the depository both of the library and the herbarium. 



