and Suburban Gardens. 333 



general plan, &c, of these pigsties, will be found in the First Additional Sup- 

 plement to our Encyclopcedia of Agriculture, now in the press. The dry, poor, 

 sandy soil of Bagshot Farm is particularly calculated for being benefited by 

 bone manure ; and Mr. Burgess consequently buys a great number of bones. 

 The price he pays for them is 20d. a heaped bushel : when ground, they lose 

 about a tenth of their bulk, and the price for a bushel of dust not heaped is 

 2s. The bones, after being ground, are mixed with equal parts of turf ashes 

 or sandy soil, and the mixture is laid in heaps for a fortnight to ferment, before 

 being spread upon the soil. The fermentation which takes place is most 

 powerful, and, if permitted, it would continue for a great length of time ; but 

 a fortnight, which is found absolutely necessary, is also found quite sufficient 

 to render the compost fit for agricultural purposes. This necessity of fer- 

 menting bone dust, before spreading it on the soil, should not be forgotten by 

 gardeners, when using it in the composition of vine borders (see Mr. For- 

 rest's practice, detailed in V. 502.), or as a general manure. Perhaps bones 

 ground, and mixed with soil, might be found an excellent substitute for tan. 

 Mr. Burness has invented a machine for drilling bone dust along with corn, 

 or turnip or other seeds. It may be made to sow six or eight rows at a 

 time, and the distance between the rows can be varied at pleasure. This drill 

 may be had of Messrs. Cottam and Hallen. In feeding both cattle and sheep, 

 oil-cake is frequently given here. Mr. Burness finds that it does not affect the 

 flavour of beef or mutton in the slightest degree ; but that it totally changes 

 the character of the fat of pigs. 



The Pleasure-Grounds at Bagshot Park never appeared to us in such great 

 freshness and beauty as they now did. Mr. Toward has made many alter- 

 ations and additions since we last saw the place in 1831; and the growth of 

 what was formerly planted has assimilated the whole more to the surround- 

 ing woods, and taken off that appearance of newness, which is inseparable 

 from every garden for a year or two after it has been made. The principal 

 addition is an elevated straight terrace walk, finely exposed to the south, and 

 sheltered from the north by a laurel hedge. On the lawn, at the bottom of 

 this walk, Mr. Toward has formed some beds, on raised panels of turf, in the 

 manner of those in the flower-garden at Windsor Castle, which look exceed- 

 ingly well from the terrace. An entirely new flower-garden has been formed, 

 of an oval shape, with a basin and fountain in the centre, and beds and borders 

 so arranged that not one of them could be moved 6 in., without deranging the 

 whole figure ; a test of perfection in this branch of design, which affords 

 a proof that it is thoroughly understood by Mr. Toward. The rosary was in 

 a fine condition, without aphides or mildew, and promising abundant bloom. 

 The roses being chiefly dwarfs, well cut in every year, and taken up, divided, 

 and the soil refreshed every two or three years, the plants grow with such 

 vigour that they are not nearly so liable to aphides as standard roses. The 

 original flower-garden (see IV. 434*., fig. 116. d), in which the beds were 

 planted with a miscellaneous assortment, is now replanted with the same 

 species, in the manner in which we think all large flower-gardens like this 

 ought to be planted; viz., every bed contains either one natural order or tribe, 

 or two or more natural orders or tribes which are closely allied. Mr. Toward 

 finds that, in almost all his showy orders fit for use in flower-gardens, there are 

 species calculated to come into flower during the whole season ; but, as there 

 are some showy tribes in which this is not the case, such, for example, as Paso- 

 mdcece, he introduces among them annuals or other temporary summeivflower- 

 ing plants. Bulbs are introduced into others ; but this order of plants is 

 but little cultivated here, the family generally being in town when they come 

 into flower. In the American garden, in the beds of which azaleas, rhododen- 

 drons, kalmias, &c, were uniformly mixed together, the families are now in 

 groups, and the plants are kept apart in Mr. Garnier's manner. The beauty 

 of this garden, now in its highest degree of perfection, we want words to 

 describe. The last improvement which we shall mention is the construction 

 of a very handsome moss-house, built from a very beautiful model, designed 



Vol. X. — No. 52. a a 



