Notes on Gardens near Lancing, 441 



Art. II. Notes on Gardens near Lancing, concluded. By the 

 Conductor. 



(Continued from p. 392.) 



The Garden of Mr. Sharp, the blacksmith, at Lancing, con- 

 tains a good collection of fruit-trees, especially apples and pears. 

 Mr. Sharp is enthusiastically attached to the culture of fruits ; 

 as a proof of which, we found he had got Myatt's new straw- 

 berries, and the Van Mons Leon le Clerc pear. He has 

 seventy fig trees ; and among these one bearing a small green 

 fig of exquisite flavour, but the tree is not a good bearer. The 

 white Marseilles he has had as large as an orange. The garden 

 is on chalk, sloping to the south-east ; and so early, that some 

 strawberries were now (May 25th) ready to gather. On an old 

 cottage, near Mr. Sharp's house, is a vine which was brought 

 seventy years ago from Bordeaux ; it has large berries and 

 bunches, not good to eat, but making excellent wine, even 

 when the berries are not ripe. It might be worth enquiring 

 after by those who are planting vineyards. Mr. Sharp's o-arden 

 is surrounded by high brick walls, covered with admirably 

 trained trees, and every part of the interior was in the highest 

 order and keeping. It is his own property; and as he is 

 blessed with health and a taste for its cultivation, and has a 

 wife and family with a comfortable house, we regard him as 

 having within his reach all the elements of happiness, which we 

 hope he will long live to enjoy. 



We glanced at several other places in this neighbourhood, 

 and were recommended by Mr. Kidd to visit Offington, Lewis 

 Daubuz, Esq., where there is a good collection of Orchidere; 

 Northbrook, David Lyon, Esq., a finely wooded extensive place ; 

 and some others which we hope to see on some future occasion, 

 for at present we had barely time to visit the Miller's Tomb 

 on Heydown Hill. 



The Miller s Tomb is placed on the east side of Heydown 

 Hill, a high chalk hill covered with beautiful smooth turf, from 

 about half-way up to the very summit. The tomb stands near 

 a hedge and a group of trees, about two thirds up the hill 

 side. The summit of the hill is conical, and from it there is a 

 complete panoramic view of the surrounding country, bounded 

 on the south by the sea. The miller's windmill stood on this 

 summit, and around it are still visible the remains of an en- 

 trenchment which once enclosed a Roman encampment. The 

 miller lived in a cottage at a short distance from his tomb, 

 and this cottage has lately been rebuilt, and is now occu- 

 pied by his aged sister-in-law and her daughter, Miss Oliver, to 

 whom we are indebted for the following particulars. John 

 Oliver, the miller, was remarkably fond of the spot where the 



