564 Bicton Gardens, their Culture and Management. 



or left wherever we go, is it not plainly to be seen that we often 

 act in direct opposition to that parent of all things ? Look into 

 any rill, under any tree, into the inside of a wood, or on the top 

 of a hill, do we not notice the decay of autumn, and the progress 

 of spring, which ought to serve for our guide? On the bench you 

 noticed sods of heath mould, and of different kinds of loam, 

 leaf mould, &c. On the side bench were pots filled with four dif- 

 ferent sizes of pebbles, from the size of a grain of wheat to the 

 size of the palm of the hand ; four different sizes of broken free- 

 stone ; four different sizes of charcoal (considering the pot of 

 charcoal dust one of them) ; four different sorts of sand ; two 

 sorts of bone, one of half-inch size, the other of dust; four dif- 

 ferent sizes of broken pots for draining, potsherds of sizes for 

 putting over the hole of any sized pot; a basket of moss, one of 

 soot, and another of rotten cowdung; a hammer, choppers for cut- 

 ting sods of mould, &c, pincers, potting-sticks, sieves of different 

 sizes; wire of sizes for making trellises of all kinds for training 

 plants ; flower- stakes of all sizes made by the men in wet weather, 

 and painted green ; green string of all sizes for tying and train- 

 ing plants, also painted by the men. 



Painting Strings for tying Plants. — You particularly wished 

 me to mention in what manner I painted the strings ; the following 

 is my method, which I have never before seen employed. I take a 

 ball of string, stretch it inside of a shed, from one nail to the other, 

 until the whole of the ball is unwound. I get some tolerably 

 thick green paint, put on an old leather glove, or take a piece 

 of leather in my hand, on which glove or piece of leather I put 

 some of the paint with a bit of lath. I take as much of the 

 string on my hand as is convenient to rub the paint into, and 

 soon colour the whole ball. 



Garden Rules. — You next noticed the Garden Rules in the 

 lobby. As they are somewhat different from the rules for the 

 kitchen-garden, I beg to enclose a copy of them according to 

 your wish. [These Rules are given in p. 567., at the end of this 

 letter.] 



The Palm-house, which you next went into, appeared to 

 interest you much ; and, as you requested, I shall proceed to give 

 you some particulars respecting my treatment of the plants in it, 

 their height, dimensions, &c. It will be rather startling to some 

 persons when I state the facts I am about to do. In the first 

 place, I wish it to be understood that every plant inside that 

 house is growing in loam, charcoal, stones, and sand, with oc- 

 casionally a little manured water. The house is 58 ft. long, 

 34? ft. wide, and 33 ft. high. The first plant you noticed op- 

 posite the door at which you entered was Musa Cavendish//, 

 with above 400 perfect fruit on it; 42 fruit on the uppermost 



