of the Town of Southampton. 597 



made to plant an arboretum on less ground than forty or fifty- 

 acres. That extent of ground might be purchased on a build- 

 ing speculation, the interior planted as an arboretum, and the 

 circumference built on, either with detached villas, or with 

 continuous rows of houses, as in the Regent's Park. 



An additional supply of loater to the town is now sought for 

 by sinking an artesian well, the depth of which at jDresent is 

 1170 ft., and the cost hitherto is 12,000/. The chalk is be- 

 lieved to be nearly gone through, so that it is hoped water will 

 speedily be obtained, and we trust this will be the case. If 

 this resource should fail, however, there are others which can 

 be rendered available, so that there is no doubt of the town 

 being in time abundantly supplied with excellent water. 



The Vegetable and Fruit Market at Southampton is a century 

 behind Covent Garden. We could not have believed it possible 

 that such wretched cabbages, turnips, and even potatoes, could 

 have been exposed for sale ; and the fruit, more especially the 

 apples and pears, is still worse than the vegetables. A spirited 

 market-gardener from London, who might settle in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Southampton, would be sure to do well, as fine 

 fruit and vegetables generally only need to be seen to command 

 a sale. As to flowers, we do not recollect ever seeing so large 

 a town with so few, on the window-sills, in the shops, or in 

 the little front gardens, of which, however, there are scarcely 

 any. How different from Brighton ! though the latter place is 

 much more exposed to the sea breeze, and in a colder climate. 



Evening Shelters for Working Men. — Some years ago, in 

 autumn, we stopped all night in the little town of Komsey, and 

 we were struck with the number of workmen standing in 

 groups in the mai-ket-place, and before the doors of public- 

 houses, even after it was dark. It immediately occurred to us, 

 that a plan which has been adopted by some of the tradesmen 

 of London for their unmarried journeymen and apprentices, 

 would be a very great source of comfort to the Komsey la- 

 bourers, whom we presumed to be also single men, with no other 

 home than perhaps a garret bed, and consequently without any 

 place in which they could spend the evening, except the 

 public-house. What we then proposed for Romsey, we now 

 propose for Southampton, viz. that there should be rooms 

 opened here and there throughout the town, furnished witli a 

 table, fomis, and seats; and, when the nights were dark and 

 cold, with a fire and candles. On the table there should be a 

 number of cheap publications, such as Chambers's Journal, the 

 Penny Magazine, &c. One man should have the care of the 

 room, and should be entitled to charge a halfpenny for every 

 one who entered it. It should also be a part of his duty, if the 

 company in the room requested it, to read aloud to them, or 



