October 19, 1871. ] 



JOUENAi OF HOBTICULTUEB AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



303 



Eecorcl, notwithstanding the many dntieg such erfensive alterations as 

 he is mailing necessarily entail, nevertheless talres care to see into the 

 details which play an important part in the embellishment of the place. 



Taking our way in the direction of the new garden, myself and 

 friends first came to the newly-erected Grape honses, and the neigh- 

 bouring forcing houses, pits, and other structures. 



The new iitchen garden is formed at a convenient distance to the 

 south-west of the mansion, the path leading to it passing the conserva- 

 tory above alluded to, which is included within the boundary of the 

 park proper. The kitchen garden is outside, there not being enough 

 space inside near the mansion that could be spared ; being outside, it 

 loses the beneiit of the shelter which the fine belt of trees by the park 

 boundary affords in that direction, but there was no alternative. A 

 space of 8 or 10 acres cannot always be afforded at one place, and 

 it is not unlikely that as great an extent will be wanted by the time 

 this garden shall have been finished ; for the area enclosed by the 

 garden walls already built is 6| acres, exclusive of the space occupied 

 by the forcing houses, &c., besides which there will probably be the 

 slips, for few gardens are without these, and in many their extent far ex- 

 ceeds that of the interior. Much, however, is as yet incomplete, although 

 the works are being carried on by a numerous staff of men. The 

 kitchen garden as walled-in forms an oblong, or nearly so ; for neces- 

 sity has compelled a little divergence from the proper angle at the 

 south-west corner, the south wall being shorter than the north one, 

 and the other two walls longer than either. It is, I believe, intended 



at some time to run another wall across the garden east and west, so 

 as to afford more south wall to the tender fruits ; but as it is the north 

 wall is of a good length, being 564 feet long, and 12 feet high ; the other 

 walls are of the same height, and all protected by a coping projecting 

 about 3 inches over each side. Trees had been planted against part of 

 the walls last spring, and in most cases promised well. All the ground 

 was cropped or had been so, and healthy fine-looking vegetables met 

 the eye in every direction. A broad walk from side to side crossed the 

 centre of the garden pointing to the central vinery in the ranges of 

 glass at the back ; wide open-work gates were being put up in the centre 

 of the north wall, while other walks, also of considerable width, were 

 being carried round at a proper border distance from the outer walls. 



In the forcing department, behind there was still much to do. 

 Mechanics of various kinds were busily employed, and gangs of 

 labourers and garden men were engaged in the earthworks, and tha4 

 very important operation — making Tine borders. Turfy sods, from 

 4 to 6 inches thick, were being wheeled in upon a well-prepared founda- 

 tion of drainoge, and some of the Vines had only been planted a few 

 days, yet were'looking well. I believe Mr. Becord intends one if not 

 two of the vineries to be planted with Muscats, and one or two with 

 Lady Downe's and other late Grapes, but the precise position of each 

 I did not exactly note down. 



The heating apparatus was ample, there being three or four boilers, 

 but all united or so arranged that if one Bbould fail the others could 

 work without it. They were all saddle boilers on an improved plan, 



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A 



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7?PS';^^^.?rKi'^^^.'f 



liibcTicn d-DL-rden^ WalC . 



Plan of Houses as Ke-aeeanged, showing the DRAiNAaE, 



A, A, Seven vineries foimiiig a innge of lean-to bouses 264 feet loDg, by 

 the respective widths of 18, 16, find 14 feet. Ilie centre honse is tbe 

 bigbest. 



E, B, Two balf-span or bip-roofed bonses, each 100 feet long by 18 feet 

 wide, divided into four and three coin par tments respectively. These will 

 be supplied with bottom beat as well as top beat, arid will be used for 

 forcing Pines, Melons, Cucumbers, Dwarf Kidney Beans, &c. 



c, c, Eight fpan-roofed houses, the largest two 70 feet long by 20 feet 

 in width ; the nest fize 50 feet long by 16 feet wide, all of which will be 

 used for plant-growing and forcing. Tbe nest sized bouses, 50 feet long 

 by 14 feet wide, will most likely be Peaclx houses ; and of tbe two outer 

 houses, 50 feet long by 12 feet in width, one is for a Strawberry bouse, 

 and the use of tbe other is not yet determined on. 



3>, D, Are bedding-plant pits ; tbe two lengths nearest tbe Epan-roofed 

 Louses will be heated, and tbe rest are intended to be cold pits. 



E, "Will be a lean-to propagating bouse. 



F, A house to be used for store plants and bulbs in a dormant state. 



G, Boiler honse, iii wbicb four boilers will probably be placed. The 



and were placed at the nortb-west corner where tbe ground is low. 

 I believe these boilers are calculated to heat the whole of tbe struc- 

 tures shown in the diagram, and being placed out of siglit, tbe forcing 

 pits and bonses will be open to the inspection of company without 

 anytliinE^ offensive intruding itself. Probably other bouses will ulti- 

 mately be added to those already in course of erection, as tbe plan has 

 been arranged with that view ; but even as it is tbe important additions 

 made by the present proprietor of Hatfield will no doubt rank amongst 



object in having them all together is, that tbe boilers may be connected 

 on© with tbe other, so tbot if any boiler should fail to supply tbe necessary 

 heat required at particular times, or should be under repair, there may 

 be a boiler to supply its place. 



H, Is the fuel shed. 



I, "Water tank, 40 feet across, and 5 feet deep. This tank is kept sup- 

 plied with water from a large pond situated some distance off in the park. 

 From tbe tank the water will run into every house in the plan, and all of 

 them are fitted-up with a tank above the hot-water pipes, so that the 

 water may be heated to tbe temperature of the house. 



The kitchen garden is also well supplied with water from the same lake 

 and by the same means, and from a similar tank tbe water is conveyed 

 all round tbe garden. 



The dotted lines are intended to show the system of drainage adopted 

 for the whole block of buildings. Figs. 1, 1, &c., is the main drain, and i& 

 laid with 12-inch glazed socket-pipes ; and figs. 2, 2, &c., are tbe branches 

 connected with the main drain to take the water from the bottoms of the 

 Vine borders and tbe interior of hothouses. 



the most useful it has ever had, and near the mansion the changes 

 that have been made by him have been in strict harmony with the 

 character of the building. 



I have only to add that the whole place was in excellent teepingj. 

 that there were proofs at every step of the future being thought of as 

 well as the present; and finally, the belief of myself and all who 

 accompanied me was that in Mr. Keeord the Marquis had found a 

 gardener worthy of his place. — J. Eobson. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Take advantage of favourable mornings for wheeling out old 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



hotbed and other manures on spare ground, and getting the 

 ground well trenched and roughly ridged to receive the bene- 



