80 By Stream and Sea. 



scription of the botany, natural history, and much of the 

 geology of the whole country. The admirable illustrations 

 with which the book abounds indicated to me that the 

 garden was a desirable Eden to see ; it proved itself to be 

 Wonderland outright. But I dare not trust my pen to linger 

 over it — over its glorious roses, its miniature valleys and 

 glens filled with ferns of the choicest kinds gathered from 

 all parts of the world ; over its thousands of fruits ; over 

 the grand effect produced by allying the natural colours and 

 forms of flowers and vegetables ; over the faint scent of the 

 tea-rose, the odour of the sweetbriar, and the honeyed per- 

 fume of the jasmine; over the romantic vistas, and giant 

 trees waving ou the boundary ; over the wild flowers bloom- 

 ing everywhere, even to the humble but beautiful plants ac- 

 cursed by the modern gardener as noxious weeds ; over the 

 shrubs, birds, and reptiles, whose habits have been watched 

 for many a long year, to be now recorded for our benefit. 



In " My Garden " there is a chapter entitled " My 

 Fishery," and it is that which has tempted me to refer to 

 this Wonderland by the Wandle, converted by the enthusi- 

 astic author out of a piece of unprofitable bog. The river 

 enters his grounds from Beddington Park, and forms a lake 

 of considerable area and depth ; it also communicates with 

 a number of brooklets which are made to minister to the 

 general beauty of the design, and which tend to the main- 

 tenance of various water-plants which could not otherwise 

 find a place in the garden. Into the lake or river, for it 

 partakes of the characteristics of both, ornamentations of 

 various kinds have been introduced — rustic bridges and 

 various aquatic plants. The dreadful Anacharis has, as 

 usual, without being invited, thrust its snake-like branches 

 into the domain, and thriven, as it thrives everywhere, in 

 the wildest plenitude. 



