56 HORTICULTl UAL TOUR. 



fantastically paved with the metatarsal bones of sheep. We 

 afterwards come to Pan's theatre: this is wholly formed of 

 hornbeam trees and bushes, which the shears have curious- 

 ly tortured into the appearance of a stage, with side-scenes, 

 and of front and side boxes, and parterre or pit. Leav- 

 ing this extravagance of the gardening of the Pays Bas, 

 we return towards the house by an avenue of oriental 

 planes, the finest which we ever saw. The trees are in 

 general about TO feet high ; they are trained up, as if they 

 were common ash or beech, to the height perhaps of 40 

 feet, and the trunks are quite clean and healthy. 



In the garden we observed some wall and espalier trees, 

 chiefly peaches and pears, trained to two main horizontal 

 brandies, situated near the ground, and with upright 

 branches proceeding from these, in the way we sometimes 

 train currant-trees against north walls in Scotland. The 

 fan mode of training was however preferred. 



Among the implements of gardening, we remarked a 

 dibble calculated to make nine holes at once, at equal dis- 

 tances, for planting pease, beans, or haricots. Such a dib- , 

 ble is well suited for this garden ; but it could only be 

 used successfully in light sandy soil, and in very flat situa- 

 tions. 



There is a greenhouse for giving shelter to a collection 

 of orange-trees, and of similar plants, during winter. With 

 us, during the summer season, the greenhouse, although 

 without its proper inhabitants, is kept not only neat and 

 cle;ni, but is decorated with pots of cockscombs and balsams. 

 Here, however, the house was not only destitute of tem- 

 porary ornamental plants, but filled with lumber and rub- 

 bish, tin i of straw, old barrels, and broken flower-pots, 

 hot-houses; a central high-roofed stove, 

 and two lateral houses of smaller dimensions. These 



