GHENT. 75 



Seat of Madame Vilahi XIV. 



We now passed the Scheldt by a wooden bridge, and 

 soon reached the fine seat of Madame Vilain Quatorzc. Till 

 we witnessed the American grounds of M. Hopsomere, our 

 expectations concerning the state of gardening in this richest 

 part of Flanders, had been rather disappointed, and our 

 minds had received an unfavourable impression. Now, 

 however, we began to alter our opinion ; and the first as- 

 pect of the Place of this Lady (for it well deserves the 

 name of a place) convinced us, that this day?s excursion 

 was likely to be well repaid. 



Having inquired for the chief gardener, a young man of 

 a lively and intelligent appearance soon joined us, and, on 

 being apprized of our wishes, invited us to inspect every 

 part of the establishment under his direction. 



The mansion-house is built in the Flemish style, and is 

 closely surrounded with a moat, so that it seems to rise 

 from among the water. The flower-garden and pleasure- 

 grounds are situated immediately to the westward of the 

 house, and the kitchen-garden on the east. The most 

 striking object in the flower-garden is a magnificent suite 

 of glazed houses for plants, extending almost two hundred 

 feet in length. In the centre is a green-house, nearly a 

 hundred feet long ; on each side are hot-houses, about fif- 

 ty feet in length. The breadth of these houses is somewhat 

 more than thirty feet. Flues pass along both at the back 

 and front of the houses. As is customary in well con- 

 structed houses in Britain, the flues are every where raised 

 a few inches above the floor *. The greenhouse is entered 



• The advantages of this construction are pretty well known ; but as 

 they have not always been attended to, they may be recounted in a single 

 sentence. Air being only a slow conductor of heat, compared with compact 



