3198 Proposal for a Glazed Garden 



hours' difference would occur in each journey from the most distant 

 parts of the city to either locality, but for residents near Smithfield 

 the difference would be far greater. Again, from Holborn there would 

 be a vast saving of time, so also from Blackfriars' and Southwark 

 Bridges, so also from the densely-peopled regions of St. John's Street, 

 and so also of the entire east : indeed, it is beyond a question that, to 

 upwards of a million of the inhabitants of London, every visit to the 

 city glazed garden would occupy two hours less than a visit to the 

 Hyde-Park conservatory. But this prima facie saving of time and 

 money is not all : whoever spent two hours in transit would think the 

 time sadly wasted unless he spent four hours there, so that a day 

 would be occupied ; and in fact a visit to a Hyde-Park conservatory 

 must, like a visit to the Great Exhibition, be a special holiday ; so 

 also whoever spent twenty minutes in transit to and from the Smith- 

 field glazed garden would think it time wasted unless he could spend 

 forty minutes there ; thus an hour would be consumed, but no more. 

 This would readily be afforded. Again, although time is money, yet 

 money is money still more emphatically ; the city visitors to a Hyde- 

 Park conservatory must lay out one shilling in transit, and they must 

 almost of necessity lay out one shilling and sixpence each in refresh- 

 ments ; that is the most moderate computation : the visitor to the 

 Smithfield glazed garden would not necessarily incur either expense. 



A few observations may be added under the heads of ' plan,' ' funds,' 

 and ' alternative.' 



Plan. — I think the roads now passing through Smithfield might be 

 made to divide the area into six principal compartments. These I would 

 call Europe, Asia, Africa, N. America, S. America, and New Holland. 

 In each division I would endeavour to place the vegetable productions 

 which are natives of the soil, and in all instances imitate as nearly as 

 possible the natural conditions of the plants themselves; and each geo- 

 graphical district should be further illustrated by stuffed specimens of 

 the quadrupeds, birds, and reptiles for which it is most remarkable; 

 Asia by its camels, elephants, and tigers ; New Holland, its cassowary, 

 emu, and kangaroos ; Africa, its giraffe, elephant, hippopotamus, lion, 

 ostrich, and crocodiles ; North America, its bison, beaver, and alliga- 

 tors ; South America, its llama, alpaca, vicuna, and its humming-birds ; 

 Europe, its wolves, elks, and aurochs. The specimens in all instances 

 should be the best that could be procured, regardless of cost, and 

 should be placed amid the scenery where they once enjoyed life. 

 The stuffing or preservation of animals is an art that has now 

 reached something like perfection, and I would have no creature set 



