G2 



GENERAL FORMATION, &c., OF GARDENS. 



length, and 20 feet wide. On the right- 

 hand side of this walk is a grass margin, 

 1\ feet broad, which separates the walk 

 from the borders in front of the hot- 

 houses : these extend nearly the whole 

 length of the garden, and are, during 

 summer, most tastefully planted with the 

 choicest flowering plants. The gera- 

 niums, in particular, we noticed were 

 not crowded together, but planted so 

 that each plant developed itself com- 

 pletely, without interfering with those 

 around it. And here, we may remark, 

 we saw the best existing collection of 

 scarlets, many of them produced by Mr 

 Ingram's skill in hybridising. On the 

 opposite side the grass verge is 4 feet 

 broad, breaking into semicircles, within 

 which are flowering plants of the most 

 showy description. The rest of the 

 ground, to the edge of the terrace wall, 

 is planted with the choicest herbaceous 

 plants. This terrace walk is connected with 

 the walks of the main garden by flights 

 of steps as shown in the perspective view, 

 furnished with elegant vases set on square 

 plinths. At the bottom of the wall is a bor- 

 der extending its whole length, divided into 

 rectangular beds for showy annuals, &c. 



In some beds, in front of one of the 

 cherry-houses, we observed a very choice 

 collection of hybrid phloxes, in great 

 variety, and of exquisite beauty. These, 

 with a few other beds near them, and 

 those on the terrace, constitute the out- 

 of-door floral display in these gardens. 



The walls are 12 feet in height, of a 

 peculiarly well coloured and well burnt 

 brick. They are built solid, and finished 

 with a substantial stone coping project- 

 ing 4 inches over the face. The ends 

 which terminate next the hothouses are 

 furnished with eagles, in Austin's artificial 

 stone. As will be seen by the ground- 

 plan, Plate X, the walls extend round 

 three sides of the main garden, the front 

 one stretching the full extent of the slips ; 

 while beyond it is another of similar 

 length, continued round the three sides 

 parallel to the others, but extending so 

 as to become connected with the back 

 wall of the garden, which encloses the 

 ground occupied by smaller houses, pits, 

 &c. Cross walls extend from these ones, 

 and divide the south, east, and w r est 

 enclosed slips into separate gardens, 

 each devoted to particular crops. Thus 



there is one vrhose walls are covered with 

 cherries, and the ground planted with 

 strawberries ; another with its walls of 

 plums, and its ground-surface cropped 

 with celery; another with pears on the 

 walls, while the area within is occupied 

 by asparagus, &c. 



By this arrangement shelter is obtained, 

 and a systematic style of cropping is 

 carried out. In planting the walls, Mr 

 Ingram has, with great propriety, "kept 

 every species of fruit by itself: thus we 

 have whole walls of pears, peaches, apri- 

 cots, cherries, plums, &c. 



The ground- plan will sufficiently ex- 

 plain the disposal of the central or 

 kitchen garden, which differs little from 

 other gardens, further than in the system- 

 atic manner in which the crops are ar- 

 ranged, and their general excellence. In 

 the centre, where the principal walks 

 intersect each other, there is placed a 

 fountain of polished Peterhead granite, 

 provided with various kinds of jets, and 

 rising out of a circular basin, 30 feet in 

 diameter. In connection with this foun- 

 tain are the water pipes, which are carried 

 all over the garden under the walks, by 

 which means the whole surface might be 

 irrigated if required. 



The fruit trees planted by the sides of 

 the walks are trained down to arch-wired 

 trellises not exceeding 4 feet in height. 

 This is done that they might not inter- 

 cept the view of the whole garden within 

 the first line of walls from the principal 

 terrace in front of the hothouses. The 

 standard apples and pears in the outer 

 slips are trained chiefly in the en que- 

 nouille manner, to prevent shade, as well 

 as to secure to the fruit the full benefit 

 of the sun. 



The soil throughout is naturally of the 

 best quality — a rich, workable, pretty 

 strong loam, which may, to a certain ex- 

 tent, account for the extraordinary healthi- 

 ness and productiveness of the fruit trees. 

 Their arrangement, we ought not to omit 

 stating, is fully up to the highest standard. 



A convenient court-yard for manures 

 and composts, with stabling, &c, is placed 

 near the north-west corner, so as to be as 

 much out of sight as possible. This is not 

 shown in our plan. 



The beautiful range of glass roofs, with 

 their mechanical appliances, is the work 

 of Mr Clark of Birmingham. They 



