THE ORCHID WORLD. 



'Jilenheim 'Palace. 'Che South Front. 



"Che ^kn heim T^alace Collection, 



Woodstock, Oxford. 



SINCE their creation the gardens at Blen- 

 heim have always been among the most 

 famous m the country, and the horti- 

 cultural craft as carried on here in the past has 

 had widespread influence, and has acted as an 

 mspiration to many generations of gardeners. 

 The Dukes and Duchesses of Marlborough 

 have been consistent patrons of horticulture, 

 and the present Duke is specially interested in 

 the Orchid collection, which is extending 

 rapidly, and for which a great development in 

 the near future is prophesied. 



His Grace takes a great interest in the boys 

 in the village, and many of the more intelligent 

 are taken on in the gardens when they leave 

 school. The idea of the Duke, ably seconded 

 by Mr. Hunter, is to train these boys in horti- 

 cultural arts, so that, when they reach the age 

 of twenty, they are in a position to earn a good 

 wage, having received first-class instruction 

 over a period of years. Several boys have 



already passed through Mr. Hunter's hands, 

 and are on the way to becoming capable jour- 

 neymen. 



Everything at Blenheim is on a generous 

 scale, but as the scope of these notes does not 

 go beyond the Orchids, restriction must be 

 kept to the following details : 



The Palace has four fronts, answering 

 roughly to the points of the compass, that of 

 the north being 348 feet from wmg to wing. 

 The interior is proportionally magnificent. 

 The Park is 2,700 acres in extent, and 

 twelve miles in circuit, and was laid out 

 by " Capability" Brown. The kitclien garden, 

 in which are ranges of fruit houses, etc., is <t 

 large rectangle covering twelve acres, and 

 surrounded by a high wall. Outside this wall, 

 on a fine open site, are the princijial ranges of 

 plant and Orchid hou.ses ; it is with the latter 

 that we are concerned. 



The main range of Orchid houses, four in 



