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A FEW WORDS ON THE "CRYSTAL PALACE." 
l 
and ingenuity were the arms used, and where (we hope we may say in sober truth) they learned to 
cultivate the art of peace and to " war no more." 
But it may be asked — What objections are there to its remaining in its present place? First, 
then, we would say the inappropriateness of the site, inasmuch as it is too near the main road to be 
properly seen ; secondly, it will at times be smothered in dust from carriages passing so near it ; and 
thirdly, because as it at present stands it looks like a huge hand-glass with a wooden bottom placed 
upon an insecure foundation. Instead of as it stands at the present time, fancy it placed upon a raised 
platform some one hundred and fifty or two hundred yards longer and broader than the base of the 
building — fancy in addition that it had a substantial stone foundation, and that on the outside on the 
platform or terrace it was supported by colossal fountains, vases, and other architectural and gar- 
denesque enrichments, and we should have a building worthy of the country and of the occasion 
which originated it. Place it in a situation which, while it will be of ready access, shall at the same 
time be removed from the busy hum of men, and be quiet and gardenlike. Such a situation is to be 
found in Kensington Gardens, between the end of the Serpentine and the basin opposite the Palace, 
the centre of the building coming near where the walks converge in the centre of the garden. This 
is the most appropriate situation we know of. 
Whether the building is retained where it now stands, or be removed, one thing is quite certain, 
the whole of the roof must be re-glazed, and, we suspect, the woodwork must be refitted ; for, erected 
when it was, and in the hurried manner — from the unseasoned state in which much of the timber was 
used — the inexperience of many of the workmen employed, and the carelessness of others — the state 
of the weather, and the impossibility of making good work at that season — it cannot be doubted that 
the woodwork is of a very faulty description, and such as neither Mr. Paxton nor the contractors 
could pronounce first-rate. Every person who has had anything to do with wood, paint, and putty in 
the open air, in the winter season, is aware of the impossibility of making good work at such a time, 
and every builder knows, or ought to know, that in glazing, if a square of glass gets a shake, between 
the time of its being bedded in and the putty becoming firmly set, it is almost impossible to make 
it waterproof afterwards. 
Presuming, however, that it must stand, or be removed to a more suitable site, and not doubting 
but that plants suitable to grow in it are common enough, in what manner ought it to be laid out ? 
" Denarius" and Mr Paxton, in their pamphlets, both advocate equestrian exercises ; but against such 
a desecration of a noble building we must at once protest. Gentlemen at their country seats do not 
think of riding in their gardens or pleasure-grounds ; they are content with the park or the farm. No 
person thinks of riding in the gardens at Kew or Hampton Court, the Horticultural Gardens, Chiswiek, 
or the Royal Botanic Garden, Regent's Park ; they are content to ride to the gates, — and we should 
hope no horse will ever be permitted to go within the walls of the Crystal Palace. Let those persons 
who are too lazy to walk, ride round the outside. To the admission of invalids with garden chairs 
we have not the least objection, but the idea of horses prancing about, disfiguring the walks, and 
occasionally cutting their capers among the plants, is simply too ridiculous to bear a second thought. 
If the admission of equestrians would realize ten times the amount calculated upon by " Denarius," we 
would exclude them ; but, in a financial view, the matter is soon met — for we have only to do what 
we ought to do, viz., throw the garden open on Sunday, and all that could be expected from equestrians 
would be realized. But how is it to bo laid out ? Why, as it originated in circumstances with which 
all the nations of the earth were concerned, could we pay a more graceful tribute to those who have aided 
in the great work than to lay the garden out geographically, so that each country should be represented, 
not only as to its natural position, but also by its native vegetation ? Oh, but remarks some pseudo- 
botanist, if you have the plants of tropical countries, they must, to grow them successfully, have a 
tropical climate, and then the objections of the Quarterly Recieiv come into full force. But tropical 
countries have mountains as well as valleys, some of them rising to the line of perpetual snow, and it 
is from these that we would select vegetation to represent them. 
From almost every country we have plants sufficiently hardy for a greenhouse temperature, and 
from some tropical countries plants that are quite hardy. India could not be more splendidly repre- 
sented than by the Sikkim Rhododendrons lately introduced by Dr. Joseph Hooker ; China by the 
splendid evergreen trees now in the possession of Messrs. Standish and Noble; indeed it is quite cer- 
tain that with a greenhouse temperature all that a geographical arrangement would require could be 
accomplished. When we speak of a geographical arrangement we do not mean that the form of the 
countries should be attempted, all we wish is, that India, China, Africa, America, Russia, France, 
Austria, and other countries that have contributed, should be represented in the arrangement, and by 
the plants which they respectively and naturally produce. To this we think there cannot be the 
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