158 LONDON PARKS & GARDENS 
and the execution of it completed by Mr. Farrow. 
The chief features, are the artificial water (for the 
most part supplied by the Thames), and the avenue 
of elms which traverses the Park from east to west, 
and cross walks, with a band-stand and drinking- 
fountain at the converging points. Round the Park 
runs a carriage drive, and, following a different line, 
a track for riders—with the usual spaces for games 
between. The trees are growing up well, so already 
any bareness has disappeared. The absolute flatness, 
which makes the open spaces uninteresting, is relieved 
by the avenue, which will some day be a fine one. 
It is an object-lesson to show the advantage of 
avenues and shady walks, too often ignored by modern 
park designers, or only carried out in a feeble, half¬ 
hearted way. The chief variation in Battersea Park 
was achieved by John Gibson, the Park Superintendent, 
who made the sub-tropical garden in 1864. His ex¬ 
perience, gained on a botanical mission to India, which 
he undertook for the Duke of Devonshire, well fitted 
him for the task. This garden has always been kept 
up and added to, and specially improved in the Seven¬ 
ties, while the present Lord Redesdale was at the 
Office of Works. 
A sub-tropical garden was quite a novelty when 
first started here, and caused much interest to horti- 
culturalists and landscape gardeners. The “Sub-tropical 
Garden,” by W. Robinson, and other writings on the 
subject, have since made the effects which can be pro¬ 
duced familiar to all gardeners; but in 1864 to group 
hardy plants of a tropical appearance, such as aralias, 
acanthus, eulalias, bamboos, or fan palms, was a new 
idea. During the summer, cannas, tobacco, various 
