136 
Queries^ Answers, Rem.arks, 
fore l)eing- painted, it will he years before it easts the paint, or shows any cor¬ 
rosive spot through it. 
Q.—Do you mean then to discontinue hot-water for forcing-? 
A.—By no means ; I have some alterations at present g'oing- on for improving it 
if possible; all I want is, for it to stand on its own merits, and for all pers< ns 
who g’ive their opinions, to speak from experience. As far as I have expe- 
vienced, the plan has not answered my expectations. I am wedded to no system, 
nor bigoted with my own opinion ; any improvement 1 always hail, but I shall 
never like to pay half-a-crown for g-rowing a pound of grapes, when I could 
have g-rovvn the same pound for one shilling. 
Q.—I shall occasionally call on you to see how your improvements are proceeding • 
A.—I shall be very happy to see you at at all times, but before you go, allow me 
offer you a little friendly advice respecting your calls at private gardens. Pray 
what business is it, or what benefit will the public derive, from knowing that this 
or that garden is kept above or below the economic point. Not one gardener 
‘ in a thousand would have his garden in bad order, had he sufficient assistance 
afforded him. It is really too bad, that, because a gentleman does not think 
proper to spend as much money on his garden as his neighbour, it is to be pub¬ 
lished to liisdiscredit all over the kingdom, and cause his gardener to be thought 
ill of, who has no opportnity of remedying it. If in your travels you were to give 
gardeners private advice, as to what you consider would improve their places, or 
publish only such as are real improvements, you would then be doing them a 
kindness; but to publish a parcel of idle stories,* is only calculated to do them 
serious injury, and not unfrequently has been the means of their being dis¬ 
charged from their situations, when their employers have been disposed to pay 
the least attention to such tales. Besides, any person seeing a place only as 
you do, for a walk round, and that perhaps, but once in your life, how can such 
a person be competent to speak to its praise or dispraise, from such a transient 
visit? To see how a garden is managed, it ought to be visited every month, at 
least. When you call, perhaps it may be a wet day, or the gardener may have 
some alterations to make, that require all his strength to accomplish, during 
which time his garden may be a little deranged : all these are calculated to 
give unfavourable impressions to a superfirial observer, whoa month afterwards 
would have quite a different opinion. I hope you will continue to criticise pub¬ 
lic gardens, this is quite a difl’erent affair ; but in England, every man’s bouse 
being his castle, whether he chooses to live upon salt and wafer, or ornament his 
window with a bouquet of cabbages, no one, we conceive, has any business with 
it, providing no person receives injury by his so doing. 1 have only one favour 
to ask of you, that is,—did you not say to the young man who accompanied you 
round, that Chatsworth was altogether the finest place you had ever seen in 
your trav(ils? How then is it “that Chatsworth is so unsatisfactory a ph.ce”? 
J.P. 
Gentlemen, 
I congratulate you on having originated a new monthly production, 
which, if we may judge by the present number, is likely to he very ucceptahle to 
all the friends and lovers of Gardening, 
I have been much struck by the paper, by Mr. Stafford, on the cultivation of 
Vines in pots; and as 1 have a hot-hoi.se, which 1 purpose to emj)loy partly in 
* Iw need tlie public be informed tb.at Stowe is di.sfrraced wilb the wt rst kifeheo g.irden in 
the kingdom ; or that at Alton Towers, the late Karl of Shrewsbury spent a great sum f)f money 
foolishly ; supposing it true that he had done so, he produced something to plea.se himself, 
which we conceive is the aim of every one .so doing. Also the notice of >!r. I iimi is very oh- 
jectionable; we are not ignorant of the cau.se why it appetu-ed. 
