t l i y\
nagccl by a labourer, wlio is gcneraliy kept on the farm for cleaning liedgcs, clearing
out furrows, and doing such extra field-work as cannot be performed by the regular
bands uf the fann.
G334. In tradesmen's fa rms, large, or wliat arc called gentlemen’s farms, villa farms, and/ci-w)cs ornées,
the gardens are commonly managed by a gardener, who is expected to assist in the lield during the hay
and corn harvests; and who, therefore, seldom ranks high in his profession.
G335. The products o f common farmers' gardens are of the most useful and hardy kinds ; but the gardens
of villa and ornamental farms contain hothouses, and often produce many of the luxuries of regular
villa or mansion gardens. Indeed, were farmers disposed to excel in gardening, no class of country
residents, except ianded proprietors, have an opportunity of indulging their taste so variously and
extensively, and a t so little expense. In the first place, supposing a farmer to have a lease for twenty-
one years, a t a fair re n t; whatever state he finds the farm in, if it be enclosed and subdivided, he may
render it iifen n e ornée, by leaving strips of pasture round all the arable fields, and connecting these by
gates in such a way as to form a drive or nJwg- (1570.) round and through the wholc. Secondly, he may
form, or enlarge and arrange, the kitchen-garden, flower-garden, orchard, and the portion of lawn and
pleasure-ground round or beside the farm-house, ut pleasure. Thirdly, he may heat hothouses, pits,
aud hotbeds, a t the expense of labour only, by fermenting his farmyard dung in such pits, or in other
vaults for pines, or behind walls or pales, to force fru it trees.
6336. Street gardens, and the smaller suburban gardens (6232. to 6237.), ai'e the next
classes in point of number. They differ from the former in being almost always
gardens of pleasure, consisting of a grass-plat (complot, Fr., a design or device), with
a border, or a few patclies of flowers in front of the house, and a grass-plat or gravel
walks beliind, with beds for culinary vegetables and siuiill fruits. Their extent may he
from an eighth to half an acre, and they are managed by jobbing-gardeners by the day
or year. As the plants and turf arc soon injured by the smoky and confined atmosjiliere
incident to thcir situation, the finer plants and trees do not thrive in them, and the sorts
which do succeed, and even the turf, require frequent renewal. Evergreens and
cai-ly spring flowers, both of the tree and herbaceous kinds, arc most to be desired as
permanent plants for these gardens; and in summer, a display of annuals is made
from transplanted jilants furnished by the jobber, whose great object ought to be to keeji
up a succession of flowers, to have the grass and gravel in order, and to keep the whole
perfectly neat.
6337. Tradesmen's villas, of the smaller kind, may contain from a fourth pai't of au acre
to a whole acre ; and arc commonly managed by a sort of hybrid gardener, who acts
also in the capacity of groom, or of housc-servant. On a larger scale they arc managed
by master-gardeners ofthe lowest kind, as from such situations they can seldom rise to
be head gardeners. Besides attending to the duties of the jobber mentioned under
suburban gardens, the citizen’s gardener ought to study to procure eai'ly and late crojis
of the vegetables most in uso ; as peas, kidneybeans, potatoes, turnips, &c., because at
these seasons they are dear to purchase. Main summer crops arc of less consequence,
as they may be procured cheap at mai'ket. For similar reasons, he ought never to be
deficient in salads, jiot and sweet herbs, tart plants, &c., as these arc dearer to purcliase
in proportion to otlier vegetables, because less in demand. If there arc frames, hotbeds,
and liothouses, the same générai principles are to be observed, viz. when the wholc of
what is necessai'y for the consumption of the family cannot be raised, to raise such crops as,
cither from thcir kind, or the seasons at which they arc grown, are most dcai- to purchase.
6338. Where amateurs o f gardening have gardens, they are generally caliincts of rural
beauty, however small. Some of the finest gardens of this kind, in 1822, were those of
R. A. Salisbury, Es(j., Queen Street, Edgcwarc Road ; and Topham, Elkin’s Row,
Bayswater; both since destroyed. In 1850, two of the finest of these gai'dens were
those of Mrs. Lawrence at Ealing Park, and Mrs. Marryat at Wimbledon.
6339. The gardens o f connoisseurs NQxy in extent ; perhaps the largest and best furnished
was that of Knight, the first of all horticultiu-al connoisseurs, at Doivnton Castle,
which, with the experimental ground, contained sevcrai acres, and various hothouses,
jiits, and frames. In general these gardens are to be considered as horticultural workshops,
and beauty and order is not to bo looked for.
6340. Suburban or citizens' villas (6231.) may be considered as occupied by the more
wealthy class of citizens ; or, if not the more wealthy, at least those possessing most of
the taste and tone of good society. These gai'dens or residences contain always a portion
of lawn or field, as well as a kitchcn-gardcn and shrubbery, and may extend from one
to ten acres. They generally contain hothouses of somc kind, and are managed by a
regularly bred master-gardener. Besides attending to the duties of a tradesman’s gai*-
dcncr, lie must beai* in mind two things ; first, as the families who occupy such places
are gcneraliy constant residents, he must provide enjoyment, both of the agreeable kind
from the flower-garden and plant hothouses, and of tho useful kind from the culinary
and fruit-garden, for every month in the year ; and, secondly, he must attend to the
habits of the family as to the kinds of proiluctions and enjoyments preierred. The
great art of deriving enjoyment fi-om a country residence of this descrijition, is to provide
an interest, a hope, and a fear, for every season, or even for every month in the year.
By observing the chapter of monthly jiroductions of horticulture (4979.), and tlic tabic
of monthly floricultural jiroductions (5705.), the resources which these branches afford
are readily discovered. There arc also other resources in the nature of culture; sucli,
for cxamjilc, as raising flowers or fruits from seed. In this view it is good to have some
seedlings of early and late flowers, as of the polyanthus and dahlia ; of early and late
i'ruits, as of the currant or strawberry, and apjile, to come into flower and bearing every
season. Other devices for exciting and keeping alive interest will readily occur to the
reflecting gardener.
6341. With respect to the habits o f a family, it is not only the duty of a gardener to
grow those vegetables, fi'uits, and flowers, of which the members consume the most, or
of which they ai-c fondest, but he must also look for other habits of enjoyment; as
whether they are fond of walking in the garden, and at what times and places, so as to
have every thing in the condition and order bcst adapted for affording them gi-atification.
Somc delight in smells, and for such the most odoriferous plants should be distributed
along the walks; others in sounds, aud for these, the trees and jilants which produce tlic
fraits preferred by singing birds should bo planted; or birds in portable aviaries, distributed
through the grounds. Somc, in walking, may prefer not being seen by workmen,
or at least not meeting them in the paths on which they enjoy this mode of
recreation; others may take delight in seeing work going forward, and even in asking
questions of tho operatives.
6342. In all families there are invalids at somc time or other, and a great object is to
render the garden an alleviation to thcir sufferings. Somc afiiicted in the lowcr extremities
can only walk on grass-walks ; others, fi'om asthma, may not be able to stoop
to smell to or gather a rose or a gooseberry; others may require to be can-ied round
the hothouses in a chair, or wheeled along the walks reclining on a couch. Grass-walks,
standard roses, and goosebemes, elevated pots of plants, hothouse paths unintci-nipted
by pots, and gravel-walks smoothly rolled, arc obvious luxuries for such persons. A
sick horticulturist, confined to his chamber, may derive somc enjoyment fi-om having pots
of plants brought before him for a few minutes to show him thcii' progress; and also by
a relation of what work is going on, and what articles arc vegetating in the garden.
When life is under the pressure of disease, any object or measure which can divert the
attention for a moment affords relief; for though night cannot be turned into day without
the presence of the sun, its darkness may he lessened hy a speck of the dimmest day-
clond. It docs not often happen that residences arc laid out purposely for invalids; but
wlicre this is the case, the designer ought to contrive gently inclined planes instead of
steps or stairs, and to avoid all corners in walks and paths. Easy turnings in walks arc
also a great luxury to studious persons, who think as they walk. For this reason, an
author, if he can afford any other garden than a pot of mint, should surround his plat
with an oval path, that he may walk on without end, and without any sensible change
in the jiosition ofhis body.
6343. Whether a family is o f retired or public habits ought to be noticed by the gardener.
A retired family will derive most satisfaction fi'om tlie useful products, and the
jiersonal recreation they can take in their garden ; a jiublic or fashionable family, on
the contrary, from its beauty, high order, and keeping. Beautiful olijccts ai-e formed to
be admired, that is their use, and what renders them so desirable, and thcir possessors
so much envied ; therefore those who possess bcautitul objects, in order to derive the
enjoyment thoy arc calculated to confer, must court applause by inviting such friends as
aro likely to become admirers. Let no man shut himself up in the midst of beautifui
rural natui'c and think he will be perfectly happy, lest he should be forced with the
satii'ist to ask—
“ W ha t is n a tu re ? ring h er changes round.
Her three flat notes are water, plants, and ground.”
6344. To be condemned to pass a whole life in a pleasure-ground, would be perhaps as
dull as to pass it in a conventicle. Man is a social being, and never can reject the liabits
to wliich this part of his nature gives rise witli impunity. To be happy, he must see and
be seen : it is the operation of this princijilc that has rendered the most beautiful seats of
tlie country show-places, or places which all the world are permitted to come and admire,
as Blenheim, Mount Edgecumlie, High Clere, &c.; which induces others to publish
accounts of their seats, as Dr. Letsom, of Grove Hill ; T. Johnes, Esq., of Ilafod ; tlic
Duke of Marihorough, of White Kniglits, &c.; which leads the citizen to place his box
or lodge, and the artisan or labourer his cottage or cabin, by the roadside ; and which,
in short, impels tho humblest individual to coui't applause by making his jiowcrs, either
of purse or mind, known to those around him. A gardener, therefore, must attend to
these general principles of our nature, and apply them in his dcpai-tment as well as he
can ; for much, it is evident, depends on liis studying the effect of the scenes under his
charge, and keeping them in the most perfect order and neatness for iiivSjiection.
6345. Villas (6209.). The grounds and gm-dens of this class of residences may oecujiy