The mansion, domestic and farming offices, garden walls, and hot-houses, may all be separately contracted for.
Ground. The removal of ground, fences, or digging, may in every case be let by the job, and with decided ad vantage to both parties. The extent of particular con tracts should, of course, be in proportion to the responsi bility of the contracting parties.
Planting. The enclosures and the preparation of the soil may, in all extensive cases, be executed by contract ; but the planting, or insertion of the plants, on which so much depends, should uniformly be done by day IA ork ; excepting, however, those cases, in which a respectable nurseryman will engage to put in a certain number of plants, of a certain kind, size, and age, and maintain them there for at least three years. In some extensive cases, the land may be prepared by fallowing, which the adjoining tenants will generally undertake at a very moderate price per acre. In most cases, the contractor for fences, of whatever description, should undertake to uphold them for a given number of years ; and in cases of thorn hedges, or other live fences, until they become sufficient barriers.
Road and Walk making may frequently be contracted for ; but in this case, as in every other, much will depend on the skill, activity, and experience of the gardener or general overseer.
These plates represent specimens of residences laid out both in the geometric and in the modern style. Plate CCCXLV. Fig. 1. is a profile of a complete residence in the geometric manner, the trees supposed to be of fifteen years growth. The situation, as far as respects natural surface, is dull and uninteresting, being nearly a flat, but with a gentle rise or ridge, running east and west near the centre, and on which the house, hot-houses, and gardens, are plac ed. The surrounding country is supposed to be in a com paratively uncultivated state, either mountainous or flat, with remains of natural forest scenery. Such situations abound in Ireland and Scotland, and are to be found also in some English districts, as in Yorkshire, between Malton and Whitby.
The object of art is to create a magnificent, and at the same time a comfortable residence ; and amidst such wild and uncultivated scenes, we consider this will be better effected by adopting the ancient than the modern style of gardening. For imitations of nature, sun ounded by nature itself, will ever be surpassed by the original, and lose half their beauty from the want of contrast ; but scenes of bold and avowed art, in such a situation, raise at once a charac ter striking and original, and convey a thnusand interest ing ideas of human art, industry, and refinement, which would be wanting to the other ; and the wild scenery around, while it strengthens these ideas, is itself by contrast, in expression. Even on the plea of the supe
riority of natural to artificial beauty, it may be said in fa vour of adopting the ancient style in such cases. that no existing beauty is lost, while much new beauty is created. • In such a situation, very few external circumstances can be supposed to influence the arrangement of the component parts of the residence. The house, theref)re, is paced near the centre of the park, on the ridge already men'ioned, and with a south-east aspect.
No. 1. Plate CCC XLI I I. Is the covered entrance, through a Gothic al oath:, with the pot ter's lodge (No. 2., at one end, washed by the waters of the moat, and the entrance hall (No. 3 ) at the other. No. 4. Is the grand stair-case, of the whole height of the building, and lighted from win dows above the general roof. No. 5. Is a chapel, with a billiard room under. No. 6. Is the library, communicating with a conservatory, green-houses, and hot-houses, at No. 7. and by an elegant Gothic cloister (No. 8. under the cha pel) with the drawing and dining rooms at Nos. 9, and 10. The test of the internal arrangement is easily conceived. The whole building is supposed to be loafed flat, and co vered with lead. No. 11. Is the kitchen court. No. 12. The stables and coach-houses, &c. No. 13. The farm yard and farm. No. 14. The paddocks. No. 15. The walled orchard, with No. 16. a ft tilt tree border sur rounding it. No. 17. Is the kitchen garden. No. 18 The forcing-houses, with mushroom sheds, gardeners' lodges, furnaces, &c. behind. No. 19. The gardener's house, and watch room ever. No. 20. The melon ground, and pits for forcing asparagus, roses, growing young pines, Icc. No 21. Heaps of compost. No. 22. Back road for manure and fuel. No. 23 Modern flower garden, covered with wire netting, and serving as an aviary. No. 24. Water engine house for forcing water to cisterns in the hot-houses. No. 25. Upper terrace garden, with No. 26. a jet d'eau. No. 27. Under terrace, or lawn. No. 28. Descent to the water, with a view to sailing or fishing from a boat, or setting off floating-bait, Ice. No. 29. House for fishing tackle, and for fishing from in hot or rainy weather. No. 30. Pleasure ground, consisting of broad gravel walks, accompanied by an equal breadth of turf, and bordered by a phalanx of shrubs, rising in gradation to the highest trees, and arranged in the Linnxan manner. One half of these walks will generally be in shade, and the other fully exposed to the sun, so that a choice may be made accord ing to circumstances. No. 31. French parterre. No. 32. Labyrinth. No. 33. Forester's house, with banquctting room over. No. 34. Natural forest scenery. blended and harmoniz ed with the artificial plantations. No. 35. West entrance. No.