We have now completed the planting of the front gardens; and all that remains is, to state that the surface of the soil among these plants, composing much the larger half of both gardens, was next sown down with grass seeds, in order to be kept in turf; the cropping of the grass among the stems of the shrubs being done by hedge-shears. As a finish to the turfed part of the gardens, and also as a definitive line of demarcation between it and the dug part, the dwarf pedestals and vases at & & were introduced. These vases also harmonise with the vases which form the crowning termination to the pillars of the veranda.

216. The planting common to the back gardens of both houses will not require many details. In each of the two small angles between the back entrance and the shed, a walnut tree is planted, which, having been 20 ft. high in 1823, soon overshadowed, not only the entrance, but even the roof of the shed. There are also common ivy, Virginian creeper, a China rose, and Lycium barbarum planted in these angles, from which they are trained over the shed and the boundary wall, mantling over and greatly enriching both from the lane. The other trees immediately within the eastern boundary wall are pears, a golden-pippin apple, and a mulberry. The pears are the disumontelle, glout morceau, Duchesse d'Angouleme, Marie-Louise, and beurre Spence. On the west side of the north shed a giant ivy and a vine are trained; and on the south side of the south shed Lonicera japonica and Cydonia japonica. The fragrance of Lonicera japonica (the Lonicera flexuosa of most nurseries) is so great, when in flower, that, when coming home from London late in the evenings, when the wind has been in the west, we have felt its sweetness at the distance of nearly a quarter of a mile. The wall of the north garden which faces the south is planted with peaches and nectarines, and the east wall with apricots.

Down the centre of the spaces enclosed by the trellises e e, a row of standard apple-trees was planted, chiefly the Hawthornden and other early-bearing sorts, as it was intended to take them away as soon as they produced too much shade on the ground below. The north side of the party wall of the south garden was planted with cherries and plums, and with standard pear-trees, at regular distances, so as to produce shade in the summer time on the walk, and to admit the sun's rays during winter. Ivy, honeysuckle of different sorts, and climbing roses, were subsequently planted against this wall; but the ivy has now taken entire possession of it, and forms a mantling covering to the coping from one end of it to another. The eastern boundary wall of the south garden is planted with Chimonanthus fragrans, Magnolia Soulangeana, Jasminum revolutum, and Rosa Boursaulti, and other roses. In the centre is a plant of ivy, which is trained with a single stem as high as the coping, on the top of which, under a eheveux-de~frize, it spreads both ways, and forms a fine mantling canopy.

The footpath in the lane being formed over an old, deep, dry ditch, by filling it in with the soil of an old grubbed up hedgerow, it occurred to us, when building the wall, that it would form an excellent place for the root of a vine. We accordingly had a small hole left in the wall, about a foot under the sur-face, and, in due time, thrust through it a strong three-years-old cutting of the black Hamburg, 4 ft. in length, which has since grown with extraordinary vigour, mounting to the tops of the pear-trees, and producing abundance of fruit, which, in fine seasons, is coloured (though not ripened), and which gives the whole the character of Italian scenery, admirably in keeping with the veranda round the house.

217. The edgings to the walks of both back gardens are of box. That of the front gardens, from d to &, was originally of turf; but the grass not growing well, in consequence of the crowded state and greatly increased site of the shrubs, we found it advisable, some years afterwards, to substitute an edging of brick, laid flatwise, without mortar, alternately header and stretcher; and which, joining in with the turf on each side, soon became covered with weather stains, and now forms altogether an admirable edging for this description of garden: it may be considered a kind of architectural stringcourse or band, which, expanded into a parallelogram or square basement, as at a or &, forms an excellent foundation for erecting a pedestal for a statue or a vase. It also harmonises with the band of brick laid on edge which forms an apparent basement round the veranda. In 1849, twenty-six years after these gardens were laid out and planted, that on the south side still preserved much of its original character; though nearly a third of the trees and shrubs originally planted had died, or had been cut down for want of space.

In the north garden only a few trees were left, and the greater part of the ground was covered with grass.

218. Plants grown in suburban wardens labour under many serious disadvantages inseparable from their situation, and the evil effects of which can only be guarded against by extraordinary care in their cultivation. The soil in which they grow is frequently hard and cold, from bad drainage and constant saturation with water: they are deprived of a proper quantity of light and air, and the pores of their leaves are choked up by constant depositions from the smoky atmosphere by which they are surrounded. Thus circumstanced, it is almost impossible to keep flowering plants in a healthy state without constant care and attention; and even care and attention will be useless unless accompanied by a knowledge of the wants of the plants, and of the right manner of supplying them. It will therefore be necessary to say a few words on the food of plants, and the organs through which it is absorbed, in order to know how to supply that food properly, and how to keep the organs which are to absorb it in a proper condition.