London, with the numerous engravings illustrating it, has been kindly furnished us for this work by J. C. Loudon, Esq. It was originally published in his "Gardener's Magazine," and affords an admirable illustration of this class of residences: showing what may be done, and how much beauty and enjoyment realized, on a comparatively limited space of ground.]

CHESHUNT COTTAGE, THE RESIDENCE OF WM. HARRISON, ESQ. F. L. S. ETC.

"All that can render a country seat delightful, and a well furnished library in the house." (Evelyn's Memoirs by Bray, vol. i. p. 432.)

THE sides of the road from London to Cheshunt, by Stoke Newington, Edmonton, and Enfield Wash, are thickly studded with suburban houses and gardens the whole distance: but, by going straight on through the Ball's Pond Turnpike, and taking the country road leading out of Newing

ton Green, called the Green Lanes, between the Tottenham and Edmonton road and the Barnet Road, and threading our way through numerous interesting lanes, we may pass through very rural and umbrageous scenery, with the appearance of but few houses of any kind. Indeed, it may be mentioned as one of the most remarkable circumstances in the state of the country in the neighbourhood of London, that, while all the

main roads are bordered by houses for some miles from town, so as almost to resemble streets, there are tracts which lie between the main roads, and quite near town, which have undergone little or no change in the nature of their occupation for several, and apparently many, generations; at all events, not since the days of Queen Elizabeth. The tracts of country to which we allude are in pasture or meadow, with crooked irregular hedges, numerous stiles and footpaths, and occasional houses by the roadsides; the farms characterized by large hay-barns. Scenery of this kind is never seen by the citizen who goes to his country seat along the public road, in his family carriage or in a stage-coach; and it is accordingly only known to pedestrians, and such as are not afraid of driving their horses over rough roads, or meeting wagons or hay-carts in narrow lanes. The road through the Green Lanes to Enfield is an excellent turnpike road, always in a good state, with occasional villas near Bour Farm and Palmer's Green; and near Enfield, at Forty Hill, there is a handsome church, built and endowed by Mr. Myers, opposite to his park, which is filled with large and handsome trees. Afterwards it passes the celebrated park of Theobalds, near where formerly stood a royal palace, the favourite residence of James I., and winds in the most agreeable and picturesque manner under the shade of overhanging trees. Having made several turns, it leads to a lane with a brook which runs parallel to the road, a foot-bridge across which forms the entrance to Mr. Harrison's cottage, as exhibited in the view Fig. 1.

The ground occupied by Mr. Harrison's cottage and gardens is about seven acres, exclusive of two adjoining grass fields. The grounds lie entirely on one side of the house, as shown in the plan, Fig. 13, in pp. 476, 477. The surface of the whole is flat, and nothing is seen in the horizon in any direction but distant trees. The beauties of the place, to a stranger at his first glance, appear of the quiet and melancholy kind, as shown in the Figs. 2, 3; the one looking to the right from the drawingroom window and the other to the left: but, upon a nearer examination by a person conversant with the subjects of botany and gardening, and knowing in what rural comfort consists, these views will be found to be full of intense interest, and to afford many instructive hints to the possessors of suburban villas or cottages.

In building the house and laying out the grounds, Mr. Harrison was his own architect and Landscape Gardener; not only devising the gene

[Fig. 3. View from the Drawing-room Window at Cheshunt Cottage, looking to the Right.]

This circumstance is mentioned

ral design, but furnishing working-drawings of all the details of the interior of the cottage. His reason for fixing on the present situation for the house was, the vicinity (the grounds joining) of a house and walk belonging to a relation of his late wife. as accounting in one so fond of a garden, for fixing on a spot which had neither tree nor shrub in it when he first inhabited it. Mr. Harrison informs us, and we record it for the use of amateurs commencing, or extending, or improving gardens, that he commenced his operations about thirty years ago, by purchasing, at a large nursery sale, large lots of evergreens, not 6 inch. high, in beds of one hundred each, such as laurels, Portugal laurels, laurustinuses, bays, hollies, &c. ; with many lots of deciduous trees, in smaller numbers, which he planted in a nursery on his own ground; and at intervals, as he from time to time extended his garden, he took out every second plant, which, with occasional particular trees and shrubs from nursery grounds, constituted a continual supply for improvement and extension. This, with the hospital ground mentioned hereafter, furnished the means of extensions and improvements at no other expense than labour, which, when completed, gave the place the appearance of an old garden; the plants being larger than could be obtained, or, if obtained, safely transplanted, from nurseries. This is an important consideration, in addition to that of economy, well worth the attention of amateur improvers of grounds or gardens.

By inspecting the plan, Fig. 4, it will be found that the house contains, on the ground floor, three good living rooms, and two other rooms (n and g) particularly appropriate to the residence of an amateur fond of botany and gardening; and that it is replete with every description of accomodation and convenience requisite for the enjoyment of all the comforts and luxuries that a man of taste can desire for himself or his friends.

In laying out the grounds, the first object was to insure agricultural and gardening comforts; and hence the completeness of the farm-yard, and of the hot-house and frame departments, as exhibited in the plan, Fig. 6. On the side of the grounds opposite to the hot-houses and flowergarden are the kitchen-garden and orchard; and though in most situations it would have been more convenient to have had the farm buildings, the kitchen garden, and the hot-houses on the same side as the kitchen offices, yet in this case no inconvenience results from their separation; because the public road, as will be seen by the plan, Fig. 13, forms a ready