The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-13 00:00:00

The Parks of London.

Rural visitors, who but casually make their way
to the metropolis, have no idea of the importance
attached by the thorough Londoner to all the open
spaces within its vast precincts. Of late years many
and various alterations and improvements have been
effected in our parks. We propose to state what has
been done in each case. Hyde-park, Kensington-
gardens, as well as the Green and St. James's-parks,
are under the management of Mr. Mann, chief
superintendent. Let us commence at Bayswater,
whence to Whitehall there is a continuous space of
broad open park land, comprising altogether nearly,
1,000 acres. Kensington-gardens originally con-
tained but 26 acres ; to this Queen Anne added 30 ;
and, subsequently, Caroline, Queen of George 11.,
who also formed the Serpentine, increased their ex-
tent by 300, so that there are now 350 acres in the
finely timbered park known as Kensington-gardens.
The bridge separating these from Hyde-park was
designed by Rennie, and erected in 1826.
Not very long ago the only attractions to the
parks were open air, and the sight of trees, grass,
and one's neighbours ; but during the last eight
years, in the regime of Mr. Cowper, floriculture has
been added on a large and progressively increasing
scale, under the able superintendence of Mr. Mann,
who has found it necessary to form on the east side
of Kensington-palace some acres of propagating,
frame, and nursery ground. Here are a large
number of frames and pits, and three houses
almost exclusively devoted to rearing sub-tropical,
large leafed plants, intended for out-of-door use
in summer. In these gardens several fine old trees
were killed or injured by the abortive water-
works near Bayswater-road, where a well was
sunk 170 ft. into the chalk, and yet the actual
supply of water for the jets d'eau has to be pumped
from the Serpentine. The well, therefore, is a vir-
tual failure. As the old trees die, they are carefully
replaced by young ones. Perhaps the American
plane takes the lead of all other trees in this park
for health, appearance, and rapidity of growth.
These qualities are attributable to the frequent
shedding of bark and the polished surface of its
leaves, which are washed clean by every shower, so
that from [these two causes the impurities of the
London atmosphere are avoided. The coniferous
trees, on the contrary, have but a small chance.
The flying soot and dirt choke the resinous pores of
the fir tribe and prevent their having a vigorous
existence. Including shrubs, some 10,000 or 12,000
trees have been planted in these gardens within the
last few years.
Hyde-park derives its name from the Hyde, an
old manor so called, adjoining Knightsbridge,which
was, until the dissolution of religious houses, in the
reign of HenryVlll., the property of the monks and
abbots of Westminster. This park contains nearly
400 acres, and has undergone many alterations, ex-
tending over a long number of years, before it took
its present shape. The Serpentine, as has been said,
was formed by Queen Caroline. But, to come to
recent times, many extensive improvements have
been effootod Ilk Ithiinst. every portinn of the park.
Since the construction of the large sewer betin,on
Albert-gate and Bayswater-road the Serpentine has
been free from the filth and sewage that used to
flow into it. A means has also been thus afforded
of draining such parts of the park as required it.
Rotten-row—which is a corruption of Route du Roi,
King's-drive—has been much improved recently.
This road has been reformed, and soft sand laid
down to ease the horses' feet. The three acres of
ornamental ground opposite Apsley-house—planted
with trees, shrubs, and flowers, and admitted on all
hands to be a great improvement—is being con-
tinued down to the Serpentine, and eventually
comprise some 12 acres altogether. This work
will probably be completed by next April.
During the summer, just passed, several hundred
yards of fine horse ride have been made from the
Magazine Barracks to Victoria-gate, and will no
doubt be fully appreciated by equestrians next
season. On its southern side, where the dingy
cavalry barracks formerly stood, near the Queen's-
gate, handsome pleasure grounds have been laid out,
and groups of choice shrubs and flowering plants
have been tastefully interspersed with grass and
gravel walks. The ground between Queen's-gate and
Prince's-gate has also been laid out, and planted
with ornamental trees. No fair fault can be found
with the culture of trees or flowers in this, or, in-
deed, in any of our parks. But the liberty and the
number of their frequenters are so great that, until
they are brought within the limits allowed to the
people in any other country, it will continue to be
impossible for the chief managers of our most
crowded parks to prevent the large spaces of grass
in their interior from presenting a " neglected,
squalid, and unseemly appearance." No one feels this
more than the superintendents and gardeners.
There are now eight entrances into this park for
carriages, at each of which a gatekeeper is stationed,
besides many other entrances for foot-passengers.
The Serpentine covers a bed of about 32 acres in
extent. It is much frequented by bathers in the
summer months. The herbage is depastured by
sheep, by which the grass is kept low and close, for
the public to walk upon. In all the parks it is let
by contract to butchers. The boats on the Serpen-
tine, as on the waters of the other parks, are hired
out by a private person, at the rate of ls. per hour.
Many of the public will be glad to learn that first-
class geraniums, calceolarias, verbenas, heliotropes,
&c., can be now had from Mr. Mann for the ask-
ing. They will be carefully taken up, so as to be
easily utilised by those who understand floriculture.
It is necessary to remove them, as they must be
substituted by spring-flowering plants, such as
tulips, hyacinths,:crozus, snowdrops, heartsease, &e.
The public are greatly indebted to Mr. Cowper
for the beautiful promenade which now extends
from the Marble-arch, parallel with Park-lane, to
Hyde Park-corner. When its construction was
decided on plans were submitted to Mr. Nesfield,
which, being approved, Mr. Mann prepared the
ground in the most perfect =finer for the reception
of plants, by deep trenching and manuring. And,
notwithstanding the numerous obstacles presented
by our London atmosphere, he has succeeded in
producing a constant luxuriance of bloom, such as
is not generally equalled. The grouping and
contrasting of colours and plants in the beds is
usually skilful and artistic. Every one has ad-
mired the borders between Stanhope and Gros-
venor-gates. Queen Emma happily described them
as being a rainbow of flowers, and said they were
the prettiest sight she had seen in London. This
almost rural retreat, which can be reached in a few
minutes from the roar and flurry of two of London's
most frequented thoroughfares, is an indescribable
boon to the strained and hardworked—whether
mentally or physically—dwellers in modern Babylon.
These gardens will continue to be planted each sea-
son with successions of choice flowers. An Italian
garden has been formed in the old water reservoirs,
on the opposite side of the carriage drive. This is
likewise brilliantly decorated with flower-beds en-

PRICE 4d.,
STAMPED sd.'

circling a marble group in the centre, which is turned
into practical use as a drinking fountain. The triple
archway by Apsley-house was, with the iron screen,
erected in 1828 from designs by Mr. Decimus Bur-
ton. It cost upwards of £17,000, including £l,OOO
to Mr. Herring for the bas relief from the Elgin
marbles which surround it.

As to the Green-park, the traffic between Char-
ing-cross and Victoria Station has become so great
that no one could ride on horseback with safety be:
tween Buckingham Palace and Stable-yard-gate.
An equestrian road between these two points, there-
fore, became a necessity, and it has been made by
putting the railings further back into the Green-park
and forming a ride like B.otcen-row—as we stated
some weeks since. There is a side bridle-path from
the Palace to Storey's-gate, and Constitution-hill
is so nearly akin to a private road that one can ride
there in peace and safety. So that those who know
the ground will understand, from what has been
said, that the equestrian can now make his way in
comfort from the clubs and Houses of Parliament
to Hyde-park.
In St. James's-park the ornamental water is
drained off annually, when the leaves have ceased
to fall ; and its concrete bed is then swept clean.
Twenty years ago there was always verdant turf
in this park, but of late years it has been so infested
by crowds of filthy and disreputable characters
that it has no chance. Thieves, beggars, and their
followings lie about there in indecent heaps, and
positively so fill the very grass and seats with
vermin that the park is not a fit resort for the
wives and children of decent artisans—and this
before the, windows of the Royal Palace. Our
authorities are too lenient in many trifles. The parks
are intended for the health and recreation of the
respectable members of the public, to whatever rank
they may belong ; they should not be made out-of-
door supplements to the casual wards of poor-
houses.

It may be as well here to repeat a suggestion
which has often been made, and which applies to all
the parks'—viz., that there should be in constant
action throughout the summer a system of irrigation
with hose—on some such plan as Mr. Mechi's—car-
ried out early in the morning and late in the even-
ing, so that each park might be watered twice or
thrice a week. The effect on the luxuriance of the
verdure under foot and on the health of trees and
flowers would in one season surprise a mere towns-
man. And also, if this irrigation were done at
judiciously-chosen hours, it would tend to lessen the
needless walking by the edges of the footways or
walks so persistently indulged in by people crossing
the parks. The paths are now straight and well-
kept enough to render this grass annihilation quite
unnecessary. One more suggestion may be added
and must suffice for this notice—if this system of
irrigation were adopted, any bare spot or path could
be made green again in a few days by simply raking
the surface and sowing fresh grass seed as often as
required.
Naval and Military Intelligence.

Yesterday morning the troops stationed in and
around Portsmouth paraded on Southsea-common
in heavy marching order, in accordance with pre-
vious arrangements, for inspection and review by.
the Duke of Cambridge, K.G., General Command-
ing-in-Chief of her Majesty's Army, now engaged
upon his annual inspection for the present year of
Portsmouth and the south-west military district.
The troops were drawn up in three brigades in line
of contiguous columns by 9 a.m., comprising two
batteries of field artillery of the 9th Brigade, Capt.
T. E. Byrne, 12 guns (12-pounder breech-loaders),
190 officers and men, and 170 horses ; 6th Brigade
of Royal (Garrison) Artillery, Colonel W. Elliot,
384 officers and men ; 12th Brigade of Royal
(Garrison) Artillery, Capt. and Adjt. F.
Downer, 371 officers and men ; one company of
Royal Engineers, Major G. D. Pritchard, 69 officers
and men; Royal Marine Artillery, Col. Comman-
dant Tate, 600 officers and men ; Royal Marine
Light Infantry, Col. Commandant W. H. Marsh,
560 officers and men ; 14th Regiment of Infantry,
Lieut.-Col. Budd, 656 officers and men ; 52d Regi-
.
ment, Lieut.-Col. A. J. Peel, 641 officers and men ;
75th Regiment, Lieut.-Col. C. E. P. Gordon, 534
officers and men ; 81st Regiment, Col. R. Renny,
652 officers and men ; 87th Regiment, Lieut.-Col.
Murray, 440 officers and men. The total number
of all ranks on parade was 5,100, with 12 guns.
Sir George Buller, K.C.8., was in command of the
force, and was attended by his staff, Col. Alison,
Deputy Adjutant-General ; Col. Shadwell, Deputy
Quartermaster-General; Major M'Kenzie, R.A.,
and Captain Glyn, Rifle Brigade, Aides-de-Camp.
About 10 a.in. the Duke arrived in frbnt of the line
of troops, accompanied by Major-Gen. W. F. For-
ster, Military Secretary ; Col. G. Gambier, Adju-
tant-General Royal Artillery ; Col. Hon. J. W. B.
Macdonald, C. 8., and Col. S. H. Clifton, Aides-de-
Camp, and was received with a Royal salute, colours
being lowered. This preliminary ceremony over,
the Duke made an inspection of the troops along
the front and rear of their line of formation. He
then galloped over to the saluting point to witness
marching past. Breaking into open column right
in front, the force marched past—first, in grand
divisions, succeeded by the field batteries at a trot,
and afterwards in three brigades of open columns.
A display of field manoeuvres followed, which lasted
until past noon, exhibiting all the incidents of a
battle that might be fought on so confined a space as
Southsea-common by a covering army of Ports-
mouth (which Sir G. Buller's force represented) of
infantry and artillery alone, with an enemy possess-
ing cavalry, who had effected a landing with part
of his force, and was attempting to form a junction
of the whole by landing the remainder. The ac-
tion ended with driving the enemy back into the
sea, as was the duty of Sir George Buller
and his veterans. This being satisfactorily accom-
plished, the troops were reformed in column I
lon their original alignment, advanced in review
' order at slow time, and gave a Royal salute, which
closed the proceedings. In a few words to the com-
manding officers his royal highness expressed his
unqualified approbation of the high state of discip-
rokenuphaisnrdomyaalrchhiegdimoeffsst,
line and general efficiency of the troops, after which
wasthe afternoonb haeccom-
mthoenf.orele In
corn-
panied by his personal staff and Col. Gordon, R E
• •,
visited the fortifications and barracks at Southsea,
Eastney, and Hilsea, and afterwards made an in-
spection of the monster forts on Portsdown-hill.
Yesterday Major-General Sir Robert Walpole,
K.C.B. ,commanding the Chatham district, resumed
his half-yearly inspection of the Royal Artillery
forces under his command by the inspection of the
first division of the Depot Brigade, Royal Artillery,
quartered at Sheerness, under the command of Col.
J. B. Riddell, C. 8., commandant of the garrison.
Sir Robert Walpole, who was accompanied by
Brigade-Major W. Congreve, on arriving at the
garrison was received by the heads of departments,
and commenced his inspection by making a tour of
the Government quarters, buildings, and other de-
partments. the
w
This completed, he proceededltr e the ie
parade-ground at the Half-moon battery,
whole of the officers and men were drawn up in
review order, under the command of Lieut.-Col.
Guy Rotton, commanding the Depot Brigade. The
Major-General was received
ed with a general salute.
accoutrements, &c., of
After inspecting the arms,
the men of the various batteries, Sir Robert Walpole
saw the brigade go through a variety of review
movements, all of which were executed with steadi-
ness and precision. The remainder of the day was
devoted to an inspection of the batteries at their gun
drill, and an examination of the battery, Armstrong,
and other guns. Before quitting the garrison Major-
General Sir Robert Walpole visited the military
hospital, and made particular inquiries into the
recent accident from the sudden bursting of one of
the 110-pounder Armstrong shells while the troops
were at practice, when it was ascertained that the