OLD ESSEX GARDENERS AND THEIR GARDENS. 99
Some drawings by William Bartram with a portion of his
Journal and dried plants, and some letters from John Bartram to
Fothergill, were acquired by Banks and are in the Department of
Botany.
Fothergill had added to his original thirty acres, first a
parcel of land which took his estate to the Ilford Road, and then
a large field called Lady Margaret's field. His friend Lettsom's
account may be quoted. "The walls of the garden inclosed
"above five acres of land; a winding canal, in the figure of a
"crescent, nearly formed it into two divisions, and opened
"occasionally on the sight, through the branches of rare and
"exotic shrubs, that lined the walk on its banks. In the midst
"of winter, when the earth was covered with snow, evergreens
"were clothed in full verdure: without exposure to the open
"air, a glass door from the mansion-house gave entrance into a
"suite of hot and green-house apartments of nearly 260 feet
"extent, containing upwards of 3,400 distinct species of exotics,
''whose foliage wore a perpetual verdure, and formed a beautiful
"and striking contrast to the shrivelled natives of colder regions.
"In the open ground, with the returning summer, about 3,000
"distinct species of plants and shrubs vied in verdure with the
"natives of Asia and Africa. It was in this spot that a perpetual
"spring was realized ; where the elegant proprietor sometimes
"retired for a few hours, to contemplate the vegetable pro-
"ductions of the four quarters of the globe united within his
"domain; where the spheres seemed transposed, and the
"arctic circle to be joined to the equator."
Banks spoke very highly of the Upton garden where fifteen
men were employed. "At an expence seldom undertaken by
"an individual, and with an ardour that was visible in the whole
"of his conduct, he procured from all parts of the world a great
"number of the rarest plants, and protected them in the amplest
''buildings which this or any other country has seen. He
"liberally proposed rewards to those, whose circumstances and
"situations in life gave them opportunities of bringing hither
"plants which might be ornamental, and probably useful to this
"country, or her colonies; and as liberally paid these rewards
"to all that served him. If the troubles of war had permitted,
"we should have had the cortex Winteranus, &c. &c. introduced