Alfred Russel Wallace: Letters and Reminiscences, Vol. 2Wallace, Alfred Russel
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Alfred Russel Wallace: Letters and Reminiscences, Vol. 2
Wallace, Alfred Russel
Naturalists -- Correspondence; Wallace, Alfred Russel, 1823-1913
Thus this little bit of three
acres has five subdivisions, each with a quite distinct character of its
own, and I never remember seeing such variety in such a small area. The
red wavy line is about where I shall have to make my road, for the place
has now no road, and I think I am very lucky in discovering it and in
getting it. Another advantage is in the land, which is varied to suit
all crops. I fancy ... I shall find places to grow most of my choice
shrubs, etc., better than here. I expect bulbs of all kinds will grow
well, and I mean to plant a thousand or so of snowdrops, crocuses,
squills, daffodils, etc., in the orchard, where they will look lovely.
* * * * *
TO MR. W.G. WALLACE
_Parkstone, Dorset. November 6, 1901._
My dear Will,-- ... I have taken advantage of a foggy cold day to trace
you a copy of the ground plan of the proposed house.... Of course the
house will be much larger than we want, but I look to future value, and
rather than build it smaller, to be enlarged afterwards, I would prefer
to leave the drawing-room and bedroom adjoining with bare walls inside
till they can be properly finished. The house-keeper's room would be a
nice dining-room, and the hall a parlour and drawing-room combined. But
the outside must be finished, on account of the garden, creepers, etc.
The S.E. side (really about S.S.E.) has the fine views. If you can
arrange to come at Christmas we will have a picnic on the ground the
first sunny day. I was all last week surveying--a very difficult job, to
mark out exactly three acres so as to take in exactly as much of each
kind of ground as I wanted, and with no uninterrupted view over any one
of the boundary lines! I found the sextant, and it was very useful
setting out the two right angles of the northern boundary. I have not
got possession yet, but hope to do so by next week. The house, we
reckon, can be built for L1,000 at the outside....
* * * * *
TO MRS. FISHER
_Parkstone, Dorset. February 4, 1902._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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