WCP38

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

Jan[uar]^y.. 19th. 1902

My dear Will

We have been getting on fairly at the Orchard¹. After many visits and approximations Ma & I have at length decided on the place of the house, I have staked it out, & today (Saturday) the gardeners have begun getting the turf off. I send you a tracing of a large-scale plan showing its position— also the vinery— &, beyond, a wall for the peach tree— all marked in red. Behind the wall & Vinery any rough lean-to sheds can be put up for tools, pots, fowls or donkey, and the space from and of wall to back of house, if wired off, will do well for a poultry-yard, quite out of sight of all the flower and vegetable gardens. Beyond the wall is a curved border for shades & flowers, and behind that [2] fruit & vegetables. I am glad to say the water mains have come, & are ^now laid down on the ground. Along the high road they are brick, and up the new line of road to the back of our ground 4 inch. I hope we shall now have water in a fortnight at the outside & be able to begin.

On Monday ^(tomorrow) young Curtis begins work at Broadstone, his first job being to buy board & timber at Poole, get it carted up, & put up a carpenter’s stop, bench &c. Also mark out the foundations of house accurately & get them dug out, having engaged one or two labourers;— and as soon as we have the water on, one or two bricklayers. Then the work will I hope go on steadily.

[3] I am sorry to find however that some of the ground is very stiff clay soil and I hardly know what to do with it as it is no good for fruit or flowers.

No more plans or working drawings have come from Mr. Donkin, who I believe has ^been very busy getting drawings made for a competition for some great public building. I hope however to have them soon.

Please make enquiries of your friend about the Acetylene gas, & its fittings, pipes, &c. Also, I find that the "Well-fire Company" is at Newcastle. Will you get their Catalogue, & see specimens, & find out if the different parts are to be had separately. The fire-box of one piece of fire clay is the most important part, & the glazed fire-proof bricks for the sides and hearth near the fire.

[4] I see from a Builder’s Price Book that Newcastle Fire-Clay goods are best for all common purposes, & cheapest. But it does not say if your Newcastle or N[ewcastle]. under Lyme in Staffordshire. If yours please enquire if the fire clay lumps or fire boxes now used in many fireplaces as well as the "Well" "Rational" and "Teale—" are made there and get [a] price-list.

They are made something like this the lower half in one piece. [a sketch is inserted here to illustrate the description].

Will keep you posted as we go on.

Your Affect[iona]^te. Pa | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

P.S. The £1200 for Nutwood² was paid to the day & is in [the] Bank £1000 on deposit & getting interest till wanted.

A.R.W. [signature]