File:Ulivold, the Seat of John Collett, Esq. (JW Edy plate 47).jpg

This princely mansion is situated on a most admirable and well-chosen eminence, about two miles distant from Christiania, commanding the most enchanting prospects of that city, its magnificent environs, the Fiord, harbour, Egeberg, and the whole country in every direction for miles around. The house is quadrangular; three of its sides contain the principal apartments, which are lofty and well furnished, including a library, billiard-table, &c. &c. On the other side, are the offices and servants rooms. The inner quadrangle affords ample space for carriages. On the side towards Christiania, are spacious pleasure grounds, shrubberies, gravel walks, decorative temples, grottos, baths, obelisks, statues, a model of a ship, flowers and shrubs, with many other decorations, peculiar to Norway, or introduced by the taste of its late hospitable possessor. By the side of the road, on a small conical hill, is an imitation of a Norwegian cottage ; in a small grove, is a circular apparatus, for the game of shooting the ring, as performed in Germany ; and farther in the deep recess, is an obelisk to the memory of a departed brother.

In agriculture, every modern European improvement has been put in practice, and liberally promoted, for draining morasses, and enriching the soil. The farm, which formerly presented a surface of schistus niger, or black slate, is cleared, and with great expence and labour, now covered with good vegetative mould, so that luxuriant crops are to be seen in every direction. The thrashing machine, the drill plough, and most of the agricultural implements of highest repute in England, and other countries, have been introduced. There are also ample instructions posted up, prescribing the time and order for putting seeds into the ground, in their respective succession, for nine years. The building seen to the left of the house having two roofs and a turret, is a very spacious cow-house, constructed in a peculiar manner; it is the cleanest, and most convenient for the animals that I ever saw. It has two ranges of stalls, one on each side, divided from end to end of the building, by a weil-boarded deal floor, 40 feet wide, kept as clean and neat as any drawing-room. From the ceiling are suspended in a line down the middle, large plate glass octangular hall-lanterns with brass frames. On either hand appear the heads of the numerous cows, one in each stall, taking their provender from a small manger. It is pleasing to observe the well-taught regularity, observed by the herd on entering the building: within the great doors are two passages leading to the stalls, each beast well knowing its place, files off to the right or left, as it may be situated in the building : mistakes sometimes occur, and on such occasions the lawful possessor invariably turns out the intruder. These stalls are admirably constructed, having drains and pipes, to convey away immediately all refuse to two reservoirs, at some distance, where it is carefully preserved, particularly the fluid part, which is most esteemed for manure. The whole structure is an admirable specimen of cleanliness, neatness, and economy. To shew how much it is distinguished for the two former of these qualities, I have only to add, that being devoid of the slightest odour, it is frequently used as a ball-room, by all the beauty and fashion of Christiania. How different are our own buildings of this kind, abounding in mire and filth, where the animals are kept amidst putrid effluvia, detrimental to their health, their heads turned where their tails ought to be, and the valuable manure negligently wasted.

This view was taken from a road leading from Christiania to Bogstad. The hills in the distance are situated a little beyond the city near Egeberg.