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PLANTING BY THE SEA-SIDE 



PLANTING BY THE SEA-SIDE. 



BY JAMES GRIGOR, NORWICH.* 



To RAISE trees by the sea-side is one of the 

 grandest triumphs of arboricuhural skill. 

 To plant anywhere successfully, confers pe- 

 culiar satisfaction on the planter ; but to 

 raise a sylvan bower, whence the grandeur 

 of the ocean can be closely contemplated, is 

 in every respect more interesting and im- 

 portant. ,It is almost unnecessary to wait 

 to enforce t,his position. The sea — one of 

 the grandest features in creation — is viewed 

 with awe and delight by all ; but, in almost 

 every instance, what a picture of sterility is 

 spread out along its shores ! Even our most 

 fashionable watering places, with reference 

 to their natural scenery, may with truth be 

 represented as " dull and treeless." I shall 

 therefore conclude, that to invest such 

 scenes with rich sylvan furniture, is a point 

 worthy of the closest attention. 



Where has such a thing been done ? will 

 no doubt be the first question. To this I 

 reply, that the examples are to be seen on 

 the cliffs of the German Ocean, in the pa- 

 rishes of Runton and Trimmingham, in the 

 county of Norfolk, the property of Sir Ed- 

 ward North Buxton, Bart. There are in 

 all about twenty plantations in these pa- 

 rishes, extending over a space of about 120 

 acres, but I select one in particular, which 

 will afford a striking illustration of success- 

 ful maritime planting; it is called the "Bo- 

 reas Plantation." The plants stand on a 

 bold cliff, 250 feet above the level of the 

 sea, towards the north-west, and part of 

 them only twelve yards from the beach. 

 Standing, on this plantation, the beholder 

 looks down upon a wide expanse of the 

 ocean, which is here literally whitened by 



• From the Lomlon Hort Mag^.izino. 



the sails of the Scotch and Baltic traders. 

 Its commanding prospect has recommended 

 it to the officers of the Preventive Service, 

 for here their watch-house is erected. This, 

 then, is the locality. 



How it has been planted is the more im- 

 portant question ; and here I shall take care 

 to state the details minutely. The first 

 thing to be done, is to have the soil trench- 

 ed with the spade, to the depth of 20 or 24 

 inches. This will cost 6Z. per acre. Cheap 

 processes of planting in such situations will 

 prove of no use ; they have been tried re- 

 peatedly with no success ; and I have little 

 hesitation in stating that it cannot be done 

 effectually without the preparation alluded 

 to. When trenching is put out to be done, 

 at so much per perch, 1 have known un- 

 principled men leave about a third of the 

 ground undisturbed. It should therefore 

 be done either by the day, or with the un- 

 derstanding that if any part of the soil 

 should be found unbroken, the price of the 

 whole would be withheld. 



2. The time for planting is of the great- 

 est moment. All planting by the sea-side 

 should be done during the month of March, 

 or in the first fortnight in April. The plants 

 will thus be free from the cutting winter's 

 winds, until they have established them- 

 selves in their new situations. Some will 

 no doubt go and try a half measure, by 

 planting at the proper season on untrenched 

 soil: let them do so— success cannot be 

 theirs. It should be continually borne in 

 mind that planting, under the present cir- 

 cumstances, is not at all encouraged by Na- 

 ture ; it is a union of the wild and tame 

 which, though permitting, she does not fos- 



