396 



HOW TO ARRANGE COUNTRY PLACES. 



rods. Mr. Sargent is not a theorist, but 

 has actually enclosed his own lawn of seve- 

 ral acres in this way ; and those who have 

 examined the plan are struck with the use- 

 fulness and economy of the thing, in all or- 

 namental country places of considerable 

 extent.* 



We have said nothing as yet of the most 

 important feature of all country places — 

 trees. A country place without trees, is 

 like a caliph without his beard ; in other 

 words, it is not a country place. We shall 

 assume, therefore, that all proprietors who 

 do not already possess this indispensable 

 feature, will set about planting with more 

 ardor than Walter Scott ever did. It is 

 the one thing needful for them ; and deep 

 trenching, plentiful manuring, and sufficient 

 mulching, are the powerful auxiliaries to 

 help them forward in the good work. 



It is, of course, impossible for us to tell 

 our readers how to arrange trees tastefully 

 and well, under all circumstances, in this 

 short chapter. We can offer them, how- 

 ever, two or three hints as to arrangement, 

 which they may perhaps profit by. 



The first principle in ornamental plant- 

 ing, is to study the character of the place to 

 be improved, and to plant in accordance 

 with it. If your place has breadth, and 

 simplicity, and fine open views, plant in 

 groups, and rather sparingly, so as to 

 heighten and adorn the landscape, not shut 

 out and obstruct the beauty of prospect 

 which nature has placed before your eyes. 

 Scattered groups, with continuous reaches 



* In Ihe cut and description given at p. 212, wooden posts 

 at intervals of 100 feet are used. But by an ingenious varia- 

 tion of the mode, Mr. S. has since entirely dispensed with all 

 wooden posts, without increasing the expense, or lessening the 

 strength ; and we hope to give a cut in our next, showing the 

 improveme' 



or vistas between, produce the best effect 

 in such situations. In other and more re- 

 mote parts of the place, greater density of 

 foliage may serve as a contrast. 



In residences where there is little or no 

 distant view, the contrary plan must be 

 pursued. Intricacy and variety must be 

 created by planting. Walks must be led 

 in various directions, and concealed from 

 each other by thickets, and masses of shrubs 

 and trees, and occasionally rich masses of 

 foliage ; not forgetting to heighten all, 

 however, by an occasional contrast of broad, 

 unbroken surface of lawn. 



In all country places, and especially in 

 small ones, a great object to be kept in 

 view in planting, is to produce as perfect 

 seclusion and privacy within the grounds as 

 possible. We do not entirely feel that to 

 be our own, which is indiscriminately en- 

 joyed by each passer by, and every man's 

 individuality and home-feeling is invaded 

 by the presence of unbidden guests. There- 

 fore, while you preserve the beauty of the 

 view, shut out, by boundary belts and thick- 

 ets, all eyes but those that are fairly within 

 your own grounds. This will enable you 

 to feel at home all over your place, and to 

 indulge your individual taste in walking, 

 riding, reciting your next speech or ser- 

 mon, or wearing any peculiarly rustic cos- 

 tume, without being suspected of being a 

 "queer fellow" by any of your neighbors; 

 while it will add to the general beauty and 

 interest of the country at large, — since, in 

 passing a fine place, we always imagine 

 it finer than it is, if a boundary plantation, 

 by concealing it, forces us to depend wholly 

 on the imagination. 



