^ 



LAYING OUT GROUNDS. 



tlie}' interfere with the general arrangement; in the latter case it may be necessary to re 

 move them, or to reduce their size, but if not the}'' will usually add to the beauties of the 

 place. If at a considerable distance from the house, a group of trees upon the top or sides 

 of such eminences, will form a pleasing object, but on elevated spots nearer to the villa, 

 a single tree or two will usually be more effective. Wherever water is present in the 

 grounds, unless it be an artificial basin surrounded by a lawn of well kept turf, it is 

 desirable that a greater or less quantity of trees and shrubs should ornament its banks. 

 A broken foliage of diversified bright clear water, will be found more efficient than a belt 

 of even hedge row; and when a pond or small lake, it is seldom expedient that it should 

 extend around the whole area of it. 



Throughout the grounds, some large trees which have attained, or which are approach- 

 ing to, maturity of growth, so as to have become single objects of beauty, should be left 

 standing, to give boldness to the whole, and as a principal means of insuring variety to 

 the landscape, as the spectator views it from the different points. In the selection of these, 

 attention should be given to retain a diversity of foliage. Around the sides of the ground 

 groups of trees of greater or less extent, should be left, not only for shelter, but to afford 

 a degree of outline to the premise.s — and before these should be left or planted .shrubs and 

 foliage of moderate growth, to act both as a fence, and to form a foreground to them. 



In this mode of adapting the refinement of landscape gardening to the requirement of 

 places of moderate extent, the beauties brought into observation by it in no way interfere 

 with the employment of the land for the more profitable purposes of farming, or as pro- 

 ductive of the usual domestic enjoyments associated with country life. The features of 

 the rural landscape having been secured by the general treatment above indicated ; and 

 the private pleasure grounds, gardens, and poultry yard, having been protected by 

 fences, in the mode pointed out, the whole of the land may be adapted to such branches 

 of husbandry and farming, as the proprietor may desire. The cows and the sheep may 

 range over the pasture, and he may cultivate any crops he pleases. All that it has been 

 sought to do, is in the first start to secure on the one hand, a large share of rural beaut}^ 

 to the grounds, (and which, in three or four j'ears will, by-the-bye, add in no small 

 degree to the value of the property,) and on the other, to save the owner from throwing 

 away a large sum of money in what he erroneously considers to be a necessar}' expense 

 " to make the place decent," whilst in reality, he expends it onlj' in destroying beau- 

 ties Mhich one-third of the sum would draw forth and portray in all the sublimit} of effect 

 for which nature has already fitted them. 



In such an arrangement of ground as we have thus hastily sketched, if the parts of it 

 brought into culture for corn, or other tilled crops, be confined to the rear of the resi- 

 dence, and the other parts are devoted to pasturage for sheep or cattle, an air of park-like 

 appearance will be presented by the whole place, whilst, as we have before remai'ked, its 

 profitable and productive character will not be interfered with. A few evergreens, both 

 trees and shrubs, distributed here and there, will materially add to the general eifect, and 

 these may often be found already growing. The road of approach to the front of the 

 house, as well as the paths through the pleasure grounds, should be formed in greater or 

 less curved lines, and never, (except in very extensive grounds,) in straight lines. The 

 plantations of small shrubberies on either side of the house, (unless on one side it opens 

 upon the garden,) will also much influence the beauty of the whole. But our object has 

 been rather to direct attention to the material features of the general plan, than to par 

 rise the detail of minor points. B 



York, Septejiber, 1852. 



