26 Hints on Landscape Gardening 



should be so designed as to permit our going out 

 from the park into the surrounding country. 

 Hence the sight of an enclosure can be obnox- 

 ious only to those who hold so exaggerated a 

 notion of freedom that, hating everything that 

 bears the name of barrier, they would wish to 

 overturn even imaginary barriers! In England, 

 as I have said before, not only every park, but, 

 on account of the precious cattle, every section 

 of it, every coppice and every exposed young 

 tree, is surrounded with a fence, and though, 

 from being carried to excess, this disturbs the 

 general effect, I have frequently found that here 

 and there a fence is very picturesque, especially 

 where the character of the landscape changes, the 

 fence then preparing the mind for new impres- 

 sions and affording an easy transition to new scenes. 

 So for security's sake let our parks have an en- 

 closure high and strong, assuming that this is 

 possible — for, to be sure, just as French cookery 

 books very wisely begin their receipts with ** Ayez 

 une carpe, ayez un perdreau, etc.," I preface my 

 advice with the proviso that, locality being favor- 

 able and means at hand, the park should be en- 

 closed. But inasmuch as the heavier and bigger 

 the wall, the worse as a rule, is its appearance, and 

 bearing in mind also that it is a great mistake to 

 limit the field of fancy by too familiar a view oi 

 its limits, a close and broad plantation should 

 hide the greater part of it. If such a barrier is 

 made by a wooden fence, it should never be seen, 

 but supplied with interesting points at intervals, 



