70 LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



or the iron hurdle, applied indiscriminately 

 to the mansion of two centuries' standing, 

 and to the erection of yesterday ; to the castle, 

 and to the cottat^e. There are, it must be 

 allowed, many degrees of finishing in the 

 latter ; from the common hurdle to what is 

 called an invisible fence ; the last, the most 

 objectionable, upon the principle I wish to 

 recommend. 



I cannot but think that (with the exception 

 of Sir Uvedale Price) the different writers 

 upon the improvement of scenery as con- 

 nected with residences have, as far as I am 

 acquainted with them, altogether mistaken the 

 question of a separating fence. They think 

 it essential that no visible interruption should 

 exist between the smooth and decorated lawn 

 and the scenery, of whatever description, be- 

 yond it. To effect this junction they have 

 recourse, as the happiest expedient, to a sunk 

 fence ; yet, fearful of detection, they recom- 

 mend various modes of hiding this invisible 

 fence ; in effecting which, they are likely to 

 to raise a far more objectionable line of sepa- 

 ration than the rudest fence would be. 



The author of Observations on ]\Iodern 

 Gardening, from whom better taste might 



