1 66 Home landscape 



ultimately shut out is never taken into consideration. As 

 time rolls on, many houses become buried amongst a dense 

 forest of trees, and few of the original views are visible, unless 

 one ascends to some eminence. Such shut-up places coming 

 into the market are frequently undisposed of for a length of 

 time, owing to their close and damp nature, the owner never 

 for a moment thinking that such closeness may be avoided. 

 Some often secure such places, and immediately commence 

 a reformation; the charm worked by the woodman's axe, 

 with the aid of the artist or landscape gardener, is often 

 marvellous, and, at a trifling expense, in certain cases the 

 nature of the thinnings paying for the change. The stem- 

 pruning of a few of the large trees often produces a pleasing 

 effect in giving us views between the stems and beneath the 

 branches. The removal of trees altogether, and the stem- 

 pruning and branching of others, give views without in the 

 least degree injuring the health of the trees. There is a 

 mansion known to me, on a somewhat rising ground about 

 half a mile from the sea, but shut out from it by large trees 

 and a thicket of evergreen shrubs, where by the removal of 

 some of the under branches of the large and wide-spreading 

 trees, the clearing or thinning out of a few of the evergreens, 

 beautiful views of Inchkeith and the Firth of Forth have been 

 obtained from the windows. At another large house, the 

 removal of an Oak-tree in front of the drawing-room windows 

 has opened up on one side a rich expanse of country, with 

 hills and wooded glens, before scarcely visible. Although 

 these remarks refer to views from houses, they apply also to 

 the wooded banks of rivers, extensive woods, and wooded 

 glens quite remote from dwellings. The eye, when once 

 practised to such landscape effects, will find on many 

 properties numerous spots for such openings. 



The usurping Laurel. The late E. W. Cooke, the 

 artist, has a few words about this which cannot be too 

 often repeated: 'There is no plant perhaps that deserves 

 the title of " usurper " more than what is generally called 

 the Common Laurel. No doubt this fine, free-growing 



