Theory and Practice 



III 



a plain the shadows are little seen, and therefore single 

 trees are of less use. 



I am now to speak of plantations for future, rather 

 than for immediate effect, and instead of mentioning 

 large tracts of land which have been planted under my 

 directions, where a naked or a barren country has been 

 clothed without difficulty or contrivance, I shall rather 

 instance a subject requiring peculiar management, es- 

 pecially as, from its vicinity to a highroad, I cannot 

 perhaps produce a better example than the following 

 extract furnishes : 



Coombe Lodge, seen from the turnpike road, does not 

 at present give a favourable impression ; for though the 

 view from the house, consisting of the opposite banks 

 of Basildon, is richly wooded, the place itself is naked ; 

 and it is difficult to remove this objection without sac- 

 rificing more land to the purposes of beauty than would 

 be advisable or even justifiable. Both the situation and 

 the outline of the house at Coombe Lodge have been 

 determined with judgement: the situation derives great 

 advantage from its southern aspect and from the views 

 which it commands ; and the house derives importance 

 from its extended front. Both these circumstances, how- 

 ever, contribute to the bad opinion conceived of the place 

 when viewed from the road, which is the point from 

 whence its defects are most apparent. 



The front towards the road faces the south, and is there- 

 fore lighted by thesun during thegreatest part of the day; 

 but being backed by lawn and arable land, and not re- 

 lieved by wood, the effect of sunshine is equally strong 

 on the background as on the house, because there is not 

 a sufficient opposition of colour to separate these different 

 objects; but if, on the contrary, the house be opposed to 



