LETTER cm 171 



allowed to be a Place capable of Improvements, & few Gardens 

 wa?it it more ; but it is never in Order tho' it costs me fifty 

 Pounds pr ann., because my Gardeners are likewise Ty thing 

 men & Labourers, and at the most luxurious Season of weeds 

 are forced to neglect it. You will be displeased at Us ; but we 

 cannot help it. However, instead of a Bottle Back, (or Cratch) 

 & a large Growth of Docks, I have now a little Shrubbery under 

 my Study Window. I have in my fore-Court, or upper Garden, 

 instead of a narrow & barren Border, a little waving irregular 

 Shrubbery ; it is now fronted wth China asters, a flower intro- 

 duced here by Myself. I have likewise enough in Pots to set 

 along a Gravel Walk before my Hall windows. And I have 

 stowed a Variety of pretty Flowers & Shrubs in ye Box Borders, 

 for such is ye Genius of Gardening here. Of all ye Trees, ye 

 Laurustinus is ye hardest to get to grow ; which makes me 

 wonder, as it is a Winter Tree. I have just put in two, having 

 lost all ye first, which were planted in Spring. Did not you 

 once tell me, as we sat on the Bench fronting Hercules, that 

 a Maple was not a Tree, but a Bush ? It is a strong Timber 

 Tree here. I have here a Cherry Tree, as big as almost any 

 of ye Beeches on ye Hanger. We have a peculiar Elm ; when 

 Mr Morris of Monmouth Shire was here, he carried away a good 

 deal of ye Seed of it. We have had a very irregular Year ; no 

 Hay, little Barley & Oats, cold weather in ye extremest Drought, 

 & v>'et weather in the latter months, whereby our Edish, or Fog, 

 or after Grass, is very plentifull & will help to carry ye Beasts 

 thro' ye winter months ; I have Six Horses to keep & 3 Cows. 

 But we had the Eains before they had them at Peterboro', Mr 

 Fisher left his Country bare & brown, & found our Hills deep 

 in Verdure. I have been at Leeds since I wrote last, wth 

 Mrs Mulso & Mr Fisher; we made a Party wth Major Burton 

 to go to ye Eeview of our Militia. That Part of ye Country 

 is agreable enough, but not comparable to our's, except for 

 Koads. It is the best Town that I have seen in Yorkshire ; 

 I think I told you I had seen Halifax, whose Situation is odd 

 & surprizing, but ye Town not a good One. Pontefract is a 

 small neat Town, but dull for want of Trade, & ye Eoads 

 whit'ned with perpetual Lime Carts. We have extended our 

 acquaintance, 'till we are quite satisfied ; it costs too much 

 Trouble to return Visits. Miss Burleigh is now returned to 

 Hampshire, if You meet & talk to her of Us, you may mention 

 us as People that have a Eegard for her, tho' She lives in a 

 Cottage. 



I thank You for your Account of your family, never neglect 

 to mention it even down to your Melons. We have had a great 

 many bad ones this year. My Gardener does not understand 

 them. It is well for You that You have kept out of the Way, 



