in Leicestershire. 429 



particularly partial to landscape-gardening, and favoured by 

 the natural surface of the grounds for a proper distribution 

 of wood and water, has been enabled, by judiciously laying 

 out the whole in a proper manner and on just principles, to 

 render it one of the most picturesque places in the county. 

 The gardens and pleasure-grounds, &c., have been under my 

 superintendence for two years, during which period very con- 

 siderable alterations have been effected, principally at my 

 suggestion. Last autumn I formed a new kitchen-garden ; 

 by which I was enabled to make a considerable addition to 

 the already very extensive pleasure-grounds ; a portion of 

 which I have converted into two flower-gardens, where I 

 principally adhere to the massing system in the different beds. 

 I shall probably send you a plan of the flower-garden at a 

 future period : and, although it does not exactly meet the 

 approbation of my employer, he has generously allowed me 

 to pursue it, in order that I may have a fair opportunity of 

 displaying what I consider its intrinsic merits. My kind em- 

 ployer has also given me permission to dedicate a necessary 

 portion of ground for a natural arrangement of herbaceous 

 plants. I have also replanted a considerable portion of the 

 shrubbery, with large shrubs, en masse, and from their size 

 I was enabled to produce an immediate effect, which has con- 

 siderably added to its merits in my (previously favourable) 

 estimation. In the summer of 1829, I built a very extensive 

 brick wall on Mr. Byers's system, for strawberries. (Vol. V. 

 p. 437.) The plan has my most unqualified approbation. 

 I never have seen such a crop as my own wall does this 

 day (June 14.) exhibit. Its earliness and cleanliness cannot 

 be too much extolled. I shall only add, that since it has 

 been built it has never been touched, with the exception 

 of cutting runners and dead leaves away ; and, as the crop is 

 far superior this year, I consider Mr. Byers's recommendation 

 of planting every year to be decidedly wrong.* My cucumber 

 and melon and pine pits are on West's plan, which plan, from 

 my then experience of it, I condemned to the inventor per- 

 sonally, some five years ago ; and, as this experience has now 

 been much more extended, I feel justified in saying his pits 

 cannot be too much repudiated. The attention invariably 

 required in the frequent supply of dung is troublesome in the 

 extreme, and the manner in which they exhaust the manure 

 renders them a complete robbery on garden and farm. They 

 present a degree of neatness ; but, as far as my experience 

 goes, not one word more can be said in their favour. 



* It will be seen by turning to p. 507. that Mr. Byers does not consider 

 annual planting indispensable. — J. D.for Cond. 



