Demesnes, &c. 97 



It is interesting to read the description given by 

 the elder Pliny of the introduction into Italy, and 

 attempts to naturalize, Plane-trees, Palms, Euony- 

 mus, &c. Amongst his many works, that on Garden- 

 ing has been saved, so that we may contrast the 

 utmost that had been attained in Augustan days 

 with what is now within reach of ordinary farmers 

 and tradesmen in every civilized country. For cen- 

 turies from Rome's decline but little advance appears 

 to have been made in Europe, or elsewhere, unless 

 perhaps in China and Japan ; but with revival of 

 learning, taste for the subject somewhat revived. 

 Lord Bacon's Essay on Gardening the last edition 

 of which was by Archbishop Whately is interesting 

 and short. About the close of the sixteenth century, 

 Gerard cultivated eleven hundred kinds of trees and 

 plants ; and between that time and 1664, when Eve- 

 lyn published his Sylva, many new species of trees 

 were introduced into gardens and pleasure-grounds 

 in England. "We may gather from Arthur Young's 

 Tour in Ireland what little advance demesnes here 

 had made a century ago, and how he appreciated the 

 natural aptitudes of the country for landscape gar- 

 dening. Amongst the few whose ornamental plant- 

 ing he particularly notices are Powerscourt, Collen, 

 Farnham, and Strokestown, which latter has been 

 much improved within a few years by planting new 

 trees suitable to the soil and climate. And in select- 

 ing timber trees for ornament or other use, it is 

 specially important to consider soil and climate, and 



H 



