170 THE VILLA GARDENER. 



to lay out the walks or roads, or to mark off the jilaces for planting, or to 

 trench the ground. 



266. Trenching. — The use of trenching ground which is afterwards to be 

 covered permanently with grass, or trees and shrubs, is, to enable the roots of 

 the grass and other plants to reach a greater depth, and thus to be more out 

 of the reach of drought in summer ; also, to increase the capacity of the soil 

 for retaining water, in order to keep the grass, as well as the trees and shrubs, 

 green during the warm season. By trenching also, in connexion with 

 manuring, draining, irrigating, &c., as already described, the growth of the 

 trees and shrubs, immediately after being planted, will be much more rapid, 

 and the final effect desired by the planter much sooner attained. It must 

 not be forgotten, also, that the effect will be equally astonishing on the 

 growth of the grass as on that of the trees and shrubs ; and thus, not only a 

 more intense green turf will be produced, but a greater quantity of hay and 

 pasture for milch cows or sheep. We mention hay and pasture, because in 

 many places of only two or three acres in extent, and in all places of five 

 acres and upwards, that are not over-planted, a proportion of the lawn, or 

 grassy surface, may be mown for hay every year ; and portions of surface, 

 also, may be hurdled off", for being pastured by cows or sheep. By some, no 

 doubt, this kind of management may be disapproved of, as interfering with 

 the smoothness and high polish of the lawn ; but by others it will be considered 

 as adding greatly to the value of a country residence, and to the interest and 

 variety of the operations carried on in one. 



267. The boundary fence to small places should, in most cases, be a wall, 

 as being that which is most impervious to the smaller animals. Close palings 

 of oak or larch, or of some other kind of wood, Kyanised, may be used ; or 

 a wall about 3 ft. high may be built, and a hedge placed immediately within 

 it, and cut as it advances in growth, so as to form a continuation of the 

 height of the wall ; which, in this case, would be sufficient to keep out vermin 

 at the base of the hedge, while the upper part of the fence would answer all 

 the other purposes of protection and defence. A deep ditch on the outside, 

 and a thorn hedge inside, will also form a good boundary fence ; but, where 

 the soil is a deep sandy loam, a hedge of holly is the best of all. 



268. Planting. — Trees and shrubs are distributed over the grounds of a 

 residence, because these objects are considered the most effective in producing 

 the kind of beauty which is desirable in the country. To trees and shrubs 

 are added flowers, as minor ornaments. The question that we are now to 

 consider is, the pi-inciples to be followed in the distribution of the trees and 

 shrubs, and of those finishing ornaments, the flowers. The two sources from 

 which we naturally seek instruction in this matter are, the practice of planters 

 and landscape-gardeners hitherto; and the mode in which trees, shrubs, and 

 flowers are distributed in nature. Till within the last two or three centuries, 

 the number of trees, shrubs, and common garden flowei-s, in cultivation in 

 any country, did not amount, in tlie number of kinds, to one hundredth part 

 of what are now common to the gardens, not only of Britain, but of the tem- 

 perate regions of the globe in both hemispheres. The distribution of this 

 small number of plants, by gardeners, was formerly as simple as their num- 

 ber was few. All the woods of a place were formed of two or three kinds 

 of trees, planted in rows or in masses, in the geometrical style, which we need 

 not here describe ; and the flowers were placed in a compartment near the 



