198 THE VILI^ &AEDENEE, 



always plant them in the middle of open spaces, where there are no others 

 near?" Persons arguing thus, little know that a very few single trees, put 

 down on this principle of " always placing them in the middle of an open 

 space, where there are no others near," would destroy the effect of the finest 

 place in existence. Single trees, in a park or pleasure-ground, are like the 

 last touches of an artist in painting a landscape. The bold striking effects of 

 light, shade, and character are given by the masses ; but the expression of 

 these masses, and the attractions by which the eye is led to enjoy them, are 

 produced by the last touches. The great general effect of the grounds of a 

 residence depends on there being open spaces where there are no trees, to 

 contrast with other spaces which are entirely covered with trees ; and the 

 finish to these grand features of wood and lawn consists in the single trees 

 and small groups which are distributed along their margins. Soon after Sir 

 Henry Steuart's Planter's Guide was published, the idea of transplanting large 

 trees by machinery took possession of many country gentlemen of leisure; 

 and the breadth of effect of many lawns and parks, and the grouping along 

 the margins of lawns in others, were destroyed, by always putting down these 

 large trees in those open spaces where it was thought that they would not 

 interfere with anything else. A gentleman who possesses one of the hand- 

 somest small places on the banks of the Thames, between London and 

 Gravesend, covered almost the entire surface not occupied by old trees, with 

 young single trees at similar distances, without even employing a gardener to 

 guide his labourers in planting them. In such a situation as the very 

 remarkable one to which we allude, before a single tree could be put down 

 ■with propriety, its future effect should have been studied from various points 

 of view ; and there is no landscape-gardener who would not consider the 

 putting down of even one tree, in such a case, a difficult and delicate task. 

 But profound ignorance of any subject is favourable to courage, and our 

 planter put them in by hundreds ; but, fortunately, as they were planted three 

 or four times too deep, in a soil consisting, in many places, of strong clay, 

 almost the whole of them died the second year. 



294. Professional routine. — We shall now go through what may be called 

 the professional routine of fixing on a situation ; making the plans for laying 

 out a residence ; and carrying these plans into execution. 



295. Fixing on the situation, extent, 8fc. — Fig. 105. may be supposed to 

 exhibit a portion of country, the greater part of which is to be sold by private 

 contract, in lots as various in magnitude and form as the size and shape of 

 the fields ; or to be let on building leases. It may be supposed to have all 

 belonged to the mansion and park a ; but that, owing to death or other causes, 

 the present owner of that park has determined to limit himself to it, and to 

 the adjoining fields and farm-yard (6, c, d, and e). All the other fields, there- 

 fore, are to be sold or let ; and we shall suppose them to have been looked 

 over by a gentleman desirous of forming a country residence, who has fixed 

 on the fields f, g, h, i, and j, containing in all about ten acres. Here we 

 must notice what is a common error, often committed in the first step of 

 forming a country residence ; viz. that the party (say a tradesman, a mer- 

 chant, or a professional man) chooses the situation, and fixes the conditions 

 of purchase, without consulting a surveyor ; or, what is better, some friend 

 who has a practical knowledge of soils and situations, and of what are really 

 essential in these to the formation of a comfortable residence. Perhaps the 



