SMALL COUNTRY VII,LAS. 239 



found convenient for culture, as well as an agreeable place for recreation. 

 Any other walks than one round the boundary, and another round the 

 kitchen-garden, and connected with the out- door offices, must depend on 

 circumstances peculiar to the situation or the occupier. If there are great 

 natural inequalities of surface, a piece of natural rock or natural water, a 

 walk may be conducted so as to show them to advantage ; and, if the occupier 

 is wealthy, and disposed to make the most of the situation, he may create 

 hills, hollows, and other inequalities, form rocks and water, and erect build- 

 ings at pleasure ; to all which objects walks are either required, or may be 

 legitimately introduced. 



337. The plantations necessary to form a small residence are, in the same 

 manner, guided by reason in all that relates to general effect ; and in detail 

 they depend on the taste and means of the intended occupier. Trees are 

 wanted throughout the gi-ounds to connect one object with another; to unite 

 the house with the offices, and partially to conceal the latter ; and to unite 

 the place as a whole with other places in the neighbourhood, or with the 

 adjoining scenery. Trees are also required for shade, and for shelter. 

 Shrubs are, in this sense, to be considered as included under trees. They 

 are wanted for thickening masses and screens so that they may not be seen 

 through ; and also for sheltering, and, in some cases, shading, herbaceous 

 plants; and, in the form of hedges, they serve for subdividing compart- 

 ments. So far the use of trees and shrubs is guided by common sense ; 

 the next point is, to determine the choice of species and varieties, which 

 is in part determined by common sense, and in part by the particular 

 taste and means of the occupier. It is natural that the finer or more choice 

 kinds of trees and shrubs should be placed near the house, as the centre of 

 art and refinement; and, also, that evergreens should abound there, as being 

 in our climate indicative of culture and taste. In a small place, trees of 

 small size will naturally be preferred to those which soon attain a very large 

 size, such as some of the elms and poplars. Trees with showy flowers or 

 fruit will be selected, in preference to those which have the flowers and fruit 

 inconspicuous. In exposed situations, hardy trees which endure the blast 

 will be preferred to such as are more tender ; and, where objects are to be 

 concealed, evergreens will always be preferred to trees and shi-ubs which are 

 deciduous. These general principles are applicable to all small places. The 

 further pursuance of the subject belongs to the particular taste and means of 

 the individual. One person may choose to render his place a complete arbo- 

 retum ; another may limit himself to a few species of the more showy trees 

 and shrubs ; a third may prefer large rajjid-grovving trees, that he may soon 

 have the pleasure of pruning or thinning them for profit; while a fourth may 

 give a preference to fruit-ti-ees, and so on. There is, in short, no end to the 

 variations that may be introduced in the planting of trees and shrubs, inde- 

 pendently altogether of those beauties which all trees and shrubs produce, 

 viz. individual expression and character as pictorial objects, variety and 

 intricacy in combination, and botanical interest. 



338. The pieces of water, in all these designs, are liable to objections ; but 

 these are partly owing to the particular manner in which the ground plans 

 are drawn, and their very small scale. If these pieces of water and the 

 adjoining scenery are considered as being in the picturesque style, then the 

 pieces of water would require a considerable addition of trees and shrubs to 



