'293 



expense amounted to only L. I'J, or abonl Hs. l(Jd. per 

 tree.* 



The third person who shall he named, is Robert Watson, 

 Esq., banker in Glasgow, who lias a bcautifid villa, named 

 Linthouse, on the Clyde, in the neighbourhood of Govan, 

 with some extent of ground belonging to it. The place was 

 planted between thirty and forty years since ; and, as the 

 soil is deep, and the climate of a superior sort, the wood has 

 rushed up with far greater rapidity, than could have been 

 expected in most situations. As the owner likewise, or his 

 predecessors, have in some degree thinned the trees, there 

 was a better choice of large subjects, than at Ibroxhill. 

 . In a situation like this, and with a noble river in view, 

 our forefathers were of opinion, that they could never see 

 too much of it ; and therefore, their custom was, to plant 

 long and formal rows of trees on the flanks, and leave their 

 front wholly open, in order to have the fuller enjoyment of 

 the prospect. Of late years, however, as good taste, and a 

 knowledge of landscape have increased, we begin to dis- 

 cover, that a fine expanse, whether of land or water, rather 

 suffers an accession to, than a diminution of its extent, from 

 being broken into parts by trees, as the imagination never 

 fails to magnify the extent of what is concealed ; and hence, 

 new combinations are formed, and fresh landscapes arise, 

 from the variety produced by concealment. 



It was probably on some such principle as this that Mr. 

 Smith proceeded, in advising his friend to diversify his front 

 towards the river, by the removal of trees of a large size. 

 Accordingly, during last spring (1827), the field in front of 

 Linthouse was most respectably wooded, with detached and 

 open dispositions of wood. Whether they be very accurately 

 disposed according to the principles of landscape I cannot 

 state, as I do not happen to be personally known to the re- 



* Note III. 



