6 LAYING OUT OF GROUND 



SECTION II. LAYING OUT OF GROUND FOR NEW 



PLANTATIONS. 



It is admitted by every person of a refined taste, 

 that no object is so ornamental upon a gentleman's 

 estate as an extensive healthy plantation, situated 

 upon a well chosen spot, and having a well defined 

 tastefully bending outline ; and this being a point 

 of the first importance in arboricultural architec- 

 ture it ought to be well considered by all who would 

 wish to excel in the profession. I am aware that 

 many think, and indeed say, that forest trees will 

 grow as well in an untastefully defined plantation, 

 as they will do in one laid out upon the first prin- 

 ciples of refined taste, provided that the soil be good 

 enough, — which is a false estimate of what good taste 

 is capable of doing : and in order to contradict this 

 erroneous opinion, I do assert, that a young planta- 

 tion laid out according to scientific principles, com- 

 bmed with good taste, will succeed much better 

 than one laid out in a careless manner, as will be 

 shown by and by, under the present head. 



As the future welfare of a plantation is consider- 

 ably affected by the manner in which it is laid out, 

 no man ought to attempt the laying out of ground 

 for one, who is not naturally possessed of good 

 taste for that sort of landscape scenery which is 

 based upon the laws of nature, which will enable 

 him to lay out the proposed plantation in such a 



