Hunt on Picturesque Domestk Atxliitecture. 43 



sea,) in seven years they will have covered the surface ; and it is easy then 

 to thin them out, and place in their shelter the seeds or plants of such 

 more valuable trees as it is thought will suit the soil. Two of the most 

 certain trees for rising from seed thrown on an unprepared surface, are the 

 Birch and that species of Willow commonly called in England the Great 

 Round-leaved Willow (6'alix caprea, goats being fond of the catkins), the 

 bark of which is used in the Highlands for tanning, and the wood for various 

 purposes. The Bird-cherry, both the native and American species, is nearly 

 as certain ; and it will not be denied, that the copse-wood produced from 

 the stools of these trees is valuable as such. 



Mr. Withers acknowledges (p. 78.) that he knows nothing either of Ire- 

 land or Scotland, and he adds, " I take this opportunity of stating most 

 distinctly, that ni}' observations, as to the necessity of preparing the soil 

 for trees, are meant to be confined to that part of the United Kingdom in 

 which I reside." The Scotch system, after all, therefore, may be good for 

 something in Scotland, though, as we have before stated (Vol. II. p. 76.), it 

 may be very unfit for most parts of England, and particularly so for that part 

 of it where Mr. Withers resides, and with which alone he acknowledges 

 himself to be acquainted. We think it would have given more efiect to his 

 observations, both in this and in preceding pamphlets, if Mr. Withers had 

 made this avowal in setting out, and limited his theory and maxims to soils 

 and situations under certain circumstances. 



The result of general experience on this subject is as follows : — On all 

 soils and situations wliere corn is or may be grown, plantations of tree^ 

 ought to be considered as a crop among other crops, and, as in other crops, 

 culture bestowed previously to planting, and during the growth of the 

 crop ; but as there are certain soils and situations, where all that the agri- 

 culturist can do with benefit, is to encourage the growth of pasture grasses, 

 without attempting to raise corn, so there are other soils and situations 

 where all that the planter can do is to encourage the production of trees 

 by sowing or planting them, and excluding their natural enemies, without 

 attempting to stir the soil. Mr. Withers's system and the Scotch system 

 are, therefoi'e, both good under certain circumstances. If Sir Walter Scott 

 has too exclusively advocated, what Mr. Withers calls the Scotch system, 

 Mr. Withers has not less exclusively advocated what he calls his own. 

 Both authors, perhaps, have given rather too high a colouring to their 

 systems. 



Near the end of the pamphlet, some opinions in favour of moderate 

 pruning are introduced. It is certain, that where pruning is attempted, it 

 is very frequently overdone ; large side branches are cut off, with a view 

 of throwing the increase of timber into the trunk, instead of wasting it in 

 boughs : but the effect of this is almost inevitably a stagnation of growth 

 for some years afterwards ; for the power of a tree to form wood, whether 

 in the trunk or branches, depends not less on the efficient number of its 

 leaves than on its roots. The safe practice is to begin pruning early, only to 

 cut off small branches, and never more than one or two from one tree in a 

 season. 



Hunt, T. F., Architect, Author of " Half a Dozen Hints on Picturesque Do- 

 mestic Architecture," " Designs for Parsonage Houses, Alms Houses, &c. 

 &c." (reviewed Vol. III. p. 76.) : Architettura Campestre ; displayed in 

 Lodges, Gardeners' Houses, and other Buildings, composed of simple and 

 economical forms, in the modern or Italian style ; introducing a pictur- 

 esque Mode of Roofing. London. 4to. 



The plates in this volume are from stone, by Mr. J. D. Harding, and 

 equal to any thing ever done in this country by the lithographic process. 



