Planting and Gardening. . 537 



being common land belonging to the villages ; and it appears 

 to us that it would be a very desirable thing for the villagers, 

 to exchange their right to the hill tops for an equivalent on 

 the lower part of the hill sides. 



With a few exceptions, we cannot say much in favour of 

 the management of plantations. The effects of the old evil 

 of neglecting to thin are ahnost every where conspicuous. In 

 some parts of the lake plantations, as, for instance, in Profes- 

 sor Wilson's, the trees are so thick as to be suffocating one 

 another. The same may be said of many other plantations, 

 the fear of cutting down trees being a positive disease with 

 most country gentlemen ; so much so, indeed, as to make it 

 one of the first points of imitation in which retired tradesmen 

 ape the aristocracy. 



As instances of excellent management, we may refer to the 

 plantations of Heath House, planted and managed by our 

 correspondent Agronome, so as at once to produce shelter, 

 ornament, and profit. At Lathom House there are very exten- 

 sive woods, most scientifically and profitably managed for 

 Lord Skelmerrdale by Mr. Lawton, from whom we hope to 

 receive a general outline of his system. Ten or twelve acres 

 are here planted every year on properly prepared soil, which 

 is kept clear by hoeing (never by digging), for three or four 

 years afterwards ; and thinning and pruning are commenced 

 as soon as requisite, and carried on regularly. Between two 

 and three thousand pounds' worth of timber is sold from this 

 estate every year. We believe the Duke of Devonshire's and 

 the Earl of Grosvenor's plantations are also very well managed; 

 but, as we expect some account of these from our correspond- 

 ent Mr. Murphy, we leave the subject for the present. With 

 Mr. Murphy we entirely agree in this, that, where thinning 

 and pruning have been neglected, or pursued on some impro- 

 per system, it is, in almost every case, the fault of the pro- 

 prietor, and not of the gardener or forester. 



The State of Gardening north of Manchester does not, 

 on the whole, fall off till we arrive at Lancaster ; but, 

 from that place to Dumfries, it certainly seems to us not 

 to be so much encouraged as in the other parts of the 

 country which we have passed through. Round Liverpool 

 there are a great many gardens and country seats, but 

 fewer scientific gardeners than we expected to find ; a false 

 notion of economy inducing many of the proprietors of villa 

 residences to employ what, about London, are called gar- 

 dener's labourers. We found very few of these villa resi- 

 dences in any thing like tolerable order. There are, of course, 

 several exceptions ; and it is but justice to state that these 



