Retrospective Criticism. 717 



trees standing alone, of somewhat the form of those fijrured in fio-. 127. and 

 described in p, 549,, by your correspondent, W. B. Clarke. 



At Seaforth House, and in its neighbourhood, near the sea, many im- 

 provements have been made. When we have planted a small plot of trees 

 in an exposed situation, they have oftentimes all died, without even coming 

 into leaf; and if a gap has been made in a plantation previously formed, it 

 is seldom that the trees fresh planted to fill it up succeed, as we have 

 renewed them several times, trying both young and old plants. 



Evergreens will not thrive at all near the sea, unless they are well sheltered 

 with other trees and shrubs; and even then, if merely small bushes, they 

 will not do much. Some of the hardiest sorts of American plants will do 

 for a time, but in general they die away. Very few kinds of plants look 

 well, as most of them become full of dead wood in a short time. 



Gardens contiguous to the ocean exhibit the best appearance in the 

 summer, when the annuals and bulbs are in flower; these not being affected, 

 from the season in which they blossom. I may here mention an instance 

 of a gentleman coming to reside on the coast, who determined to screen 

 all his land with trees, as he said that trees would do very well in Scotland 

 15 miles from the sea; as, indeed, they would do here, within a less 

 distance than that. He therefore obtained a man from Scotland to achieve 

 the object desired. He planted trees, &c., at the edge of the water, and 

 created a laugh amongst his neighbours. I left that neighbourhood soon 

 afterwards, and cannot state the results from observation ; but 1 am quite 

 aware that they would all die, and this (as they were planted in February) 

 even before they came into leaf. 



Of the BriiisJi Plants which grow spontaneously near the sea, I will, with 

 your leave, name a few species : — Cynoglossum officinale, Erythrse^a ao-gre- 

 gata, Genixdna canipestris, Parnassia palustris. Ononis spinosa, iSenlcio 

 vulgaris, (Sedum sexangulare, AchiWea iWillefolium, Alcliemilla vulgaris, 

 Scabiosa arvensis ; JS^rica vulgaris, Tetralix, and cinerea, but very dimi- 

 nutive; yellow cytisus [? C^tisus scoparius, ? G^enista tinctoria], eyebright 

 [? Euphrasia officinalis]. 



Hawthorn Hedges stand as well as any thing. If the wind blows strono- 

 from the west, all the branches on that side arequite wet, and on touchint^ 

 them with the tongue, have a veiy salt taste ; and this prevalence of salt 

 I believe to be the cause of the young shoots being killed yearly. 



Most of the kinds of trees and shrubs mentioned would do, no doubt, a 

 little better with a better soil ; as the natural one is very sandy, although 

 a little below there is a bed of clay, which helps to keep the other moist. 

 I am. Sir, yours, &c. — Pliilip Davics. Ujjton, near Stratford, Essex, Oct. 24. 



The difficulties attendant on forming a garden on the coast, remind us 

 of those noticed by Dr. Howison as incident to Shetland, in his MS. tour 

 to those islands, some years ago, with which he favoured us. He states that 

 " the fisheries and kelp manufacture are the principal sources of wealth of 

 the inhabitants, and constitute the chief value of the Shetland Islands, in a 

 national point of view. Gardening is rarely attempted, and only by some 

 of the principal proprietors. The most common culinary vegetables re- 

 quire the protection of lofty walls ; and the hardy gooseberry trained to 

 them. produces only a few half-ripe fruit in the month of September!" 

 To give an idea of the state of gardening there. Dr. Howison relates, that 

 William Mouat, Esq., proprietor of the Island of Brassa, " every few years 

 gets a young gardener from the south country, who, although he enjoys a 

 good salary and every comfort, disgusted with the unsuccessful result of 

 his labours, becomes low-spirited, and soon returns again to a more genial 

 clime, where his professional toils are rewarded with success." Agriculture 

 is also at a low ebb ; oats, barley, and potatoes are raised on the iew spots 

 of arable land, but they are, from the rigour of the climate, always inferior. 



