Shrubbery and Ornamental Planting. 479 



fir is well adapted to produce the desired effect ; as, being pyra- 

 midal in their growth, there will always be vacancies towards 

 the top. The ramifications of the Scotch pine being of a dif- 

 ferent character, as well as more picturesque, that tree will be 

 found to be better adapted for such purposes. 



But where it is necessary for screening to be brought into 

 immediate effect to the height of from 20 ft. to 40 feet, it will be 

 difficult to get evergreens of any description to answer the pur- 

 pose, however desirable it may be for them to do so. It will, 

 therefore, be necessary, in such cases, to make use of the decidu- 

 ous kinds ; and, by making a proper choice, with careful planting, 

 they will be found to answer the purpose well during the summer 

 season ; which, after all, is the time when their assistance is most 

 wanted. A striking instance of this may now be seen at Theo- 

 balds, near Cheshunt, at the residence of William Wingfield, 

 Esq. This gentleman has spared no pains to effect a seclusion, 

 by planting trees of the required height; and he has succeeded 

 admirably. 



Short grove, 1834. 



Art. IV. Hints on Shrubbery and Ornamental Planting. 

 By Charles Lawrence, Esq. 



As the season is fast approaching for making preparation for 

 planting, I will perform my promise of sending you a few hints 

 on shrubbery or ornamental planting, which experience and 

 observation have suggested to me. We planters find out our 

 errors too late, in most instances, to derive much personal advan- 

 tage from the discovery ; and it is to be regretted that those who 

 watch the progress and effect of plantations should be deterred 

 from recording their experience, by any indisposition to expose 

 their own blunders, or by the notion that they would only be 

 pointing out those errors which others had discovered. Though 

 experienced artists may be disposed to smile at your simplicity, 

 first in making mistakes, and then in recording them, the more 

 just view of the matter seems to be, that a host of young aspirants 

 may, by a timely warning, be saved from the commission of 

 similar faults ; and that the " gardenesque " (a useful word, by 

 the way, of which I rather think you are the inventor) would 

 be, by such means, continually approximating to perfection. 



As many of the general observations in my last letter to you 

 on planting (see p. 26.) are applicable to the subject now under 

 consideration, I shall not repeat them here ; but shall proceed 

 to point out, in the first place, the more obvious defects in orna- 

 mental plantations, and then suggest such considerations for their 

 original formation as, I am satisfied, will contribute greatly to 



