Shrubbery and Ornamental Planting. 483 



foot on a lawn, if I may be allowed the expression. The grand 

 source of anxiety and expense is the preventing her from esta- 

 blishing any of her spontaneous productions, from the smallest 

 weed to the unpruned luxuriance of the tree. Every part of a 

 lawn is formal and artificial, more or less. Nature produces 

 no gravel walks ; no turf " shaven with the scythe and levelled 

 by the roller ;" no well-raked beds ; no high keeping, as it is 

 called ; and she never produced one tithe of the trees and shrubs 

 which are found in every pleasure-ground, in one locality, nor 

 even in one quarter of the globe. The essential characters of 

 a lawn are, in fact, artifice and order. Those who are acquainted 

 with the various growths and characters of the classes of trees 

 and shrubs I have recommended, will see at once that such a 

 shrubbery, at maturity, would be full of variety and interest, 

 though certainly very unlike the unaided efforts of nature. 



The main points to be attended to, in all ornamental planting, 

 are: — first, to determine the position of every tree, with reference 

 to its character, that is calculated to produce the effect you re- 

 quire at maturity ; secondly, that ample space is allowed to each 

 to arrive at perfection without touching, and thereby injuring 

 its neighbour; thirdly, to fill up the spaces with trees, which are 

 to be removed at various periods of their growth, and in time 

 to allow the full influence of sun and air all around those which 

 are to remain. Every plant will then assume its natural character 

 of growth, and will be covered on all sides with foliage. Instead 

 of having, as in ordinary cases, one unbroken line formed of a 

 mass of confused foliage, produced by every plant exerting itself 

 to push forth its puny branches into free air and light, all being 

 dark and dismal within, you will, on the plan suggested, have 

 no line at all ; but a series of distinct individuals assuming every 

 variety of character, all of which will be seen in perfection, in 

 passing, presenting themselves immediately behind the intervals 

 between those in the rank before them. 



When plantations are laid out without any system, even if 

 they are properly thinned from time to time, the planter will 

 find it necessary to remove many trees, which he would desire 

 to retain in preference to others of less beauty and interest, on 

 account of their relative position, which is very embarrassing. 

 I thought of adding lists of trees which I should recommend as 

 the subjects of the arrangement I have proposed, as this would 

 greatly facilitate the operations of those who are not familiar 

 with the names and characters of those to be found in the superior 

 nurseries ; but, as I could only do this to a limited extent, I hope 

 some of your correspondents in the trade will furnish lists, in 

 each class of plants I have named, in a future Magazine, by 

 way of supplement to this communication. 



Cirencester, August l , 1834. 



