156 Suggestions for the Improve7nent of Kensington Gardens. 



25. We have said nothing of certain alterations in the walks, 

 and of the formation of several new walks, which, we think, would 

 be great improvements to Kensington Gardens, or of various 

 other matters connected with them : our great object, at present, 

 being to prevent the ground to be planted from being filled with 

 the common stuffing of plantations, planted in the common 

 manner, twenty times too thick, and without any preparation of 

 the soil, further than that of common trenching, to the depth of 

 18 in. or 2 ft. 



The following figures are intended to illustrate some parts of 

 the preceding remarks : — 



58 



Fig. 58. a shows the plan of a stellate pit; b, a cruciform 

 pit ; and c, an irregular pit for a group of two trees and a shrub. 



Fig. 59. The earth taken out of the pit 59 



returned to it, after being mixed with a 

 proper proportion of rich compost or good _.i 

 soil. 



Fig. 60. The soil formed into a flattened cone, with concave 

 sides, having a shallow 

 basin at top, on which 

 the tree is planted, and 

 mulched with small 

 stones. 



Fig. 61. The tree, - 

 after being ten years planted, with the ground under it con- 

 solidated, and sunk as low as it ever will sink. 



Fig. 62. A group, 

 consisting of two trees Uj y^ g2 



and a shrub, showing 

 the result of the pro- 

 per mode of planting 

 them. 



Fig. 63. A tree planted in the mode usual in gardens and 

 pleasure-grounds, the surface round it being made level, or 

 nearly so. 



Fig. 64*. The appearance of the surface five or six years after- 

 wards, unless soil has been added as it sinks, so as to keep it up 

 to the level. 



Fig. 65. The result ten years after planting, showing the 

 collar (see p. 147.) buried 5 in. or 6 in. deep in the soil; thus 



