in the North Rtdmg of Yorkshire. 167 



from drought. The ash is the principal forest tree of the dis- 

 trict, except in plantations, and it shows a striking difference in 

 growth in the clay and gravel lands : in the former it generally 

 has a stunted starved look, while in the latter it attains a consi- 

 derable size. The oak grows best in the deeper soils ; but we 

 cannot boast of many fine specimens. The wych elm is much 

 more common than any of the other species ; it, however, does 

 not thrive remarkably well. Wood, as an article of fuel, is of 

 very little value here, in consequence of the low price of coals ; 

 and, from the same cause, forcing is practised to a greater extent 

 here than in the south, few gentlemen's gardens, however small, 

 being without one or two hot-houses. 



The North Riding of Yorkshire abounds in gentlemen's seals, 

 to many of which first-rate gardens are attached : my visits, 

 however, have necessarily been restricted to places within a few 

 miles of me; and of these I may first notice Brough, the residence 

 of William Wright Lawson, Esq. 



According to my judgment, the house is worthy of the situ- 

 ation, and the situation of the house ; one being badly chosen, 

 and the other as badly designed. Neither is there any redeeming 

 quality in the pleasure-grounds, which are limited in extent, and 

 contain nothing worthy of remark. The flower-garden is merely 

 a long narrow strip on the south side of the kitchen-garden, con- 

 tiguous to the boundary wall of the latter. An old-fashioned 

 conservatory, and two peach-houses, stand against this wall, the 

 remaining part of which is covered by fruit trees. If a good 

 flower-garden should ever be formed at this place, that now ex- 

 isting would be useful as a reserve-garden ; or it is well suited 

 for the cultivation of florists' flowers. 



The kitchen-garden is in form a parallelogram, the longest 

 direction of which is from east to west, and it slopes gently from 

 both those points to the middle. A broad gravel walk having 

 a circular basin of water in the centre, and a flower-border 

 with dwarf apple trees on each side, divide the garden into two 

 equal parts. Another main walk runs parallel to the walls quite 

 round the garden, having a border 10 ft. or 12 ft. wide between 

 it and the wall. The inner side of this walk is bordered with a 

 row of dwarf apple trees, pruned and trained like those in the 

 Horticultural Society's Garden ; on the north side of the garden, 

 however, where the succession pine-stoves are placed, the walk 

 is bordered on the inside with flowers, and a substantial railing 

 for espaliers. The two great divisions of the garden are again 

 variously subdivided by alleys, and by rows of gooseberry and 

 currant trees, with here and there a young standard apple or 

 pear tree. 



At each end of the garden, outside the walls, is a slip : that on 

 the west is under grass, and planted with different sorts of filbert 



o 2 



