Plantations in Kensington Gardens. 131 



received before, we gave the bill of lading to Mr. Charlwood, who has paid 

 the duty and all expenses ; and, having taken possession of them, is now 

 selling them by retail. In the mean time, we have applied, through a friend 

 of General Napier's, and also through H. L. Long, Esq., for specimens of all 

 the pines and firs in Cephalonia, with the cones attached to branches; and, 

 when these specimens arrive, we hope to be able to determine whether what we 

 have called J v bies cephalonica is an ^ v bies or a Picea ; and, if the latter, 

 whether it is a distinct species, or only a variety of the silver fir. 



Pinsapo. See Mr. Lawson's paper, p. 109. 



Vicea Nordmanni Steven will be described and figured in a future Article. 



Art. VII. The recent Plantations in Kensington Gardens and 

 Hyde Parle. By the Conductor. 



Within the last two or three years, government has removed the old yew 

 hedges, shrubs, and other undergrowths, from the west side of Kensington 

 Gardens, leaving only the trees ; and, in other parts of the gardens, strips and 

 masses of young plantation have been formed, consisting of trees and shrubs 

 of various kinds. In Hyde Park, during last year, and in the present spring, 

 various clumps, masses, and belts of young plantation have been formed, or 

 are now forming, entirely of forest trees ; and some rows of trees, as well as 

 scattered single trees, have also been planted there. As some part of these 

 alterations are, in our opinion, made in extremely bad taste, and not even cal- 

 culated to effect in the best manner the object which the government appears 

 to have in view, we submit a few remarks on them, in the hope that they 

 may attract the attention of those who have influence in such matters. We 

 do this as a matter of duty, and with very great reluctance; because, during 

 the preparation of our Arboretum Britannicum, we received most valuable 

 information, and every assistance that we asked for, from the Office of Woods 

 and Forests; and it would, therefore, have been incomparably more agreeable 

 to us to praise, than to blame, anything done under the direction or sanction 

 of its commissioners. 



The removal of the old yew hedges from Kensington Gardens we regret, as 

 destroying a specimen of ancient gardening, which it would have been interest- 

 ing to preserve and heighten , for the sake of its antiquity ; and this seems also 

 to have been the opinion of government three or four years ago, when they 

 planted a number of young yew trees in the gaps which time and neglect had 

 made in these hedges. The removal of the deciduous shrubs we do not 

 regret, because these, being under the shade and drip of the forest trees, had 

 become unsightly objects ; and, indeed, no shrubs thrive and look well in such 

 situations but evergreens. It is clear, however, from the removal of these 

 hedges and shrubs, that it is now the intention of government to give Kensing- 

 ton Gardens a park-like character, rather than that of a pleasure-ground, 

 which is characterised by flowering and evergreen shrubs, in addition to 

 ornamental trees. Without stopping to enquire into the propriety of this 

 change of character in these gardens, we shall assume that in future they are 

 to be treated in the manner of park scenery of a polished character ; and this 

 will furnish us with a principle by which to test the plantations subsequently 

 made in these gardens. 



These plantations are, chiefly, a belt along the southern boundary, extending 

 nearly the whole length of the gardens, and one on the north side, extending 

 nearly half the length. Both these plantations are very thickly planted ; and, 

 in that on the south side, a large proportion of the plants are shrubs. Now, 

 assuming it to be the ultimate intention to give the gardens a park-like cha- 

 racter, and consequently to have no shrubs, but only scattered trees in the 

 places where these plantations are made, our opinion is that single trees ought 



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