in Somersetshire, Devonshire, and Part of Cormvall. 239 



themselves up as completely to tlieir architects and landscape- 

 gardeners, as they do to their tailors and milliners, such de- 

 formities as those to which Ave allude would not be perpetrated, 

 though the result would probably be nearly as great a sameness 

 in the scenery of places as there is in dress. What then is to 

 be done ? Let taste be free, and let every country gentleman 

 do as he pleases. We recommend those who do not think fit 

 to employ a first-rate artist, and yet set some value on public 

 opinion, to study the subject, and superintend their own im- 

 provements. It is necessary to be rationally occuj^ied in order 

 to pass the time agreeably, and what can be more rational than 

 the improvement and adornment of that portion of our coun- 

 try's surface which we can call our own ? What more conducive 

 to health, to the prosjDerity of his neighbours who live by their 

 labour, and what more patriotic ? Mr. Lousada has the great 

 merit of being unsparing in expense ; and, with a few years' 

 experience and observation of other country seats, and some 

 reading, he will acquire a good taste and display it. This is 

 evident from what he has recently done in the floAver-garden, in 

 Avhich there are some scenes that might engage the pencil of 

 an artist. 



In the kitchen-garden we observed a pine pit heated by hot 

 water agreeably to a mode invented by Messrs. Garton and 

 Jarvis of Exeter, the peculiarity of which is that the hot water 

 can be let out of the pipes into troughs over them at pleasure, 

 so as rapidly and abundantly to supply a moist heat. Of this, 

 and some other improvements made by Messrs. Garton and 

 Jarvis, we expect hereafter to give some account. Mr. Lou- 

 sada's dAvelling-house is replete with arrangements requisite for 

 comfortable and elegant enjoyment, and it contains some good 

 pictures, statues, and books. 



A singular place at Sidmouth, belonging to Mr. Fish, was 

 mentioned to us as worth seeing, but Mr. Fish only shows it on 

 particular days, and our day happened not to be his. 



Sept. 22. — Nuticell Court ; Sir Thomas Tray ton Fuller 

 Elliot Drake, Bart. This place is extremely interesting on 

 account of some remarkably fine trees which it contains ; but in 

 other respects it is crov/ded, confused, and not carefully kept. 

 Nevertheless it has all the elements necessary to constitute a 

 fine place : beautiful distant views across and along the Exe 

 and to the sea ; a varied surface, with hills and knolls ; a fine 

 spring of water, as the name implies ; a good house, not badly 

 situated; extent of park; and abundance of Avood Avhich only 

 requires thinning out. We noted down the folloAving dimen- 

 sions of trees : Magnoh'a grandiflora 25 ft. high, Avith a head 

 30 ft. in diameter, and the stem 14 in. across at 1 ft. from 

 the ground ; Platanus occidentalis 100 ft. high, Avith a trunk 



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