in Somersetshire, Devonshire, and Part of Cornwall. 249 



and instruct them in every point of culture and management ; 

 and to furnish them with trees, shrubs, and every requisite 

 plant, root, or seed from our own garden and nursery. We 

 would assist them to form a society for the encouragement of 

 cottage gardening, in which premiums should be given for 

 produce, and for order and neatness as displayed both within 

 and without the cottage. 



5. We would allow none of the aged poor on our estate to 

 be sent to the workhouse, or to be relieved otherwise than at 

 home among their relations ; but if there were several aged poor 

 who had no relations in the village, or none that they particu- 

 larly cared for, or that cared for them, we might, for the sake of 

 their comfort, bring them together in one house, and have their 

 food pi'cpared by one of their neighbours, or by a person em- 

 ployed as housekeeper to them. 



6. Having provided for the comfort of the grown-uj) and 

 aged poor, and for the education of their children, we would go 

 a step farther than many persons would think desirable, and 

 provide for their amusement. For this purpose we would have 

 a large room attached to the school-house, which might serve as 

 a theatre for comic representations, a lecture-room, a music-room, 

 a dancing-room, and on the walls of which pictures might be hung, 

 or shelves or cases attached containing specimens of articles of 

 natural history, antiquities, or whatever could be got to create 

 an interest. We would hire different persons at different times 

 to give amusing lectures, comic recitations, tableaux, and a 

 A'ariety of other kinds of amusement in this room. We would 

 even introduce theatricals when a strolling company afforded an 

 opportunity ; and, as an occasional treat, we would bring down 

 a conjurer from London. When we could get nothing better, 

 the schoolmaster should appoint some of his boys to read, recite, 

 relate anecdotes, or explain prints from the desk, during a 

 certain portion of every evening. 



7. Having cared for the immediate comfort and enjoyment of 

 the tenants and labourers, we should now proceed, or the pro- 

 cess might be going on at the same time, to permanent improve- 

 ment and ornament, Roads, water-courses, drains, fences, 

 farm-houses, and masses of plantation, should be arranged to 

 the best advantage. The hedges adjoining the roads we would 

 render ornamental by introducing foreign trees in them, par- 

 ticularly such as were of fastigiate growth or conical forms, so 

 as not to injui'e the adjoining lands. Every farm-house we 

 would render architectural ; and, if its garden were surroimded 

 by a hedge, it should either be of ornamental or fruit-bearino- 

 plants, cut, but not clipped, or of thorn, hornbeam, beech, 

 holly, yew, &c., clipped architecturally. Every farm-house 

 should have a good orchard, including walnut and chestnut 



