250 Recollections of a Gardening Tour. 



trees for shelter. We would arrange a drive or ride from the 

 mansion house through the property, which should display the 

 whole of it, without going over any part twice ; and by means 

 of tunnels under roads in some places, and arches over them in 

 others, we would prevent the necessity of opening and shutting 

 many gates. By means of narrow strips of plantation, double 

 hedges, and strained wire fences, this can be done to a much 

 greater extent than most people imagine. We would add to 

 the income of the clergyman of the parish if it were necessary ; 

 and, with his approbation, improve the church and church- 

 yard. 



8. Having attended to the comfort of every person around 

 us, and to the improvement of the estate as a property, we 

 should next bend our attention to the family mansion, our home 

 farm, park, plantations, and gardens, which we would endeavour 

 to render models of their kind. 



So much for our heau ideal of what Ave think we should do if 

 we were an extensive landed proprietor in Devonshire ; but, to 

 realise our sviggestions, would require a degree of moral courage 

 and devotion to the subject that can hardly be expected to be 

 met with. Such a course of reformation would, in many, per- 

 haps in most, cases, be met by the opposition of all the stewards, 

 agents, and upper servants, whose business it is to get through 

 their duties with as much ease to themselves as possible ; and it 

 would even be resisted at first by the tenantry and by the 

 labourers. A determined spirit, however, on the part of the 

 proprietor, and perseverance, would overcome every difficulty ; 

 and the consciousness of effecting a great good directly to a 

 number of individuals, and by example to the public, while we 

 were at the same time greatly increasing the value of our own 

 estate and benefiting our offspring, would be an ample reward. 



Art, VII. Recollections of a Gardening Tour in the JVorth of Eng- 

 land, and Tart of Scotland, made from June 22. to Sept. 30. IS'il. 

 By the Conductor. 



{Continued from Vol. for 1842, p. 606.) 



Aug. 11. — Stirling to Edinburgh. We could only reconcile 

 ourselves to leaving Stirling so soon, by hoping one day to re- 

 turn to it, and to the Royal Hotel, a most excellent inn. We 

 took the steamboat, and cannot help noticing the very defective 

 arrangements for going on board, and the dangerous practice 

 of racing ; there being two rival vessels. Though an accident, 

 attended with loss of life, had occurred only the day before. 



