Theory and Practice 131 



Amongst these I shall first mention that, instead of sur- 

 rounding a young plantation with a hedge and ditch, with 

 live quick or thorns, I generally recommend as many 

 or even more thorns than trees, to be intermixed in the 

 plantation and the whole to be fenced with posts and rails, 

 more or less neat, according to the situation. But, except 

 near the house, I never suppose this rail to continue after 

 the trees (with the aid of such intermixed thorns) are able 

 to protect themselves against cattle ; and thus, instead 

 of a hard marked outline, the woods will acquire those 

 irregularities which we observe in forest scenery, where 

 in some few instances the trees are choked by the thorns, 

 though in many they are nursed and reared by their 

 protection. 



In the course of this work, I may have frequent oc- 

 casion to mention the necessity of providing a fence near 

 the house, to separate the dressed lawn from the park 

 or feeding-ground: various ingenious devices have been 

 contrived to reconcile, with neatness and comfort, the 

 practice introduced by Mr. Brown's followers, of setting 

 a house in a grass-field. 



The sunk fence or ha ! ha ! in some places answers 

 the purpose ; in others a light fence of iron or wire, or 

 even a wooden rail, has been used with good effect, if 

 not too high ; but generally near all fences the cattle 

 make a dirty path, which, immediately in view of the 

 windows, is unsightly ; and where the fence is higher than 

 the eye, as it must be against deer, the landscape seen 

 through its bars becomes intolerable. After various at- 

 tempts to remedy these defects by any expedient that 

 might appear natural, I have at length boldly had re- 

 course to artificial management, by raising the ground 

 near the house about three feet, and by supporting it 

 with a wall of the same materials as the house. In 



