INTEODUCTION. 5 



surrounding landscape. Large areas of plantation in 

 the midst of small arable fields do not look well; 

 neither, on the other hand, do small patches and 

 narrow belts look elegant amongst broad and expansive 

 fields. The north and east sides of fields, steadings, 

 cottages, gardens, &c., should, in this country at least, 

 be sheltered and well protected by trees ; while, on 

 the other hand, the south and west should be left open 

 to the sun. Nothing of a rural kind is less in har- 

 mony with good taste, than a steading or cottage 

 with trees in close proximity to the house on the 

 south and west sides, while the north and east are bare 

 and exposed. 



The breadth of the various plantations is also a 

 subject of no small importance, and deserves much 

 thought and consideration. 'No fixed rule can be 

 laid down as applicable to all cases ; but if an error is 

 committed, let it be that of. planting too broad rather 

 than too narrow. Indeed, unless the ground is too 

 valuable to plant, or the fields too small, no shelter- 

 belt should be of less breadth than 3 chains. This 

 ought to be regarded as the minimum breadth where 

 useful timber is the object in growing it. There are 

 doubtless useful belts not more than 2 chains wide, 

 but the trees in such are necessarily either bushy and 

 of stunted growth, or weak, tall, and slender, compara- 

 tively speaking. 



Where the planting is primarily designed to please 

 and gratify the taste, and where the plantation is 

 viewed from various points, it is wise and judicious to 

 set up as many artificial trees as fairly to represent 

 the future plantation, or single tree, as the case 

 may be. 



Taste in regard to plantations varies, as it does in 



