PART VII. PICTURESQUE IMPROVEMENT. 379 



thorn, genista, bramble, and several others. Of those kinds sel- 

 dom eaten are, the acanthus, Valeriana doica, centauria cynapium, 

 epilobium, and lythyrus, (which form a most beautiful class of 

 wild flowers) the torgylium astrantia, ulex, spartium, vaccinium, 

 common whin, genista anglica, salix lapponica,repens, and sericeum, 

 and a great variety of others. The plants of both those classes 

 related above, independent of many more which are less gene- 

 rally known, or abound only in rare parts of natural scenery, 

 would, if introduced into the picturesque grounds of a residence, 

 have a most enchanting effect; whether on the margin of water, 

 in water itself, in dells, vallies, or bottoms, or in park scenery. 

 Even ferns, the creeping rose, brambles, briars, low spreading 

 thorns, furze, heath, and digitalis, give an appearance of wild- 

 ness and beauty to a park, which no disposition of trees upon a 

 smooth surface can ever produce. Wherever a park is exten- 

 sive, or where the ground is irregular and the character of a park 

 is intended to be given, this wildness appears to me one of 

 its greatest beauties. Tame parks, consisting of wood, lawn, 

 and naked water, abound ever} r where ; but such as have a 

 forest and original park appearance, are only found in those 

 happy spots where nature is untouched, where time has 

 triumphed over tasteless art, or where the rage of art for 

 smoothness and unbroken verdure, is continually counteracted 

 by a vigorous vegetation. Some such places actually exist, 

 from these causes, at Dalkeith, Hamilton, and Bunkeld ; and, 



