J' A II T VIII. PICTURESQUE PLANTING. 523 



the site of the house is elevated or on a declivity, where 

 moisture or stagnation of air will not prove pernicious*. 

 But the latter method may be adopted in every case. In 

 levels, the principal mass or masses may be placed at some dis- 

 tance from the house; which may still be connected with 

 them by intervening groups judiciously placed for this purpose. 

 On irregular surfaces and hilly situations the same mode may 

 be successfully adopted. The masses may generally be placed 

 upon the hills, while the connecting chain of thickets and 

 straggling groups descend into the valley, and embrace the house. 

 These groups should never be large ; three or four trees together 

 will generally be sufficient ; their effect depends not upon the 

 magnitude of the group, but upon their number and apparent 

 connexion. This object is attained by making the groups loose 

 and open, and by scattering single trees among them ;. and agaiiv 

 by grouping these single trees, and even many of the groups 

 and thickets, with lowgrowths, as hollies, thorns, honeysuckles^ 

 ivy, &c. to take away from the formality of solitary and naked 

 stems rising from smooth turf. The common method of scat- 

 tering single trees here and there, and always at some distance 

 from one another, gives a formal stemmy appearance to a lawn 

 or park, which is never seen in nature^. Foxley is an excellent 



* Saughtonhall and Lanhangles are examples, where the effect is given almost 

 entirely by groups and single trees. 



f Examples of this may be found every where- — See Wimpole, Eaton Hall, 

 Pinchea, Oakhampton, Sampford, Raby Park, Thorndon Hall, Tilney Hall, 



