106 



have been much larger, more healthy trees, and 

 lived longer. In all places of this kind, early thin- 

 ning, and attention to the rearing should be parti- 

 cularly attended to. As this is a very conspicuous si- 

 tuation, and adds great beauty to the place, to have 

 a cluster of planting, of any kind, all the trees that 

 will live should be kept on it, and only cut out such 

 as die. A number of them may also be tried as 

 pollards, as has been pointed out. 



But to cure all these maladies, and to obtain secu- 

 rity for the future, this most desirable of all objects, 

 a proper cluster of ornamental, as also trees of all 

 descriptions, on this spot, attend to the following 

 method. Inclose a given space — I should suppose 

 it may be carried west to the top of the rocks, 

 which will save some expense in enclosing, and a lit- 

 tle more ground both on the south and north of the 

 old trees may be added ; still should this addition in 

 the least intercept the view from Balgone House, 

 the cluster of old trees may even be divided, and an 

 avenue opened through them for a view ; or if the 

 proprietor should think it more advisable to keep by 

 the old boundary, it will do the same as adding to 

 its size ; but I should think to divide it into two se- 

 parate oval or round clusters, the most interesting 

 and picturesque. Whichever is fixed on, let it be 

 properly enclosed, and then plant up with larch firs 

 at four feet, plant from plant, with a spruce, silver, 

 and Scotch fir alternately at every sixteen feet from 

 each other, on the new ground, and plant wholly 

 larch trees amongst the old trees, at three feet dis- 

 tant, wherever they can be got put in. When the 

 larch is four feet high on the new ground, cut out 

 the one half and put in oak, Spanish chesnut, plane, 



