270 



THE planter's GUIDE. 



in the neighbourhood of Glasgow. The mansion-house of 

 J or dan hill is situated on an eminence about four miles 

 west of the city, and commands a most extensive view of 

 that fine vale in which the Clyde majestically flows 

 towards Rutherglen and Dumbarton. The place in general 

 is handsomely wooded, but is deficient in the quarter 

 which overlooks the vale ; and as the latter skirts the 

 principal approach, it was desirable, by means of a 

 number of foreground trees, to break so wide an expanse 

 into separate portions. By obscuring the less interesting 

 points, and bringing forward in detail those that were 

 more important, a far greater interest might be conferred 

 on so noble an assemblage of objects. 



In these circumstances, Mr Smith, who was about to 

 plant the open ground in the ordinary manner, applied to 

 me for advice and assistance ; and I recommended it to 

 him to improve the spot by transferring large trees at 

 once, and thereby to produce whatever efi'ect he pleased 

 on the foreground, and the middle distance of the land- 

 scape. Understanding that his subjects for removal were 

 rather older than was desirable, (some of them being 

 trees of from fifty to sixty years' growth,) the first thing 

 to be done was to procure him a machine of the inter- 

 mediate size, very strongly made. See plate III. and the 

 relative specifications. Two of the most experienced of 

 my workmen were then sent down from this place, in 

 order to instruct his people in the use of it ; and in less 

 than three days they made wonderful proficiency in the 

 practice. 



Mr Smith, who is a man of science as well as various 

 accomplishments, soon acquired a conception of the prin- 

 ciples. He saw with pleasure and surprise the striking 

 improvements that, by means of vegetable physiology, 

 might be communicated to an art of which the vast 



