most prudent to have a well sketched general plan of all the intended alterations on the most extensive scale, and it should be formed without reference to the present state of the property, or the present views or fortune of the proprietor; because, though such a plan may be drawn, and the expense of executing it estimated, it does not follow that the whole must be executed at once. A part of the general plan may be sufficient for the owner's present wants and intentions. He may do only as much as is absolutely necessary for his convenience or pleasure; and, if this part be conformable to the general plan, it will be so much rightly and permanently finished. The centre or principal part of the mansion-house, for instance, may be first completed, leaving the wings to be added at a future time, or even left to another generation. The first quadrangle of the offices or garden may suffice for the present possessor; portions of the land may be kept under the plough for a season; plantations may be made seriatim according as the ground can be spared or prepared, or as plants can be purchased to fill it up. This mode of proceeding may be objected to as delaying the completion of the operations; but few improvers who have experienced the pleasing excitement of progressive improvement but will allow, that there is as much real enjoyment in the advancing execution of a favourite undertaking as can arise from the contemplation of a finished work.

The advantages of a country residence, and all the rational enjoyment arising from the improvement of it, need not be further descanted on; but as no plan or instance of a well laid out place can be here referred to, an ideal picture may be presented, in order to show what general taste, founded on the principles of propriety and convenience, has laid down as requi sites of a country seat, combining all the benefits desirable from such a possession.

A high or turnpike road from the metropolis should pass within a mile, more or less, of the mansion-house. The principal gate and porter's lodge, bearing somewhat of the architectural style of the house, should stand at some distance before arriving abreast of it, and where, if possible, the high road ap pears to trend away from the gate. The back entrance from the same road, if one be necessary, should be similarly placed.

Soon after the first gate is entered by a visitor, he may have a glimpse of a part of the house, if it stand, as it should do, on higher ground, but not otherwise. No other or second gate should be upon the approach between the outer one and the entrancehall door. The gravelled road should be smooth and sound, and in width corresponding with the character of the place. Seven feet, provided the turf be sound and level on each side, is width enough for most places, unless the space for the turf is confined by steep banks; in which case the road should be sufficiently wide for two carriages to pass. Its line should be in the easiest and most natural direction that the surface permits of, and just such as a skilful coachman would take for the ease of his horses were no impediments in the way. It should not deviate much from a direct line, unless there be visible and sufficient reason for it. A bridge or ford, a tree or group of trees, account well for sweeps which otherwise would appear ridiculous on clear and level ground. As the house is approached the park or lawn it stands in should be seen in detail; no ostentatious display should be made of its extent, or of its more striking parts these should be seen as if by accident, and chiefly from the windows of the house.

The mansion should be entered from a back court, and by no means, as is too often the case, at the principal front, as if it were a town house. This admits of a better disposition of the principal rooms, and gets rid of a large sweep of gravel before some of the principal windows. Besides, if the approach has been led along in a secluded manner to the back court, every room the stranger enters will present him with scenery from the windows, of which he has no previous idea; and, if the spot chosen for the house commands a fine prospect, no anticipation of it should be allowed in approaching the entrance-hall door.

The mansion is supposed to be encompassed on three fronts by a terrace, or dressed portion of the lawn; and, on the other, by the court of offices, and farther in the rear, the kitchen and fruit gardens, the whole of which should be surrounded by a pretty wide and thick screen of pleasure-ground, separated from the park by a sunk or other fence embracing the whole. This disposition of the house, offices, gardens, and pleasureground, may occupy from five to ten or other number of acres,

standing insulated in the open park. A gravel walk through the pleasure-ground from one side of the house round to the other, may be sufficient for pedestrian recreation. The ground on each side the walk may be diversified by the most curious and beautiful sorts of trees, shrubs, and flowers, planted tastefully, and intermingled with turf. From this walk the best scenery of the park, and of every part of the surrounding country, should be seen with freedom, and from the best points of view. Another advantage of this arrangement is, that it gets rid of fences and gates, which are often injudiciously made to abut on the home premises, and thereby greatly to lessen the pleasure of either riding or driving in the open park. There is yet another most material advantage to be mentioned, which is, that the whole range of pasturage around may be stocked with any species of live-stock best adapted to the place, or interests of the proprietor. These give animation to the scene, and break the monotony which is apt to tire the eye, when resting on any portion of vacant space.

The scenery around will chiefly be formed by planting. Single trees should be sparingly and irregularly disposed. Light groups and thick masses of wood and underwood must enrich the expanse of lawn, crowning the heights, running down the slopes, or scattered on the levels, forming the most extended vistas across the undulations of the surface, and admitting glimpses of distant objects of interest, such as churches, hills, castles, or ruins. Let it be supposed farther, that a river or rivulet intersects the mead below; either of which may be spread out to form an irregular lake, the margin of which may be skirted with trees, shrubs, and aquatic plants of ornamental character. Attached to such a residence, there is, or should always be, a home-farm, or mains. It should not be too near to, or seen from, the mansion-house, unless it has somewhat of an ornamental character. Here stand the overseer's house, hinds' cottages, barns, cattle sheds. Here also may be placed the kennel, and two or three well-fenced paddocks for brood mares. To this homestead are attached as many acres of arable land as will produce a full supply of grain for the family, and corn and fodder for all the kinds of live-stock capable of being bred and fattened on the estate. No ploughed land of this farm should,

if possible, be seen from the mansion-house; but green rides, or drives, should lead from the park through the fields, to give the proprietor an opportunity to inspect the operations of husbandry.

One thing more may be added as a frame to complete this picture. It is an appendage almost always necessary to such a residence, namely, a cordon of well-tenanted farms surrounding it, and contributing by a cheerfully paid rental to support the rank and suitable expenditure of the landlord.

When a country seat is productive of these benefits,—when all its subdivisions are duly proportioned to each other, and laid out with skill and requisite taste, and the whole commensurate to the wants of the owner's establishment, the greatest adaptation of means has been accomplished. Moreover, when every disposition in improvement unites ornament with convenience and usefulness, and the whole proceeding annually to increase in beauty and value, the highest gratification is the natural and concurrent result.

Such is a faint description of what many country seats are, and what many may be. The rules for their disposition have been fixed, as before stated, by taste founded on the predilections and necessities of men of fortune in their rural retreats; and when plans embracing every practical convenience and improvement are executed with judgment and economy, the possession is as valuable as desirable; and the possessor may be in truth what the late Emperor Alexander of Russia stated as his belief, that of all ranks of human society, a British country gentleman is the most enviable of land proprietors.

THE LARCH AND THE SPRUCE.

In the account of the larch plantations belonging to the Duke of Athole at Dunkeld and Blair, which was given in the last or sixteenth Number of the Transactions of the Highland Society of Scotland, the observations were confined solely to the va

Trans. High. Soc. Scotland, vol. iii. New Series, p. 165.

luable properties of the larch, as affording timber of the most useful description for every kind of work, and particularly that of shipbuilding. The documents from which that account was drawn up also contain the observations of the late Duke, on the attempt to extend the planting of the larch in England, besides some remarks on the value and utility of the Spruce. As these observations may be interesting to our readers, being the observations of an experienced person, we shall present them in a short paper.

The Society in London for the Encouragement of Arts and Manufactures, so long ago as 1783, offered premiums for the planting of larch. A gold medal was offered to those who should plant, within any one year, 5000 larches, from 2 to 4 years old, at a distance of 5 feet asunder; and a silver medal to any one who should plant 3000 larches at the same distance. This premium only contemplated the encouragement of making plantations solely of the larch. The first claimant for the premium was the Bishop of Llandaff in Cumberland, in 1788, who had by that time planted 48,500 larches on 18 English acres, at a distance of 4 feet from one another.

In 1790, Mr G. Wright, of the county of York, obtained the silver medal for planting 11,573 larches on 32 acres, which gives a distance of about 3 feet 9 inches.

In 1794, the gold medal was conferred on the Rev. Mr Whittaker in Yorkshire, for planting 64,135 larches from 2 to 4 years old in 24 acres, and which gives a width between them of 4 feet.

No candidate appeared for the premium till 1798, when Mr Sneyd of Belmont, in Staffordshire, obtained the gold medal for planting 6000 larches of 4 years old, and 6000 larches at 3 years old, on 5 acres, which gives them a standing space of 4 feet 3 inches.

But the great claimant as a planter of larch was in the person of J. Johnes, Esq. of Hafod in Cardiganshire, who in 1800 obtained the gold medal for planting 300,000 larches, 2 year old seedlings, at 2 feet apart; 85,000 one year transplanted larches, at 24 feet apart; and 15,000, 3 year transplanted larches