northern, and a fortnight later for the southern parts of Great Britain. In the mild climates of Ireland the planting may be freely continued during the whole of the autumn, winter, and spring months. But in no circumstances should evergreens be moved in hot dry sunshine, in cold parching winds, or in actual frost; at such times the roots and foliage are sure to suffer while they are out of the ground. Further, it is not generally advisable to shift them before the annual shoots are somewhat ripened in autumn. 128 CHAPTER VII. FENCES OF THE PARK AND PLEASURE-GROUNDS. General Remarks.-Boundary Fence.-Internal Fences.-Fence of the Deer Park.-Pleasure-Ground Fences.-Malleable-iron Fences. Sunk Fences.-Stone Walls.-Hedges. BOTH in its original signification and actual usage the term Park denotes an enclosed space. The park, therefore, is always encircled by a boundary or ring fence of sufficient height to afford protection from without, to retain in their proper places "the beasts of chase," or the cattle that may be kept within it, and to ensure that moderate seclusion which is an essential requisite to a country residence in the estimation both of its inmates and of those strangers whom the liberality of the proprietor permits to visit and enjoy its scenery. Besides this bounding enclosure, however, internal or divisional fences are necessary. A park of A park of many hundred acres, and including a multiplicity of objects, invariably requires to be subdivided into lesser portions for the convenience of grazing, and for other reasons, such as the separation of certain of the wooded surfaces from the pasture-grounds, and the due regulation of the secondary roads, and even sometimes of the main ap proach. We shall take up these two classes of fences in succession. Boundary Fence. The outline and position of this fence depend on those of the park itself, and seldom call for much attention except where it thrusts itself obtrusively on the eye, a circumstance to be guarded against or ameliorated when possible. The fence itself is often a wall built of stone, or if that material is scarce, of bricks; and it may be from six and a half feet to nine feet in height. On flat surfaces fences of this altitude shut out much of the surrounding country; and in such cases, when it is desirable to extend the view to the adjacent portion of the estate, instead of the wall may be substituted a sunk fence with the fosse or trench on the outside. Where timber is abundant, wooden fences are occasionally employed; but unless of moderate extent, their want of durability renders them less desirable than those formed of more permanent materials. A close tall pale of split oak, however, is very serviceable, and will last for upwards of thirty years. Hedges seldom prove efficient boundaries; when, however, combined with walls, and well trained and kept, they may suffice for parks in thinly-populated districts. The walls may be two or three feet high, with a low bank of earth behind, on which to plant the hedge. Internal Fences.-The proper arrangement of the divisional fences in the interior of the park is a matter of considerable difficulty, and one in which there are perhaps more failures than in almost any other. The common error is the application of the principles of ordinary farm fencing to the ornamental grounds. In purely agricultural districts the divisions are arranged so as to facilitate drainage, and to suit the conveniences of tillage. The normal type of the agricultural field is a square or parallelogram; but these forms can scarcely be introduced into the park, at least visibly, without a wretched effect. Many parks are subdivided by such a multiplicity of hedges and walls as to deprive them of all apparent continuity of surface, and therefore of that unity which is always so desirable. We have often seen the contour of a small hill destroyed by a hedge planted along its top, the slope of a fine bank interrupted by a wall run up or across its breast, or what is perhaps even worse, the bottom of a small and beautiful valley crossed and recrossed by hedge and ditch or dry stone wall, to the utter destruction of the natural beauty of the locality. Clearly the internal fences of the park should be so arranged as to avoid these barbarously mutilating divisions of surfaces. Indeed, could the woods be reared for the first forty or fifty years without fences, there might be an almost total absence of that formality and interference with contour so common in most parks; and there would be much more of that free irregularity of outline which is so characteristic a feature in the grouping of the natural forest. But as we have already said, internal fences in the park cannot be dispensed with: yet in relation to the general scenery they should be regarded as necessary evils, and those forms and distributions of them should be preferred which are least conspicuous and obtrusive. Lines should be adopted which accommodate themselves to the form of the ground, or which may be most easily masked or relieved with scattered trees. With these objects in view, the enclosures of the woods and clumps may be made to form a considerable portion of the divisional fences of the park. Fence of the Deer Park.-Deer parks require fences equal to the best description of park-walls. When they are placed contiguous to the external boundary of the home domain, a considerable amount of separate fencing may be dispensed with. As a division from the other portions of the park, a well laid-out sunk fence wall of medium height, with a wire fence along the top, will be found to be sufficient. Pleasure-Ground Fences.-In immediate connection with the mansion-house, and especially where there is only a limited extent of dressed grounds between it and the park, the most appropriate fence is an architectural one of the same materials, and in the same style, as the principal buildings. In no case should this fence be raised much above the general surface, otherwise the view of the external scenery may be greatly intercepted. In flat situations, and where the principal rooms are raised only a few steps above the ground level, wire fences are commonly the most suitable. The proper seclusion of the pleasure-grounds will often require a wall of six or seven feet in height, to separate them, for example, from the back road to the house and offices. wall, however, should hardly ever cross the views from the principal windows. In these places a sunk fence or a wire fence should generally be substituted. Such a Malleable-Iron Fences, such as those made of wire and small iron rods for the use of the park, come nearer to perfection than any others. We consider them the greatest improvement introduced into this department of fencing during the last hundred years. Their light and simple forms interposing a small amount of opaque matter between the eye and objects beyond, render them |