347. When the grounds of a small country villa have been neglected, almost all the trees and shrubs will have become overgrown and shapeless, and will require to be either cut in or cut down, or even, perhaps, rooted out

348. In cutting down trees and shrubst regard must always be had to whether the plants so cut have the property of springing up again from the stool or root; or, as the technical term is, whether they stole. It often happens that trees and shrubs which have become naked below, and very un-sightly, when cut down within an inch of the ground, will spring up with great vigour; and, in an incredibly short time, will form splendid bushes, or, if trained to a tingle stem, handsome trees. This most sorts of trees and shrubs will do when cut down, in less than one fourth of the time that would be requisite for the attainment of the same result from young trees. Before, however, the operator ventures to cut down trees or shrubs to the ground, he ought to inform himself of two particulars respecting them. First, whether they are of kinds that stole, and, secondly, whether or not they have been grafted. To cut down a tree or shrub that does not stole, or that stoles imperfectly, such as the spruce fir, the holly, or the juniper, is, in effect, to remove it altogether; and to cut down a grafted tree or shrub below the graft, even if it should stole, is to substitute one kind for another.

For example, if a medlar, which is generally grafted on a thorn, and an almond, which is commonly grafted on a plum, were cut down, there would shoot up in their stead a common hawthorn and a wild plum; while, if they were cut above the graft, we should have the medlar and almond re-produced. Some of the finest trees that are introduced into pleasure-grounds are different species and varieties of crabs, cherries, thorns, plums, maples, variegated sycamores, oaks, elms, to which we might add a host of others, all of which are grafted on the common and free-growing species of their respective genera; some a few inches above the surface of the ground, and many at heights varying from 5 or 6 inches to 5 or 6 feet If, then, these trees were cut down close to the ground, we should have nothing but the commonest kinds coming up to succeed them. In some cases, indeed, where a stock has been used which does not stole, as in the case of all the resinous tribe which are grafted, there would be no succession at all, which is still worse. There are also a number of trees and shrubs which stole freely when young, but which scarcely stole at all if not cut down till they have attained their full size.

Among these are the beech, hornbeam, Scotch elm, birch, privet, phillyrea, arbutus, and a number of others, all of which will be found indicated in the Hortus Britannicus. By neglecting to attend to cutting above the graft, we have known a tolerable collection of trees and shrubs reduced to a mass of the commonest kinds, which it was necessary to have re-grafted, or rooted out, to give place to fresh plants; and •we know a large camellia-house in Kent, in which a collection of the finest kinds of camellias having lost their leaves by insects and disease, and having been ordered by the head gardener to be cut down, in order to renovate them, were cut by an ignorant journeyman so low, that all the shoots from the stools proved to be the single red. When a gardener of skill, and some taste, has the renovating of an old place, he will generally be able to produce, by cutting in and cutting down, very striking effects in a short time, from the great rapidity of the growth of shoots from stools, the number which are thrown up, and the immense bush, or tree, which is formed by them. We have known the stool of a common laurel throw up shoots 6 ft. high in one season, and a tree 20 ft. high raised from the stool of an Acer Pseudo-Pla-tanus in five years.

The stools of the locust (Rebinsa Pseud-Acacia), in suitable soils, will produce a considerable tree in three years, all the suckers being removed but one.

349. If the person who has purchased or taken a lease of a residence which requires renovating be much attached to gardening pursuits, and can afford the expense, his best mode will often be to root out every tree and shrub on the premises, except specimens of decided beauty, variety, singularity, or usefulness. By specimens of decided usefulness are meant such trees as shelter the home, or tome object within the boundaries of the residence; such as conceal objects which it is not desirable to see either within the boundaries or beyond them; and such as produce shade, say for a seat or walk, during the heat of summer. The condemned trees and shrubs haying been rooted out, the ground should be thoroughly trenched to the depth of 3 or 4 feet, and mixed with manure; the drains, walks, walls, and all the buildings, being attended to, and pat in repair, according to the mode suggested in p. 150., etc. If the ground be trenched 3 or 4 feet deep, it should remain at least six months before it is planted, in order that it may be consolidated by rains. For this reason, the best time for deep trenching is early in autumn, in order that the rains of that season may equalise the sinking of the soil.

In many, and perhaps in most, cases of renovating a villa garden, the situation of some of the main features, such as the flower-garden, the kitchen-garden, the conservatory, some of the ornamental structures, etc, will require to be changed; and this is another argument in favour of the rooting out of the greater number of the trees and shrubs. It rosy also be thought advisable to make some undulations or other inequalities on the surface of the lawn; or to enlarge the apparent extent of the place, by carrying some of the walks under others - in tunnels, or over them on bridges; and this cannot be done without the removal of all the trees and shrubs in such situations. In changing the situation of the kitchen-garden, regard must be had to a proper communication between it and the stable-yard, for dung; because, if the garden has been properly placed at first, it will, in general, be immediately adjoining the stable-court; and, consequently, if its situation be changed, it can only be to some spot more or lets distant from it, which will hence be more or less inconvenient.

350. Where the occupier only contemplates a temporary residence, it will probably be advisable to give only a temporary repair; and, when this happens, thinning and pruning applied to the trees and shrubs, and washing over with cement to the walls and out-buildings, will be the leading points of renovation. The lawn, in such places, will generally be more or less worn out, and particularly on those spots which have been covered with the trees or bashes removed. The whole of the lawn ought to have the coarser weeds, such as dandelion, etc, removed, and the inequalities levelled with soil of the same kind as that on which it is laid, in order that, when it is consolidated, it may form a similar surface in point of texture; after which, the whole ought to have a top-dressing of rich compost; and all the places not completely covered with grass ought to be sown thickly with the following mixture: - Agrostis vulgaris var. tenuifolia, Festuca duriuscula, F. ovina, Cynosurus cristatus, Pda pratensis, Avena flavescens, and Trifolium minus. These seeds should be mixed together in equal portions, and sown at the rate of from 4 to 6 bushels per acre.

The gravel walks, instead of being taken up and relaid entirely with fresh gravel, may be stirred, and a thin layer of gravel laid on the top, and afterwards firmly rolled. Where the gravel is loose, it ought to be mixed with gravel of an adhesive nature, newly taken from the pit; or, if this cannot be procured, with Roman cement in a state of powder. The proportion of cement should be very small; not more than at the rate of half a pint of cement to one bushel of gravel. The gravel and cement ought to be intimately and rapidly mixed before laying them on the walk, and heavily rolled as soon after as possible. Where a yellow ferruginous clay can be procured, and where it is taken fresh from the pit, and instantly mixed with the gravel, it will answer the same purpose as the cement; but, if it he exposed to the air for a day or two, it will be of little or no use. A mixture of clay and sand, or of brick-dust and lime, is sometimes used instead of ferruginous clay, but it is much less effective. In general, ferruginous gravels (such as the Kensington), when laid down fresh from the pit, and heavily rolled, become almost immediately as solid as a mass of plum-pudding stone; but if exposed to the air for a few days, so as to lose their moisture before they are laid down, the oxydised surfaces become so dry, that they will no longer form a conglomerate union, and consequently such gravel can only be held together mechanically, viz. by rolling.

This, indeed, is the ease with most gravels as at present treated.

351. To render a place comfortable, even for a temporary residence, three things are essential: first, that the house, and every building connected with it, should be put in thorough repair; secondly, that the drainage of the grounds, including the walks, lawns, and plantations, both under and above the surface, should be effective; and, thirdly, that the trees and shrubs should neither be so thick, nor in such quantities, as to prevent sufficient ventilation; nor so thin, nor so few, as not to produce sufficient shelter and shade. These points kept in view will serve as a guide at once to the intending purchaser of an old villa residence, and to the improver of one already in his possession.