The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-26 00:00:00

REPLANTING THE AVENUES IN THE STYLE

OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY.
We are glad to see a number of men employed i°
digging pits for plantiag trees in Kensington Gardens
but we regret to observe that, as far as the planting
has proceeded, the trees are generally only common
elms, though in one place, indeed, horse-chestnuts have
been employed. The pits are dug in lines, with the
obvious intention of restoring the avenues with which
these gardens were formerly intersected in various di'
rections. We see no objection to the keeping up the
ancient style of laying out these gardens, by planting i°
avenues rather than in scattered groups ; which if dig'
tributed nearly uniformly over the surface, as they are
in some parts of the Regent's Park, would, when the
trees become large, cause a stagnation of air, so as to
Prevent the surface of the ground from being s°
quickly dried after rain as it otherwise would be.
We certainly think, however, that the ancient mode of
planting might be so far deviated from, as to introduce
a good many different kinds of trees in these avenues,
instead of one kind only. The grandeur of an eyenue
as a whole, and as seen from one end, will doubtless be
greater when planted with one kind of tree than with;
different kinds, because the expression of grandeur will
be less interfered with by the expression of variety;
just in the same manner as a street, formed by a rope'
tition of exactly the same elevation of houses on both
sides, will be grander than one in which the elevations
are of a great many different kinds, even though every
elevation on one side of the street were balanced by
corresponding elevation on the other. Where an avenue
is intended for a grand approach to a mansion or Pa'
lace, we would therefore have it planted with one
kind of tree ; because the object is, by the successioe
and uniformity of objects, between which the visitor
to the mansion passes, to fill his mind with one greed
impression, and not to detain him by causing him to
dwell and linger on impressions of beauty and variety
which he may receive as he goes along. But where
avenues merely cross a park or pleasure-ground, as is
Kensington Gardens, we would join variety and beauty.
with grandeur, by employing several different kinds 0'
trees in the same avenue ; always taking care to
preserve the general symmetry and grandeur of the
whole, by having trees of large size and of the same
general lorm occurring at regular distances, and by
always having at least two trees of a kind, one pleeeu
on one side of the avenue, and the other exactly OP('
site to it. This we would the more especially have ie
Kensington Gardens, and in similar cases ; because the
avenues have no particular objects as terminations, het
often merely direct the eye from one extremity of the
garden to the other, without even having in the distance
a covered seat on which to rest the eye. This mode of
planting an avenue would combine regularity and we'
fortuity with variety ; and while a pedestrian in the
gardens was looking along the avenue from one end to
the other, the effect would be grand ; while, in welkinB
along it, at every step he would discover a new heatit,
in the variety of trees which come in succession before
him.

By planting the avenues in Kensington Gardens ill
this way, instead of planting them with elms, or wit
any other single kind of tree, rt considerable colleetioo
of hardy trees may be introduced, which would ail
much to the interest of the gardens, which, all wik
allow, are at present very monotonous in their appear,
ante, from the prevalence of trees all of the same height,:
h
and general form and character. The interest might ";
farther increased by naming the trees in a conspicuee
manner ; which one day will be done, whether it may
result from our suggestion, or from that of some Mi 11.6
observer.

It may possibly be alleged that there is no precodettl'
in this country for an avenue composed of differeo'
sorts of trees ; but to prove that our scheme is PrLic'
ticable, we may refer to the forest of Fontainblea.l;
where it will be found that, in one of the poorest 510
in France, there are not only avenues of various o'o
of trees not commonly employed in that way, such the American oaks, oriental planes, occidental planes'
Turkey oaks, acacias, poplars, willows, pines, ur.i
ailanthus, wild cherry, Sze. ; but avenues in which all
these and other kinds are mixed together, one specie,o
following another successively, in pairs, so as to pre,
serve uniformity as a whole, and yet produce varlet',
in the parts. Other instances of mixed avenues r„ s 9
be seen in various parts of Italy ; and particularly b,eo
tween Monza and Milan, where the tulip-tree, !I'.
catalpa, and the bead-tree, are planted in successl%
But we have said enough to excite the attention 'of °"e
readers ; and if among these any should have infilasecwithGovernment, we trust that they will cause 50113,
inquiry a,
adopted to be made, before a mode of planting
0,
adopted in Kensington Gardens in the nineteenth ee
tury, which belongs to the fifteenth ; and which was !,t,
I:0
only mode which could be adopted at that time, 0701
there were only two or three species of trees fit
avenues in eultivation.—.Gardeners' Gazette, Jantit/r#
23, 184.1.

Full particulars of the pugilistic contest betviee!
Hannan and Broom© will be given in Bell's Life in Pisio
don of Jan. 31. The price of Bell's Life in London .0
Fivepence. Published at 170, Strand, every Saturdaf,l
time for Cat afternoon railways.
TIZE, PARKS, THE WEATWER, ACCIDEN/1
&c.—From six o'clock on Sunday evening to seven o'el°'s,
yesterday morning, the mercury had fallen nine degregin
The state of the thermometer at the receiving-bolls%
Hyde Park was 31 degrees at six o'clock on Sunday even":
ing ; at midnight 24 deg., at six o'clock yesterday leer'
ing 25 deg., at seven o'clock 22 deg., at noon 39- dog''4
at six evening 30 deg. The frost during the night bad
tendered the ice much safer than on the previous dal;
and about the middle of the day many thousands of r.r,
sons, attracted by the unusual fineness of the west" -i.O
paraded the banks of the Serpentine; and at the EaStelso
end, both in the Park and Kensington-gardens, as al,
on the Round Pond, there were a great number of exCe,,
lent skaters. Among them were to be observed the
Duke of Brunswick, Captain Burdett, Mr. Antrohui:i
Mr. and the Misses Western, Miss Maria Jones, an
cil "
several of the nobility and gentry, many of whom form
o,
themselves into quadrille parties, and went through
various evolutions in admirable style. The number
r,
persons on the ice in Hyde Park and Kensington Ga
dens during the day has been estimated at nearly 1100
0,
and the only accident which occurred was on the
water,o,
the base of the aqueduct, where a lad, named Jobe Reil/Ie
became immersed. He was taken to the receiving-het-gii
and in a short time was able to walk home. In St. Jame
Park the ice had become firm, and was frequeo`;‘,
during the day by about 3,000 persons. There weren't?,
accideats. In the Regent's Park there were about 7,0"01
without an accident of any importrince, though 31)°0e.
half-past three o'clock on Sunday afternoon an accident b.;
curred which had nearly proved fatal. It appeared t.ce,
a female, named Eliza Benton, was walking on the
1.10,
which suddenly giving way She was thrown into 'te,
water, where she remained for three or four rginu tr
before she could be extricated; she was eventually C°o
veyed to the Royal liutnane Society's marquee, the
scarcely any signs of life, During the exertions o',
ova
ice and boatmen to recover the female, a crowd of pars •
wo'
assembled near the: -
spot, which caused the ice to gist' the
and a lad nanvAl Frederick Allen was thrown into -01
water, where he remained upwards of five minutest 1%,
would prob'Ably have perished but for the praiseworthY,',o
ertions of Charles Davis, an iceman, who plunged ,ii°by'
the water: and held him by one arm, supporting himsel.s,,.
the oa.er arm on the edge of the ice until further assts
ante arrived ; he was taken on shore apparently de no,
A female was procured to attend on Elizabeth -13e,e;1„g
who, with the boy Allen, after three hours' unrciclot",,,,,
exertions on the part of the medical gentlemen and othocd.
were sufficiently recovered to be wrapped in blankets
conveyed home in cabs.
The following arc among the fashionables t
have visited the Haymarket Theatre to witness Sir 1: be
Bulwcr's new comedy of Money during the week :-
,h,
Earl of Pembroke, Count D'Orsay, Lord Marybor')ut'ot
Lord A. Fitzelarence, Lord Chesterfield, Coureteoj
Essex, Lady llurghersh, Countess of Blessingtes, I'or
20
Gardner, Prince Esterhazy, Mr. Bernal, M. P-, 1.
Capei, Lord Lichfield, Colonel arid Mrs. Maberley•
Willoughby, &c.
We understand that arrangements have been made
by the Board of Works for the preparation of the manEl-ce,
built by King William the Fourth, while Duke of Ciarcn thet
(ki:own as Clarence-house) for her Royal
Highnessi
Duchess of Kent. It is expected that her Royal 1:1."
ness will take possession soon after sth April. It wilt be r
remember.d that this is the mansion occupied by
of
Royal Highness the Princess Augusta up to the 011'1
decease.

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