At length the hedges began to grow thinner

At length the hedges began to grow thinner

At length the hedges began to grow thinner

At length the hedges began to grow thinner; beeches succeeded the hazels; the road, more rugged and bare showed the marks where winter’s rains had ploughed deep channels; and, at the turn of a steep hill, we saw, on the one hand, the brown and blue moor stretching before and above us; and on the other hand, below, like a map, the fertile vale lay unrolled, various in colour, according to the crops, divided by enclosures into every angle from most acute to most obtuse. Below was the cultivation of centuries; above, the turnip the greatest improvement of modern agriculture flourished, a deep green, under the protection of fences of very recent date.