14 MAY 1932, Page 12

First—and worst—a certain number of bigger country houses have been

given up, are being given up, and it is feared may remain empty. Whatever our political complexion, we must all acknowledge that the peculiar English beauty of the land owed some of its peace, refinement and variety to the garden and park and cottages and woods and, in many places, the pure bred flocks or deer belonging to the big rich landlord. Perhaps, as an aristocrat said of a famous order, it had "no damned merit about it " ; but almost all countrymen regret it, and the flourish set on our regret is the absence of any substitute, any successor. a • * *