337 



as the Hydrangea and the Balsam, 

 Cock's-combs, Chrysanthemums, and 

 others which are of vigorous growth, 

 water may be mixed with manure ; : 

 such as concentrated stable-dung, 

 recent sheep's-dung, or any other \ 

 description of animal manure which 

 is soluble in water. For some plants, j 

 such as heaths, and most of the hair- 

 rooted shrubs and herbs, this liquid 

 manure is found to be injurious ; but ; 

 for many others, applied, when they 

 are in a growing state, it is found 

 greatly to increase their vigour. 



Water, as an element of landscape 

 scenery, is exhibited in small gar- 

 dens either in ponds or basins, of 

 regular geometrical, or architectural 

 forms ; or in ponds or small lakes 

 of irregular forms, in imitation of 

 the shape seen in natural landscape. 

 In general, all geometrical or archi- 

 tectural basins of water ought to 

 have their margins of masonry, or at 

 least of stones, placed so as to imi- 

 tate a rocky margin. The reason 

 is, that by these means the artificial 

 character is heightened, and also a 

 colour is introduced between the sur- 

 rounding grass, vegetation, gravel, 

 or dug-ground, which harmonises 

 the water with the land. Artificial 

 shapes of this kind should never be 

 of great diameter, because in that 

 case the artificial character is com- 

 paratively lost, and the idea of 

 nature occurs to the spectator. 

 When round or square, they should | 

 not be of greater diameter than the 

 house or building to which they 

 belong ; but a better eff'ect would 

 be produced by their being smaller, 

 as is shown in the architectural 

 basins of Italy, and the tanks of 

 Persia and India. When of oblong 

 forms, they may be of any length, 

 provided they are never of any great 

 breadth ; because in this case they 

 never can be seen in such a manner j 

 as to obliterate the idea of high art, ' 



the stone margins being always ia 

 part, at least, near the eye. 



"Water in imitation of nature 

 should be in ponds or basins of irre- 

 gular shape ; but always so con- 

 trived as to display one main fea- 

 tui-e or breadth of water. A pond, 

 however large it may be, if equally 

 broken throughout by islands, or 

 by projections from the shores, can | 

 have no pictorial beauty ; because j 

 it is without eff'ect, and does not ' 

 form a whole. The general extent I 

 and outline of a piece of water ' 

 being fixed on, the interior of the 

 pond or lake is to be treated en- ! 

 tirely as a lawn. ' If small, it will \ 

 require no islands ; but if so large | 

 as to require some, they must be | 

 distr^'buted towards the sides, so j 

 as to vary the outline and to bar- i 

 monise the pond with the surroimd- 

 ing scenery, and yet to preserve I 

 one broad expanse of water exactly I 

 in the same manner as, in varying ; 

 a lawn with shrubs and flowers, | 

 landscape-gardeners preserve one 

 broad expanse of turf. The margin 

 of pieces of water in imitation of 

 nature, should be a refined imita- 

 tion of what is seen in natural lakes. 

 The turf should never exactly touch 

 the water, because the green of the 

 one and the blue of the other do 

 not harmonise. In nature, the 

 harmony is provided for by the 

 water sinking lower at one time 

 than it does at others ; which leaves 

 a dark line of soil even in the most 

 unfavourable cases, and a narrow- 

 line of bright gravel or sand iu 

 cases best deserving imitation. As 

 substitutes for gravel, stones may 

 be introduced here and there ; and 

 grouped either with plants on the 

 shore or with aquatics, and the 

 shades and reflection of these will 

 produce a degree of intricacy and 

 force of effect which will complete 

 the beauty of the scene. 



