THE 



FLORICULTURAL CABINET, 



JUNE 1st, 1839. 



PART I. 



ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



ARTICLE I. 



ON THE PRESENT TASTE AND STYLE OF ORNAMENTAL 

 GARDENING. 



BY MR. JOHN FOREST, GARDEN ARCHITECT, &C, ROSS. 



As gardening was one of the first, so is it one the most delightful 

 occupations of man ; it contributes to his necessities, as well as 

 to his comfort and pleasure. The cultivation of salutary herbs, 

 and grain, and fruit for diet, were necessary to his existence ; and 

 that of flowers for their scent and beauty, and of trees for shade 

 and shelter, was equally necessary accompaniments. Hence the 

 calling became divided into distinct branches, namely, kitchen, 

 fruit, flower, and ornamental gardening. The two first, though 

 of most real utility, are considered subordinate to the two last, 

 more especially the last of all, which has been dignified by the 

 title of, " landscape gardening" The term has been borrowed 

 from that given to any prospect of a country, but particularly 

 from those works of art depicting wild or ornamental scenery, 

 called landscape paintings, representing any space or region of a 

 country, with its various objects. 



The first ornamental gardens of which we have any good ac- 

 count were regular enclosures, with everything they contained 

 arranged most symmetrically, justifying the often-quoted sarcastic 

 couplet of our poet Pope : — 



" Grove nods at grove, each alley has a brother. 

 And one-hall' the luwn but just rettects the other." 



This rectilinear and rectangular style of gardening was, how- 

 ever, quite natural to man in the earlier ages of the world ; he saw 

 Vol. VII. No. 76. p 



