LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 273 



to tliis, in too many artists, that deters gentlemen from under- 

 taking or authorizing extensive works. All landscape gar- 

 dening should be conducted with some regard to economy; 

 and we mention this because two men may produce results 

 equally good, one having done it at half the cost of the other. 

 Loudon, who advocates a mixture of principles, says : — 

 "There appear to be two principles which enter into the 

 composition of gardening ; those which regard it as a mixed 

 art, or an art of design, and which we call the principles of 

 relative beauty, and those which regard it as an imitative art, 

 and are called the principles of natural or universal beauty. 

 The ancient or geometric gardening is guided wholly by the 

 former principles ; landscape gardening as an imitative art, 

 wholly by the latter ;" but he says, " as the art of forming a 

 country residence, its arrangements are guided or influenced 

 by both prmciples." We will not deny that in most domains 

 there will be ample opportunities of indulging both tastes ; 

 but the one should be so entirely independent of the other, 

 as not to be even seen at the same time ; for the one is per- 

 fectly inconsistent with the other, and we consider they may 

 be treated as two distinct subjects. The architect may scratch 

 on paper all he wants of geometric gardening, he will do it 

 to suit his building and his taste ; and having done this, the 

 gardener may work to line and rule, and follow his instruc- 

 tions ; but let us not compare the one with the other, or 

 mention them as belonging to each other, or having any 

 relation to one another. Pope says, "The principles of 

 landscape gardening consist of, first, the study and display of 

 natural beauties ; second, the concealment of defects ; third, 

 never to lose sight of common sense." AVheatly says, " The 

 business of a gardener is to discover and show all the advan- 

 tages of the place upon which he is employed, to supply 

 deficiencies, to correct its faults, and improve its beauties." 

 Another takes truth and nature for his guide, and all his 

 rules are comprised in "the unity of the whole and the con- 

 nexion of the parts." And Marshall wraps all his up in 

 three words, "nature, utility, and taste." We confess our 

 notions of landscape gardening to be imitating the beautiea 

 of nature, and bringing as many of them together as is con- 

 sistent with the means employed, and the site we are at work 

 upon ; but we do not by imitation mean the mimicry. We 

 have no notion of little waterfalls and puny rocks ; no doll's- 



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