PARK SCENERY. 



Park Scenery is that which is attached to a country residence — commonly so 

 called, — and is composed of wood, water, and pasture ground, so arranged 

 and cultivated as to combine benefit and comfort with pleasurable interest, 

 whether viewed from the windows of the residence or from other points. It 

 constitutes, in fact, the medium between mere pleasure ground and agricul- 

 tural, or that of wild and distant scenery. Here, then, the aim of the 

 Landscapist is to combine utility, harmony, and beauty. A park, indeed, is 

 an important appendage to an edifice of any pretensions. Even a villa, with 

 but a few acres of land attached to it, should have them so managed as to 

 assume a park-like appearance to the fullest extent, by the introduction of 

 graceful and stately trees, over smooth green pasturage, animated with cattle. 

 It is desirable to point out in detail what constitutes scenery of this character, 

 and the mode by which the effect is to be obtained. 



And, first, as to draining. I need scarcely specify this as an essential 

 preliminary to all other measures. In wet lands in particular, without 

 effective drainage in the first instance, all other steps would be comparatively 

 useless. Then, all sudden hills and hollows, ridges and furrows, require to 

 be brought to a regularly even surface by the plough and harrow ; and, when 

 freed from weeds, must be laid down again with grasses of fine herbage. 



The " approach " to the house must be an object of primary interest, and 

 should present an aspect (as I have before shewn) as agreeable as possible 

 to the visiter. The road should be firm, smooth, and dry, and wind gently 

 through the most interesting part of the park, as far as it can be conveniently 

 can'ied, and without producing an unnecessarily circuitous route, for the sake, 

 as it were, of a lengthened drive. 



Gravel walks, leading to objects such as a church, a prospect tower, or a 

 lake, following a varied and winding course, occasionally lost to view, would 

 be in character. But care should be taken that no more roads or walks than 



