Preface 



TO 



THEORT AND PRACTICE 



IN every other polite art there are certain estab- 

 lished rules or general principles to which the 

 professor may appeal in support of his opinions, but 

 in landscape gardening every one delivers his senti- 

 ments or displays his taste as whim or caprice may 

 dictate, without having studied the subject, or even 

 thought it capable of being reduced to any fixed rules. 

 Hence it has been doubted whether each proprietor 

 of his own estate may not be the most proper person 

 to plan its improvement. 



Had the art still continued under the direction of 

 working gardeners, or nurserymen, the proprietor 

 might supersede the necessity of such landscape gar- 

 deners, provided he had previously made this art his 

 study ; but not (as it is frequently asserted) because 

 the gentleman who constantly resides at his place must 

 be a much better judge of the means of improving it 

 than the professor whose visits are only occasional : 

 for if this reason for a preference were granted, we 

 might with equal truth assert that the constant com- 

 panion of a sick man has an advantage over his phy- 

 sician. 



Improvements may be suggested by any one, but 

 the professor only acquires a knowledge of effects 

 before they are produced, and a facility in producing 

 them by various methods, expedients, and resources. 



