122 THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTURE. 



ience, has unintentionally cooperated with nature in produc- 

 ing a perfect landscape. 



By a successful imitation of these happy accidents of na- 

 ture, certain agreeable ilhisions are occasioned that increase 

 the capacity of the grounds to confer pleasure upon the vis- 

 itor or occupant. By such contrivances we may economize 

 space for the eye and the mind, as the intelligent husband- 

 man economizes space for the increase of produce. The 

 greater the number of different scenes that are congregated in 

 one spot, or of prospects that may be obtained from its eleva- 

 tions and openings, the greater is the amount of enjoyment 

 that may be derived from it ; and if by such arts we could 

 render a few acres of ground more ample in apparent dimen- 

 sions and in real variety of scenery and objects, than our 

 neighbor's square mile, our few acres, considered with refer- 

 ence to pleasure and prospect, would be more truly valuable 

 than our neighbor's square mile. 



In proportion to the variety of scenes, inside and out of 

 the grounds, other things being equal, will the apparent mag- 

 nitude of the place be increased. If the tract be entirely 

 level, there is in general but little chance for obtaining pros- 

 pect outside of its limits : but the visitor may be led through 

 a great variety of scenes, formed by the various dispositions 

 of wood, lawn and shrubbery. In the wood from which I 

 have drawn my preceding illustrations, there is, on a contin- 

 ued level of considerable extent, a charming example of this 

 variety. Here may be seen a narrow grove or plantation of 

 trees and shrubs, standing in open lawn, the undergrowth 

 serving to hide the space beyond it. It is the only object on 

 a level pasture of about a half an acre, and stands nearly in 

 the centre of it. A number of narrow strips of coppice of 

 irregular forms, often bended into a shape approaching that 

 of a crescent, produce a sort of broken belt around this pas- 

 ture. The spaces between these crescent-shaped masses of 

 trees and shrubbery give rise to an intricacy in our progress 

 over the grounds, and serve the purpose of a regular belt, 

 without any of that artificial stiffness and formality, so ap- 

 parent in a uniform belt which has been planted as the boun- 

 dary to an estate. 



