'i Goural Results of a Gardening Tour. 



the country occupied by mere forest scenery, however picturesque it may 

 be. What we should wish to see in Scotland arc, numerous small parks of 

 smooth rich pasture, beautifully varied by "groups of trees ; not i)ut down at 

 random, both as it regards sorts and manner of planting ; but the trees and 

 shrubs of many sorts, one kind always prevailing in one place, and the 

 grouping and connection being such as to produce a varied and beautiful 

 whole. Such parks in Scotland will often be placed on the sides or along 

 the base of a range of hilly or mountainous scenery; and when this is the 

 case, every extent that can be desired, both of pasture and of forest scenery, 

 may be obtained without infringing on any principle of utility. 



It is remarkable that, in a country abouniling with so many fine situ- 

 ations for country residences, there should so often be houses placed in 

 dull flat situations, with nothing to recommend them but the richness of the 

 soil. This we can only account for on the princii)le that fine situations, 

 l)cing so common, are not duly valued ; and that the wealth which can 

 jjrocure a large well-built house anywliere obtains among a poor people 

 more ap[)lause than the taste which would place tliat house in a beautiful 

 situation. 



The Pleasure-Ground Sceneri/ in the west of Scotland, more especially 

 near the mansions, is in general very unsatisfactory ; partly, we freely admit, 

 from that absence of high keeping which we have found prevalent, and 

 without which, in our opinion, no place is worth looking at; but chiefly 

 from what we think defects in the arrangement. According to our notions 

 of comfort and luxury, the most highly polished scenery, and the finest dis- 

 play of flowers, should always be near the house, and even close to it, on 

 that side which is the least seen from, or connected with, the entrance front. 

 This principle, we think, should be adopted, whether the house be a cot- 

 tage, a villa, a mansion, or a palace. But, in many places, we have found 

 very little dittc'rence in the objects and style of arrangement between the 

 scenery connected with the entrance front and that of the other fronts; 

 the flowers and shrul)s, which we would have displayed on the drawing-room 

 front, being placctl at a distance from the house, in a flower-garden or 

 shruiibery. 



We have no objection to individuals indulging in this taste, or in any 

 other that gratifies them; but we cannot approve of it as calculated to 

 form what, by such |)ersons as have seen all the fine places in England 

 and Euro])e, would be called a fine place. The general |)ractice in the 

 most beautiful residences in England is, to maintain a character in the 

 scenery of the entrance front, distinct from that of what is calleil the lawn, 

 drawing-room, or garden front ; and we think there is reason in favour of 

 the practice. The drawing-room of every house may be considered as the 

 place where is to be made the greatest display of whatever can render 

 a dwelling desirable; the drawing-room, therefore, should not oidy be 

 comfortable, and elegant within, but the scenery seen from the windows 

 should harmonise with the general character of luxury and refined enjoy- 

 ment. To cflcct this, recourse must be had to ornamental ganlcning in 

 the foreground, and laiulscape-gardeuing in the distance. Ornamental 

 gardening supplies groups of flowers and flowering shrubs, with basket- 

 work, vases, statues, and other ornamental objects ; and landscape-garden- 

 ing guides the taste in the concealment or ilisplay of distant groups or 

 masses of trees, water, lawn, rocks, hills, and other materials, natural or 

 artificial, of verdant scenery. The entrance front, on the other hand, 

 is generally arrangetl in a plainer style, and this also has reason in its 

 favour : first, because it is a place liable to be fre(iuentl\ occuj)ied by 

 horses and carriages, and therefore less suitable for flowers, or the 

 recreation of those for whom flowers are more esj)ecialiy cultivated ; 

 Kccondiy, because it seldom happens that the drawing-room windows, and 



