252 THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTURE. 



THE LITERATURE OF GARDENING. 



BY WILSON FLAGG. 



No. IV. Whateley's Observations on Modern Gardening. 



One of the earliest works designed especially to illustrate 

 the principles of English gardening, as landscape gardening 

 was then called, was entitled " Observations on Modern Gar- 

 dening," written by Mr. Whateley. This work is frequently 

 quoted with approbation by Mr. Alison, in his " Essay on the 

 Principles of Taste ;" it is written in an easy and flowing 

 style, and exhibits evidence of a sensitive mind improved by 

 a general acquaintance with the Avorks of nature and art. 

 The author is the advocate of the style of gardening invent- 

 ed by Mr. Brown, and his work may be considered a fine 

 illustration of its general principles. As my design is to fur- 

 nish an abstract — not a review — of the contents of this and 

 other works of the series, I shall confine myself as nearly as 

 possible to the language of the author. 



Gardening, remarks Mr. Whateley, in the perfection in 

 which it has been lately brought in England, is entitled to a 

 place of considerable rank among the liberal arts. It is as 

 superior to landscape painting as a reality to a representation, 

 and being now released from the restraints of regularity, and 

 enlarged beyond the purposes of domestic convenience, the 

 most beautiful, the most simple, the most noble scenes of 

 nature are all within its province. It regulates the disposition 

 and embellishments of a park, a farm, or a riding, no less 

 than of the garden. Its object is to discover and to show all 

 the advantages of the place upon which it is employed, to 

 supply its defects, to correct its faults, and to improve its 

 beauties. 



Nature employs but four materials in the composition of 

 her scenes, groimd, wood, water, and rocks. The cultivation 

 of nature has introduced a fifth species — the buildings requi- 

 site for the accommodation of man. Every landscape is 

 composed of these parts only ; every beauty in a landscape 

 depends on the application of their several varieties. The 



