398 THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTURE. 



mired the old-fashioned Italian gardens, though he condemned 

 the puerilities of the Dutch school. Scott is followed in his 

 preference for the ancient styles, by many high authorities ; 

 and with respect to the garden, not including in this term 

 the park or other pleasure grounds, it is probable that in 

 future, the ancient styles will have as many followers as the 

 modern. The term landscape gardening, which he con- 

 demns as misapplied, he thinks was the source of a great 

 many absurdities, by causing certain objects, which ought to 

 be kept entirely separate, to be injudiciously blended. With 

 respect to this term, he remarks, " The art has been unfortu- 

 nately named. The- idea of its being, after all, a variety of 

 the gardening art, with which it has little or nothing to do, 

 has given a mechanical turn to the whole profession, and 

 certainly encouraged many persons to practise it, with no 

 greater qualifications than ought to be found in a tolerably 

 skilful gardener." 



Scott's veneration for aristocratic customs is apparent in 

 almost every page of his remarks. He never alludes to small 

 proprietors or to the cottage garden ; the lordly domain only 

 has charms for him. Everything (he remarks) that furnishes 

 an additional source of profit or pleasure to a resident proprie- 

 tor, ajid induces him to support the useful and honorable 

 character of a country gentleman, is of great importance. 

 Amidst the various sources of amusement, which a country 

 residence off'ers to its proprietor, the improvement of the ap- 

 pearance of the house and adjacent demesne will ever hold a 

 very high place. Agriculture itself, the most serious occupa- 

 tion of a country gentleman, has points which may be com- 

 bined with this art. Indeed, these two pursuits, in the au- 

 thor's opinion, cannot be well kept separate, for beauty is, in 

 the idea of the spectator, intimately connected with utility, 

 and good taste is always offended by obvious and unnecessa- 

 *ry expense. Horace Walpole, he says, confounds two par- 

 ticulars which our ancestors kept separate, and treated on 

 principles entirely different, viz. : the garden with its orna- 

 ments, and the park, chase, or riding, which was the proud- 

 est appurtenance of the feudal estate. 



