1002 



PRACTICE OF GARDENING. 



PART III. 



the purposes of convenience and character, will lessen that beauty, whilst it increases 

 that of dignity, refinement, and appropriation to man. As an example, we may refer 

 to Rivenhall Place, in its state before being Improved by Repton (Jig. 681.), and the 



682 



same residence subsequently to improvement, or as intended to be improved. (Jig. 682.) 

 Every one will allow that its unimproved state (jig. 681.) presents the most picturesque 

 landscape ; while its dressed state is the more dignified and desirable as the landscape of 

 a considerable country-residence. 



CHAP. II. 

 Of the Materials of Landscape- Gardening. 



7 1 95. The materials of landscape-gardening with which we work in order to obtain the 

 desired effect, are the same whatever style we adopt. Those of nature, are ground, 

 wood, water, and rocks ; to these, art has added buildings, roads, walks, fences ; and 

 animated or moving objects, sounds, &c. may be considered as accompaniments only 

 partially under our control. 



SECT. I. Of operating on Ground. 



7 1 96. The operations of art on this ponderous material are necessarily of a very limited 

 description. The most extensive and costly operations, to restore or create natural sur- 

 faces, even when attended with the desired effect, afford less permanent gratification 

 to personal feeling than most other improvements. If a deformed space has been restored 

 to natural beauty, we are delighted with the effect, whilst we recollect the difference 

 between the present and the former surface; but when this is forgotten, though the 

 beauty remains, the credit for having produced it is lost. In this respect, the operations 

 on ground under the ancient 



style, have a great and striking 

 advantage ; for an absolute per- 

 fection is to be attained in the 

 formation of geometrical forms, 

 and the beauty created is so 

 entirely artificial (Jig. 683.) as 

 never to admit a doubt of its 

 origin. Long, therefore, after 

 the improvement is finished, the j'l 

 credit and the beauty remain to jjj 

 gratify and charm the owner. 

 Improvements on surfaces, what- 

 ever be their object, ought to be 

 made in scenes which are near 

 the eye, or intended to be fre- 

 quently seen ; at a distance they 

 are lost if the effect be on a small 

 scale, and often better effected 

 by wood, if on one of consider- 

 able magnitude. Attempts to remove distant inequalities, by lowering heights and 



683 



