268 Revieics. — Dotming on Landscape Gardening. 



lar perversity of taste, or rather total want of it, which prompts 

 the man, who under the name of a villa residence, puts up, in 

 the free, open country, amid the green fields, and beside the 

 wanton gracefulness of luxuriant nature, a stifi', modern, 'tliree 

 story brick,' which like a well bred cockney, with a tiue 

 horror of the country, doggedly seems to refuse to enter into 

 harmonious combination with any other object of the scene." 

 Yet, as the author further remarks, " huge combinations of 

 boards and shingles, without the least atten-pt at adaptation to 

 situation, and square masses of brick, stand up here and there 

 in the verdant slopes of our village suburbs, appearing as if they 

 had been transplanted by some unlucky incantation from the 

 close-packed neighborhood of city residence, and left acciden- 

 tally in the country." Such is too frequently the case, and will 

 continue to be, until gentlemen who intend to build, consult 

 books on landscape gardening and architecture more closely, 

 and employ a good architect to carry their wishes into execu- 

 tion. 



The last chapter is devoted to Rural Embellishment, the 

 structure of floral and rustic ornaments. Very few persons 

 are aware how much their gardens may be improved by the 

 introduction of Maltese or marble vases, rustic seats, &j.c. 

 These, when placed in appropriate situations, add greatly to 

 the interest of the garden. The chapter is illustrated with 

 several engravings, giving representations of various kinds of 

 rustic seats, moss houses, &;c, from which the reader may 

 gather ideas of the mode of building the same. 



We had intended, with the permission of the author, to 

 have given cur readers one or two engravings from his work; 

 but those which we should select are residences of which we 

 have in view more detailed notices of the grounds, Mr. Down- 

 ing's being mere representations of the places, without any 

 particular descriptions. These will appear in some early num- 

 ber, probably in September or October. 



In conclusion, we must not omit to remark, that ISfr. 

 Downing has given us an excellent volume, and, we might add, 

 for a pioneer in the great art of landscape gardening, in this 

 country, one which will be the means of j)lacing the art at once 

 upon a sure footing. Every country gentleman, or possessor of 

 a cottage or villa residence, should read it, if he has the least 

 taste or desire to embellish his grounds. 



The work is got up in elegant style, is printed on a beau- 



