248 Remaj'ks on the Art of 



Art. II. Remarks on the Art of Improving the Aspect 

 of the Country. By Wilson Flagg, Author of " Rural 

 Sketches," &c. 



Most of the published treatises on Landscape Gardening 

 abound in vaUiable hints on the art of improving the face of 

 the country. But as their primary object is to give rules to 

 the wealthy, for beautifying their estates, the general im- 

 provement of the face of the country obtains but a small 

 share of their attention. This latter subject appears to me to 

 be of more importance than the art of landscape gardening, if 

 it be not indeed that art extended so as to apply to the whole 

 territory. There are not many of our inhabitants, whose 

 fortune is sufficient to enable them to lay out whole farms 

 into beautiful gardens. And it is not to be regretted that 

 such ample fortunes are rare, even on this account. There 

 is almost necessarily an air of exclusiveness about a rich 

 man's estate, when highly decorated, which, if very common, 

 would serve to injure the picturesque expression of our scene- 

 ry. Instead, therefore, of urging the people to give their at- 

 tention to the art of landscape gardening, in particular, it is 

 better to inquire, how, by the application of the principles of 

 taste to the general laying out of grounds, both with respect 

 to the operations of husbandry, and the planting of trees for 

 shade or ornament, the whole country may be beautified. 



It must be evident to all who are conversant with subjects 

 of taste and the beauties of nature, that the happiness and 

 virtues of a people depend, not only on their civil, religious, 

 and political institutions, but likewise on the sources of inno- 

 cent amusement and recreation, which are opened to them. 

 There is a moral influence derived from landscape, which has 

 always been admitted, but was never yet made a subject of 

 general attention. If our land were reduced to such a state 

 of universal baldness as to aff'ord the young neither temptation 

 nor opportunity to ramble in the fields and woods, an impor- 

 tant source of innocent, rational and instructive amusement 

 would be cut off. The love of nature, from which so great 



