Public Taste in Architectural cmd Rural Scenery. 283 



tend also to increase its value. Men of taste would join it for 

 the sake of mental gratification ; and a large number from the 

 idea of superiority which is generally associated with the idea of 

 refined taste. 



Most of our readers are aware that more attention is paid to 

 the architecture of Munich, its public gardens, roads, and the 

 beauty of its surrounding scenery generally, than is done in any 

 other kingdom in Germany. This attention is committed by 

 the government to a deputation of the Bavarian Agricultural 

 Society, who publish reports as to what they think ought to be 

 done, accompanied by remarks and suggestions, in a monthly 

 periodical, entitled " Monatshlatt fiir Bauifoeseti und Landcs- 

 verschonerung. Herausgegeben von einer gemeinschaftlichen De- 

 putation der Vereine fiir Landwirthschaft und Polytechnik in 

 Baiern. Munich, 4to." The motto on the titlepage consists 

 of the words, " Agriculture," " Gardening," and " Architecture," 

 placed on the three sides of an equilateral triangle. This pub- 

 lication, of which we possess several volumes, has, we believe, 

 contributed much to the widening of streets, planting of trees 

 along the public roads, and to the formation of footpaths, gar- 

 dens, and other useful and ornamental public objects. 



The time, we think, is now arrived, when an arboricultural 

 society might be established in the metropolis ; but whether this 

 society and the one suggested by our correspondent could be 

 united, we must leave others to determine. What is chiefly 

 wanted from an arboricultural society would be the collecting 

 together in one place, say of not less than a hundred acres in 

 extent, specimens of all the trees and shrubs that will endure 

 the open air in Britain ; and the planting of them at such distances 

 from each other as would allow them to take their natural shapes ; 

 adding to them from other countries of similar climate, whether 

 of latitude or elevation ; correctly determining the names of the 

 species and varieties ; and, finally, giving out cuttings for pro- 

 pagation, with the correct names, to the members, and to all the 

 nurserymen. In short, we want done with the hardy barren 

 trees and shrubs what the Horticultural Society has done, and 

 still continues to do, with regard to the hardy fruit trees and 

 fruit shrubs. One reason why we think that the subject of 

 arboriculture might be joined with that of the improvement of 

 the public taste in matters of scenery is, that the principal im- 

 provements which such a society would propose would consist 

 in planting trees. In short, such a society might be designated 

 one for the improvement of architectural and rural scenery : and 

 it is difficult to separate the latter subject from landscape-gar- 

 dening and arboriculture. Besides, an arboricultural society, 

 though it might be kept up at a very moderate expense, at all 

 events under 500/. a year, would require a powerful association 



