452 Design for laying out 



Secondly, as to the " defects," the solitary trees, particularly 

 those near the middle of the ground, have too much the appear- 

 ance of dotting ; that is, they do not group well together from 

 evei'y point of view : the beds seem to have little connexion 

 with one another, or with any of the judicious outlines of the 

 plot. Some of them, I think, occupy too much breadth ; the 

 group to the left of the house appears to me too stiff and formal, 

 and the turf too narrow between the straight-sided beds. The 

 circle and ovals I think too formal ; nor do I think that any 

 trees should stand in any of the beds, as, besides the injury pro- 

 duced by their roots and shade to the shrubs and plants which 

 ought to fill such beds, it would be impossible to make such 

 humble plants as shrubs and flowers harmonise, or form a 

 whole, with the branches of a lofty tree. 



As such appear to me the defects of the plan in p. 238, 239., 

 I have endeavoured to avoid them in the plan {fig- Q5.) which 

 I herewith transmit for your criticism. 



Perthshire^ April 4. 1832. 



The remarks of A Young Gardener show that he has thought 

 on the subject of laying out grounds ; and, if he has continued to 

 do so since he sent us this plan, which was in April, 1832, we 

 have no doubt that by this time he will be as well able to point 

 out the faults of his own design as we are. 



Before criticising any work whatever, the critic ought to 

 make himself, as far as he can from the work itself, acquainted 

 with the intentions of its author. It is evident that A Young 

 Gardener intended to arrange the central area o^ Jig. 65. as a 

 flower-garden ; and hence he was entitled, if he chose, to cover 

 it over with flower-beds. Now, this may be done in various 

 ways, each consistent with itself. First, it may be covered over 

 with regular figures, say circles, ovals, &c., at regular distances ; 

 secondly, it may be covered with regular figures at irregular 

 distances, that is, grouped ; thirdly, it may be covered with 

 irregular figures at irregular distances ; fourthly, with irregular 

 figures at regular distances ; and, lastly, it may be covered 

 with symmetrical figures, or arranged as one symmetrical figure. 

 It could not, however, be covered with a mixture of two or 

 more, or all of these descriptions of figures, and preserve unity of 

 expression, or the idea of a perfect whole. 



Our Young Gardener has attempted to cover the area with 

 irregular figures at, as near as practicable, regular distances. 

 The pains he has taken to do this are evidently considerable; 

 and, if the beds in Jig. 65. were sufficiently large to admit of 

 their being planted with shrubs instead of flowers, the whole 

 area of the garden would be one intricate maze of beauty. 



