560 Stimmarij Vie'uo of the Progress of Gardening, 



give way. We are happy to see indications of this in different 

 parts of the country, by gentlemen and their gardeners, and the 

 more respectable of the nurserymen, sending articles for exhi- 

 bition, but not to compete for prizes. This can hardly be ex- 

 pected from small commercial gardeners ; who, in many cases, 

 require the stimulus of a prize to compensate them for the loss 

 of their time, as well as for the injury sometimes done to their 

 plants. As to a gentleman himself competing for a prize, we 

 cannot consider it as proper, and consistent with high feeling ; 

 since the real merits which the plant possesses must, in almost 

 every case, be due to the care and skill of his gardener. 



Having noticed what we think may be considered the leading 

 gardening features of the year, we shall next glance at those of a 

 less prominent nature. 



History, Description^ and Statistics. — Under this head, in our 

 table of contents, will be found the names of some villas of more 

 than ordinary interest, among which may be mentioned Hendon 

 Rectory, Mrs. Lawrence's villa at Drayton Green, the Duke of 

 Bedford's, at Camden Hill, and the garden of Mr. Abel Ingpen, 

 in Upper Manor Street, Chelsea. Hendon Rectory is remark- 

 able for its pine and fir trees grown in pots ; and for the strictly 

 gardenesque manner in which the greater number of the plants 

 are cultivated, as well as for general high keeping. Mrs. Law- 

 rence's villa affords a most exquisite example of the effect of 

 small groups in increasing the apparent extent of a place, and in 

 filling it with a variety of views ; and the keeping is of the very 

 highest kind. Here also is exemplified the union of statuary 

 with picturesque groups of trees and shrubs ; which, though it 

 may seem to a stranger at first sight to distract attention, and 

 destroy repose, yet to the proprietor, or to any person well ac- 

 quainted with the spot, doubtless enhances the interest ; and the 

 perfection of all the details is such as to disarm criticism. At 

 the same time, we consider it necessary to remark, that this 

 manner of introducing statuary in natural-looking groups of trees 

 and shrubs cannot be justified on sound principles of composi- 

 tion, because it destroys unity of expression. It does so in a 

 small suburban garden, and it would equally do so in the most 

 extensive park, or in the finest scenery in uncultivated nature. 



The only garden in which statuary can be freely and abun- 

 dantly introduced, is one in the geometrical style, and bearing 

 an architectural character in the general disposition of the 

 surface into platforms and terraces, the edgings to the walks, the 

 margins of the ponds, and, in short, in all the forms and lines. 

 However, as we have remarked in p. 322., great allowance must 

 be made for individual taste, and for that devotion to the subject, 

 which leads a person to think that they can never do enough. 

 In viewing the gardens of other persons, we think only of 



