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throne ; wliicli at times is being usurped by Horticulture, or still more 

 frequently by that art at present popularly known as Landscape 

 Gardening," which correctly rendered, and as at present too frequently 

 practiced, might be defined as, helter-shelter-planting-of-trees-and-shruhs- 

 upon-tlie-face-of-the-earth : and which popular art does very much 

 resemble another phase of an equally popular art — the colour mania 

 in Flower Gardening ; " in which the colour-culturists have now run to 

 the extreme acme of over-done contrivance : inasmuch, as they have 

 satiated us wdtli their Gorgeous Eibbons," Manchester Prints," 

 Brussels Carpets," "Kidderminster Eugs," Geometrical Floor-cloths," 

 and " Damask Covers ; " at least, in so far as these, (in their proper 

 places, most useful, and higlily appreciated domestic articles,) are at 

 present mimicked, in what is ycleped " Flower Gardening," and as 

 practiced by too many of the colour-culturists of our own country, and 

 our own day. . 



Better by far, methinks, were we to follow ancient customs, and 

 make art imitate nature, than when, as I have just deprecated, nature is 

 fettered to imitate art. Better by far, however, for the carpet to copy 

 the verdant and floral earth, than tlie earth the carpet. Be this as it 

 may, our neiv ideas of " Flower Gardening," have many an old counter- 

 poise , — e.g. the Arabs, during the battle of Cadesia, occupied Madayn, 

 and obtained amongst their other enormous spoils, from the Persians, 

 a most extraordinary carpet, so superb in silk and cloth of gold, so 

 elaborately wrought with curious and most costly jewels — the beryl and 

 the emerald, the ruby and the sapphire, the topaz and the pearl were 

 in it arranged with such consummate skill, — as to represent, in beautiful 

 mosaic, trees and fruits, shrubs and flowers, rivulets and fountains ; 

 yes, and firs and pines of many kinds were in this ideal winter para- 

 dise or garden; which decorated an apartment of the palace, and which 

 carpet was nearly thirty yards in length, and as much in breadth : and 

 which must have been, indeed, very valuable, inasmuch as history 

 informs us that, when the ruthless Omar, the Arab Chief, eventually 

 ordered it to Le cut to pieces, for division, the share of Ali alone, 

 not bigger than a man's hand, was estimated as worth nearly ten thou- 

 sand pounds ! I 



This artistic, yet old idea, seems of less questionable taste than our 

 new " bedding-out" one in summer, and from which old one we might 

 extract a sun-beam, or new one in our " bedding-in," particularly in 

 winter-gardening. This " blaze of colour" mania is now, however, like 

 most others, acted upon by fashion's contagious influence, and has at 



