2 
quires more various talent than almost any other I 
profession ; and were wa to appeal to a phrenolo- ! 
gist, he would probably enumerate more than ! 
lialf-a-dozen faculties which would have to be in 
a state of strength and activity. A young person 
inclined to follow the professsion should be taken 
to see Nature in all her aspects, and from her he 
should take all his lessons, for this reason, that 
the Creator has adapted Nature to make agree- 
able impressions on our faculties, as well a3 to 
excite some emotions which warn us of danger, 
and others which arouse wonder, fear, and grati- 
tude to their Author. He should draw well, so 
as to be able to accumulate examples, which he 
may transfer, as his judgment may direct, to any 
portion of country he may be called upon to 
adorn. It is a duty to the public to be performed 
by every proprietor, for rendering a district agree- 
able to the eye, to look out for some one who does 
possess it, and whose assistance ho should require. 
When we consider the infinite variety of ob- 
jects presented to the eye in all the varied scenery 
to be found on the earth, it bee ernes clear that 
man must be endowed with faculties enabling 
him to derive pleasure from contemplating them. 
It is not enough that man should perceive there 
• are things present external to himself, he must 
have power to distinguish one thing from another. 
Seeing the necessity of this, it is proper to con- 
sider what these powers are, before we think of 
their exercise in the profession I am attempting 
to illustrate. This is rather an extensive range of 
subject, but I shall be brief, studying merely to 
give useful hints, and leaving those who may feel 
desirous of deeper research, to satisfy themselves 
by applying to special sources of information. 
After the perception of the presence of an object, 
it3 occupation of space perhaps, we regard the 
secondary one to be its magnitude in comparison 
to our own dimensions, or those of other objects. 
We have, therefore, a faculty to perceive magni- 
tude or size, and a faculty to compare one mag- 
nitude with another. The next perception may 
be that of the boundaries or outline of the object, 
that is its form or shape. Here I speak merely 
as if the objects were flat. When an object i3 
not flat, but a- solid, we aie enabled to discover 
the entire form by the assistance of light and its 
degrees of shade. Though shade be essentially 
shadow, it is a useful stipulated term to distin- 
guish when it relates to the part of form which 
it brings out to the eye ; while shadow is employ- 
ed to denote the effect of interruption of light by 
an entire mass of matter independently of every 
part of its form except the outline. The aseer- j 
tainmentof form by the sense of touch we need 
not consider, for landscape designing has to do 
only with perceptions excited through the eye. 
We have then a mental faculty enabling us to 
distinguish forms which are of endless variety, 
made up of lines and surfaces, straight and curved, j 
Outline depends on form, and therefore, when j 
agreeable outline is required in a landscape, selec- 
tion is to be made of objects having forms suited 
to produce it. 
But, it must be observed, care should be taken 
in selecting forms for an outline, that they are in 
other respects suitable to the position in which 
they are to be placed, and not disagreeable in 
themselves individually. Hence this faculty of 
form must be possessed in a high degree by the 
landscape d signer, so that this perception may 
be quick in regard to the supply of what may be 
wanting, and to the removal of what is unsuitable. 
There is, besides, a perception of harmony re- 
quired, of suitableness, of fitness, independent of 
simple form, that which may be pleasing, and 
that which may be olfensive. Indeed, in tills 
consists the chief power of a landscape designer, 
who is fitted by nature to follow the profession. 
But it is probable that the perception of harmony 
may belong to the faculty of form. It may be a 
faculty independent of it, but it is claimed by 
others also, and on that account seera.3 to be in 
connexion or even an integral part of each. It is 
obviously necessary to the landscape designer to 
have au acute perception of the relative position 
of objects. This is undoubtedly a special faculty, 
and to it belongs the memory we have for places 
and the power for finding our way. In grouping, 
objects may be placed beyond all means of amend- 
ment in relation to each other, however agreeable 
their form may be individually. If we feel pleased 
with one mode of grouping a certain number of 
objects, and displeased with another mode, it is 
obvious we possess a particular faculty different 
from simple comparison, one which enables usko 
derive satisfaction of a distinct kind from the 
perception of a particular arrangement. The 
next faculty which ought to be found in the mind 
of a landscape designer is that of imitation. W e 
all know how readily this faculty runs into abuse 
when powerful, and not restrained by a sense of 
propriety. The proper exercise of it, in the case 
before us, is to imitate Nature. To ask in all 
cases, what would Nature do ? 
To be able to answer that question the land- 
scape designer is supposed to have followed the 
advice formerly given, to examine Nature in all 
her aspects, and to take heedful note of them. A 
clever man in looking at a scene to be improved, 
can form in his mind almost in an instant a view 
of what is required. He can see at once* what 
the execution of his design will effect, if well car- 
ried out. Having made himself acquainted with 
every kind of tree and shrub that may be avail- 
able, its habits, size, colour, style of growth, &c., 
&c., he knows what to select, and what will suit 
the. soil and climate. Tne knowledge he must 
acquire, in order to enable to imitate Nature, 
to make Art her handmaid, is extensive. The 
imitative pewer is indispensable ; but there must 
be also a discriminative power to hinder it from 
misplacing imitations. The faculty I next briefly 
