114 
LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 
circle is a common thing in nature, for it is 
as scarce, as a straight line; but that all 
bends ought to be segments of circles, and 
ought to be reconciled by the application of 
something to justify them. In this sketch, 
indeed, there is a uniformity and a formality 
not required, nor looked for, and only rarely 
tolerated in Landscape Gardening ; but all 
parts of the circle exhibit a lesson : go where 
you will you cannot cross to the house so con- 
veniently as you can go along the road; with- 
out appearing to do so you see the extent of 
the ground all over, and although you have 
the worst possible plot of ground, — a square 
flat piece, not supposed to be large enough for 
your purpose, — you make it appear larger than 
it really is by merely showing the space at 
the corners to the best advantage. It is not 
always, however, necessary to study the ex- 
tent; there may be all that can be wanted, 
without the necessity of sacrificing anything, 
yet practice is most useful under difficulties, 
and some rules cannot be too early nor too 
deeply inculcated. Among these the follow- 
ing : — No road or path should be straight ; 
no turn in a road or path should be given 
without an object, and the object should be 
manifest in some interruption, such as a clump, 
a tree, a mound, a dry hollow, a building, or 
water, and that some one or other of these 
interruptions should be produced if there be 
none already. That plantations near the 
boundary should in places be as low as the 
fence itself, that the surrounding scenery may 
be appropriated as it were; that is, that it may 
be made to appear a match for the work you 
are upon, and thus extend the view as far as 
possible where the objects are desirable in a 
Landscape. These rules apply in all cases from 
the smallest to the largest concerns; but the 
taste of the Landscape Gardener is called as 
much into requisition when there are all the 
advantages of the Landscape, as when he has 
to make the best of a plain surface; for he has 
to mind that he carries forward his road in 
such a way as that he may appropriate all the 
advantages the ground affords him. He must 
here turn out of his way to traverse the mar- 
gin of a lake, and there to go round a planta- 
tion of trees, and somewhere else clear a 
mound or hollow, and there is the difficulty of 
avoiding ugly bends in the road and an awk- 
ward approach; these are the difficulties to 
overcome. In the hands of a skilful gardener, 
the advantages are made use of to the full 
extent, for all great features must be made 
use of as part of the whole design, or be re- 
moved altogether, involving frequently very 
large expenses. By making use of them they 
become great beauties, and that which would 
be an eyesore as it is, may be so adapted to the 
rest of the scene, or the rest of the scene be 
so adapted to that, as to become a real orna- 
ment. In the Royal Botanical Society, 
Regent's Park, there is a mixture of the Land- 
scape and the Artificial Garden, which, we 
think, sadly inappropriate. There is a straight 
broad walk across the whole space, well 
adapted for a parade, and as such it is used. 
It was the preservation of this and some other 
features which, being a condition in all the 
designs, destroyed every one of them, and the 
plan now adopted is not a jot better than one 
half the designs sent in for the premium 
of fifty guineas. It was impossible to form a 
good Landscape Garden under the condition 
imposed, and the mixture, though difficult in 
all the plans, and bad in all, could never have 
been made good. It would have been much 
easier to have formed it altogether of narrow 
and straight walks, and fountains, with beds 
geometrically laid out, for then it would have 
been all of a piece, and complete in its design; 
nevertheless, there are bits of Landscape very 
nicely managed, and the mound and lake are 
among the prettiest features of this kind. We 
dislike mixtures of style generally; there is 
hardly an exception to our aversions wherever 
we have seen them; except, indeed, when in- 
dependent of the general features, and in 
some isolated and almost planted out nook we 
find a Dutch flower-garden, well kept and 
spread out like a carpet at our feet ; but it 
must be independent, or it is offensive. To 
return, however, to our first lesson, the very 
commencement must be made by removing all 
that you do not mean to use, — trees, hedges, 
buildings, hills and holes not intended to be 
saved, must be removed or converted to a plain 
flat surface, by removing the trees, hedges, and 
buildings, filling up the hollows with the stuff 
from the rising ground; and to be done as it 
should be done, the turf where it is good 
should be carefully out before the levelling is 
commenced, and be laid aside for use. The 
road must be first marked out with pegs, such 
as may be seen at some distance, and in this 
all the beauty of the Landscape consists. 
The drive must be made pleasant and agree- 
able, of an easy turn in every part, due regard 
being had to other roads leading from it to 
the stables and offices; this is best done by a 
single row of pegs in the middle of the in- 
tended l'oad, and the measure being taken on 
each side according to the width required. 
Walk along this row of pegs, examining them 
all close to you and at a distance from you, to 
see if there be any sharp turn, and removing 
the pegs to adjust anything that may be wrong 
until you are satisfied with the form of your 
line, and then fill up the row of pegs by put- 
ting others between them, so that they shall 
not be more than three feet apart; presuming 
that the place is properly levelled and rolled, 
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