THE CULTIVATOR 
83 
dant boughs, but resembles in the 
airy lightness of its leaves; and the 
three-thorned acacia, though its 
branches are horizontal, as delicate 
foliage of nearly the same hue and 
floating lightness as the willow. 
Here we have a group of five trees, 
which is, in the whole, full of 
gracefulness and variety, while there 
is nothing in the composition inhar¬ 
monious to the practiced eye. 
“ To illustrate the second case, let us suppose a long 
sweeping outline of maples, birches, and other light, 
mellow-colored trees, which the improver wishes to va¬ 
ry, and break into groups, by spiry topped, evergreen 
trees. It is evident, that if these trees were planted in 
such a manner as to peer abruptly out of the light color¬ 
ed foliage of the former trees, in dark, or almost black 
masses of tapering verdure, the effect would be by no 
means so satisfactory and pleasing, as if there were a par¬ 
tial transition from the mellow, pale green of the ma¬ 
ples, etc., to the darker hues of the oak, ash, or beech, 
and finally the sombre tint of the evergreens. Thus much 
for the coloring; and if, in addition to this, oblong head¬ 
ed trees, or pyramidal trees, were also placed near and 
partly intermingled with the spiry-topped ones, the uni¬ 
ty of the whole composition would be still more com¬ 
plete.* 
“Contrasts, again, are often admissible in woody sce¬ 
nery, and we would not wish to lose many of our most 
superb trees, because they could not be introduced in par¬ 
ticular portions of landscape. Contrasts in trees may be 
so violent as to be displeasing; as in the example of the 
groups of the three trees, the willow, poplar and oak: 
or they may be such as to produce spirited and pleasing 
effects. This must be effected by planting the different 
divisions of trees, first, in small leading groups, and then 
by effecting a union between the groups of'different cha¬ 
racter, by intermingling those of the nearest similarity 
into and near the groups: in this way, by easy transi¬ 
tions from the drooping to the round-headed, and from 
these to the tapering trees, the whole of the foliage and 
forms, harmonize well.” 
It has often been remarked that while the natural slyle 
of landscape gardening is well adapted to old countries, 
thickly settled districts, and the vicinity of cities, the ge¬ 
ometric s:yle is better suited to new countries already 
abounding with natural scenery. The author of the work 
before us very properly exposes the error of this opin¬ 
ion.. If the geometric style is a distortion of nature, then 
it must offend a correct taste wherever it is to be found, 
whether in the city square, or in the wilds of the west. 
All tha* is necessary, in employing the natural method in 
wild regions, is to adopt a more graceful finish on every 
part of the grounds, by closely shorn lawns, highly fin¬ 
ished gravel-walks, and by planting the more rare exo¬ 
tic trees instead of those of native growth—to have the 
place “kept in high and polished order, instead of the 
tangled wildness of general nature.” Art and wealth are 
more strikingly and visibly shown to the hasty observer 
by the geometric style; but the 'perfection of art consists 
not in this external show; but merely in the pleasing and 
admirable effect, while the art that produced it is con¬ 
cealed from the eye of the spectator. The most beauti¬ 
ful painting is that which most nearly resembles the fi¬ 
nest objects of nature, and where the stroke of the pen¬ 
cil is concealed; and not openly visible, as in the daub- 
ings of the sign painter. 
A not unfrequent error, with those who are little ac¬ 
quainted with the art, is to suppose that the modern style 
consists merely in irregularity. But, irregularity without 
* We are persuaded that very few persons are aware of the beauty, 
varied and endless, that may be produced by arranging trees with re¬ 
gard to their coloring. It requires the eye and genius of a Claude, or 
a Poussin, to develope all these hidden beauties of harmonious combi¬ 
nation. Gilpin rightly says, in speaking of the dark Scotch fir, “ with 
regard to color in general, I think I speak the language of painting, 
when I assert that the picturesque eye makes little distinction in this 
matter. It ha- no attachment to one color in preference to another, 
but considers the beauty of all coloring as resulting, not frrm the co¬ 
lors themselves, but almost entirely from their harmony with other co- 
lors in their neighborhood. So that as the Scotch fir tree is combined 
or stationed, it forms a beautiful umbrage or a murky spot.” 
Example in grouping—Fig. 27. 
arrangement, is not taste—confusion is not the beautiful 
in nature. The scenery which the art produces may ap¬ 
pear the accidental arrangement of appropriate parts; but 
it is as really the result of study, as the roughly dashed 
execution of a skillful painter, where every touch, rude 
and accidental as it may seem at first glance, is found, on 
a view of the whole together, to combine in producing 
the most pleasing assemblage of the different portions. 
The rules laid down by the author, for the successful ar¬ 
rangement of the various parts of an artificial landscape, 
are given with great clearness and vigor, and are well 
worthy of attentive study. Few, at first view, would be 
likely to form even a remote conception of the various 
points to take into consideration in laying out a single 
acre of ground^ so as to produce the best effect, combi¬ 
ned with “ unity , harmony and variety .” These are even 
necessary, where the planting of nature already exists, to 
“ the nice perception,” in the words of the author, “ of 
the natural expression, as well as the capabilities of a re¬ 
sidence,” and in which “lies the secret of the superior 
results produced by the improver, who, to use the words 
of Horace Walpole, “ is proud of no other art than that 
of softening nature’s harshness, and copying her graceful 
touch.” 
Our limits preclude much further extension of this no¬ 
tice. But we cannot pass by the interesting section on 
Rural Architecture without a few words of passing com¬ 
mendation. It may not be known to all our readers, and 
we will therefore state here, what is well known by ma¬ 
ny to be the fact, that the publication of this section of 
this book of Mr. Downing’s, has done and is doing more 
to impart correct notions of the different styles of domes¬ 
tic architecture among our country gentlemen than all 
other works or articles on the subject, that have ever 
been read on this side of the Atlantic. Before its appear¬ 
ance, (and that of Mr. Downing’s succeeding volume on 
“ Cottage Residences,”) there was generally prevalent 
only a vague and distorted notion of the Grecian and Go¬ 
thic styles—the former was exhibited in the horrible 
form of a heavy wooden portico, stuck, without proprie¬ 
ty or meaning, against a simple clapboarded house. The 
author of the work before us, boldly attacked the falsely 
called Grecian, and pointed out its entire unfitness for do¬ 
mestic purposes, while he has showed the superior beau¬ 
ty of more simple modes of building. Any one who is 
conversant with the great change of taste which has ta¬ 
ken place in the last few years, and is every day more 
fully evinced, will not be at a loss, on referring to Mr. 
Downing’s remarks on this subject, to trace the revolu¬ 
tion of feeling in these matters to its proper cause. 
To give our readers some faint idea of the illustrations 
of the work, and of this section in particular, we intro¬ 
duce here the view of the princely mansion of Wm. P. 
Van Rensselaer, opposite Albany, an extensive and 
pleasing example in the Grecian style, (Fig. 28.) Next 
an example in the Italian style—the seat of the Hon. 
Theodore Lyman, near Boston, (Fig. 30.) (This is ne¬ 
cessarily so reduced as to lose much of the beautiful ef¬ 
fect of the irregular front.) For an example of the Go¬ 
thic, we borrow a view of the fine villa of Joel Rath- 
bone, near Albany, (Fig. 29.) And in a simpler and 
more cottage like Gothic—what may be called the Eng¬ 
lish cottage style, (Fig. 31)—the view of the pretty Gar¬ 
dener's Lodge at Blithewood, Dutchess county, the seat 
of Robert Donaldson. 
It will be understood that in the extracts we have giv¬ 
en, we do not by any means intend to furnish directions 
which can be followed in laying out grounds. They are 
entirely too meagre for this purpose, and are only a 
glimpse of the work, which after all is but a faint glimpse 
