SQ2 HORTICULTURE. 
■winter retreat, it is not' furprifing that the garden makes 
no confiderable part of the account. On his Tufcan villa 
he is more diffufe; the garden makes a conliderable part 
of the defcription :—and what was the principal beauty of 
that pieafure-ground ? Exactly what was the admiration 
of this country about fourfcore years ago; box-trees cut 
into monfters, animals, &c. and the names of himfelf and 
his gardener cut out in letters. He defcribes Hopes, ter¬ 
races, a wildernefs, Shrubs methodically trimmed, a mar¬ 
ble bafon,'pipes fpouting water, a cafcade falling into the 
bafon, bay-trees alternately planted with planes, and a 
Straight walk, from whence iffued others parted off by 
hedges of box and apple-trees, with obeiiiks placed be¬ 
tween every two ; fo .that here wants nothing to make a 
garden in the. reign of the emperor Trajan, ferve for a de¬ 
scription of one in that of our king William. 
In the paintings found at Herculaneum are a few traces 
of gardens, as may be feen in the fecond volume of the 
prints. They are finall fquare inclofures, formed by trel¬ 
lis-work and efpaliers, and regularly ornamented with 
vafes,• fountains, and careatides, elegantly Symmetrical, 
and proper enough for the narrow fpaces allotted to the 
garden of a houfe in a capital city. 
The introduction of bowers into gardens, had its origin 
in Italy; and the defign was evidently to conftruff a kind 
of fu-mmer apartment or fitting-room, formed, of twining 
plants and Shrubs, amidft the fragrant odours and cooling 
Shades of the garden. See the article Bower, vol. iii. p. 321. 
In more modern times, a tafte for improvement and 
magnificence in the gardens of Europe became the vogue. 
In France vaft hums were expended by Charles IX. Hen¬ 
ry IV. and Louis XIV. and XV. in forming the gardens 
to their refpe&ive palaces, particularly that of Verlailles. 
In. Spain and Portugal the fame fpirit of horticultural 
refinement quickly prevailed; but in thofe countries which 
approximate towards the north, and where long intervals 
of cold are unfavourable to vegetation, the gardens re¬ 
main in a lefs improved ilate. In Holland, however, the 
utmolf efforts of man have been exerted, to fecure to in¬ 
dividuals their favourite and chief delight,—a ufeful and 
pleafurabie garden; yet the old Stiff" tafte ftill prevails 
among them; Straight gravel walks divide their gardens 
into quarters; rows of huge trees Shut out all pro!peel ; 
and ftatues, urns, or fountaiiis, decorate very corner. But 
of all the nations of Europe, Italy alone excepted, none 
can vie with England in the beauty, tafte, and elegance, 
of her gardens; a perfection that has arifen wholly out of 
the progrefs made in the refined arts in this country, which 
gave, as it were, life and true perspective to the variegated 
tints of landfcape-painting, whereby Nature was unbo- 
fomed, and presented to the ravifhed eye in her moft Am¬ 
ple,yet moft majeftic, forms. Thefe elevated ideas of the 
iandfeape-painter were happily caught by the horticultu¬ 
rist; and lawns and pleafure-grounds foon became ob¬ 
jects fnrficiently enchanting, not only to excel the tints 
of the canvas, but to engage the fkill of the draughtsman, 
and the fineft touches of the pencil, to copy and imitate 
them. The ingenious Mr. Kent, who united the Skill of 
the landfcape-painter with an original tafte for designing 
pleafure-grounds and lawns, firlt introduced them as 
an improvement to the feite of a noble manfion; and 
thus gaye rife to the prefent faShion of gardens in Eng¬ 
land, which are the juft admiration of all foreigners. 
His capital fort was the deftruCtion of dead walls for 
boundaries in front, and the introduction of funk fences 
or fofies; which not being feen or fuSpeCted even at a 
fhort distance, the common people called them Ha! Ha’s! 
to. exprefs their Surprise at finding a fiudden and unper¬ 
ceived check to their walk. This was by no means the 
fmallelt part of the improvement of Kenfington-gardens, 
which rank among many other distinguished examples of 
Mr. Kent’s refined tafte and judgment. 
Thus it feems to follow, that horticulture naturally di¬ 
vides itlelf into two branches; the one comprehending a 
judicious arrangment of lawns, Shrubberies, and pleafure- 
grounds; the other, the care of tire kitchen-garden, the 
raising and training fruit-trees to the highest perfection of 
bearing, together with the management of the hot-houfe, 
green-houfe, &c. 
With regard to the ornamental part of this profeSfion, 
it muit be evident that Superior Skill and judgment are re- 
quifite, in order to Soften down the asperities of an unfa¬ 
vourable Situation,and give beauty and elegance to a dull 
and iniipid wafte. On Such ability the fcientific part of 
the bufinefs refts ; and this will be ever enlarged, or nar¬ 
rowed, in proportion as the chofen Spot Shall be Surround¬ 
ed with the beauties or deformities of contiguous objects, 
which are to be interwoven into the general Scenes. 
Before a Single Step be taken, deep reflection, and a 
plentiful exerciSe of the mind’s eye, Should be called in to 
aireCt the artift, and prevent any fatal miftake from be¬ 
ing made at the outfet of the plan. Even the hafty or 
inconsiderate cutting down of a Angle tree, may too late 
be found to rob the pleaSure-ground of one of its princi¬ 
pal beauties, and expoie to view Some barren or offensive 
objeCt, which the life of the proprietor may fcarcely allow 
him time to cure. So on the other hand, an excefs of fo¬ 
liage, fuffered to obftruCt the eye in tracing the connec¬ 
tion of a well-grouped winding feene, to darken the ge¬ 
neral profpeCt, or exclude the early rays of the morning- 
fun, are faults equally prepofterous, though much looner 
and more easily cured. 
In the arrangement and difpofition of the Shrubbery, a 
confiderable Share of botanical knowledge is effential. It 
is highly neceffary to blend the moft agreeable colours of 
Nature in due iucceflion, that, by thus catching her moft 
plealing features, a new creation may appear to open 
on the ravished eye. Thus the living landfcape is chaften- 
ed and poliihed; and the productions of various distant 
countries are at once prefented to our view. The intro¬ 
duction of foreign trees and plants, which we owe princi¬ 
pally to the late Archibald duke of Argyle, contributes 
greatly to the richnels of modern landscape. The mix¬ 
ture of their various greens, the happy contraft of forms, 
between the English foreft-trees and the northern and 
WeSt-Indian firs and pines, are improvements made fince 
the time of Mr. Kent, or were but little known to him. 
The weeping-willow ; almoft every florid Shrub; and moft 
trees of delicate or bold expanlive leaf; are but modern 
tints in the compofitions of our gardens. 
After Securing fufficient aid from trees and Shrubs, the 
next object of consideration is water ; which, though 
not abfolutely neceffary to a beautiful compofition, yet 
occurs fo often, and is fo capital a feature, that it is al¬ 
ways regretted when wanting; and no large place can be 
fuppofed, nor a little Spot imagined, in which it may not 
be agreeable. It accommodates itfelf to every Situation, 
is the moft interesting objeCt in a landfcape, and the hap- 
pieft circumltance in a retired recefs; captivates the eye 
at a distance, invites approach, and is delightful when 
near; it refreshes an open expofure; it animates a Shade, 
cheers the drearinefs of a wafte, and enriches the moll 
crowded view. Inform, in Style, and in extent, it may be 
made equal to the greatest compofitions, or adapted to the 
leaft; it may Spread in a calm expanse to Soothe the tran¬ 
quillity of a fpaceful Scene; or, hurrying along a devious 
courfe, add Splendour to a gay, and extravagance to a ro¬ 
mantic, Situation. So various are the characters which 
water can aflume, that there is fcarcely an idea in which it 
may not concur, or an impreffion which it cannot enforce. 
On the IMPROVEMENT of FRUITS in ENGLAND. 
Nothing can be more defirable to thofe who are at great 
expence in cultivating the choicer fruits, than to have 
them produced of the full Size, and richeft flavour. Thefe 
perfections, however, are too commonly deficient, owing 
to caufes as numerous as they are unlufpefted ; though 
none of them, perhaps, wholly incurable. It does not ap¬ 
pear that our gardeners or nurferymen have called forth 
much exertion to overcome thefe evils, or manifested any 
gre^t 
