LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 
411 
These are a part of the particulars which the landscape gardener has 
to study in improving garden scenery. When he has discovered “ the 
genius ” of the place., whether the predominating character be beauty 
or picturesqueness, or of a mixed character, his dispositions will be 
easily introduced. 
The style introduced by Brown has been so universally adopted in 
this country, that it has obtained the title of “ English Gardening.” 
Its principles have been carefully studied by several professors on the 
continent, and many places have been executed there which are even 
more elaborate in their details than anything which has yet been done 
in England. 
The greatest defect in many of our English parks is their vacant 
tameness, arising from the want of undergrowths, stately timber trees 
and smooth turf being the only ingredients. This state of noblemen’s 
and gentlemen’s parks, in this country, has been brought about by the 
park-keepers rather than by the original designer. The finest-formed 
trees, to grow into money, and the sweetest turf for the deer and sheep, 
were the grand objects of the keeper; of course all undergrowths were 
extirpated, and all picturesque trees were doomed to the axe. 
I remember, on one occasion, a nobleman consulting an eminent 
landscape gardener about the improvement of his park. His Grace 
had read “ The Landscape,” and, on the representations contained in 
that poetical effusion, had previously cut down every Scotch fir on his 
premises ; but, notwithstanding this accession of light, the professor 
still complained of “ the prodigality of shade,” observing, that he 
“ could not see the wood for trees,” and advised a judicious thinning. 
His Grace immediately ordered his steward and woodman to go through 
the woods, and mark a fall; but afterwards, seeing so many marks of 
condemnation, thought it well to recal the professor to judge of the 
steward’s taste. The professor was shocked to behold every straggler 
and every finely-branched “monarch of the wood”—in short, every 
tree which he himself would have preferred to stand—sentenced to 
come down. The steward’s taste and judgment were reversed, and the 
professor was well paid for his interference ; but he did not escape 
without a full share of odium for his want of knowledge of the beauty 
of trees and value of timber. 
But how is this defect (the want of undergrowths) to be remedied ? 
It is certainly more effectually done at first—that is, when the woods 
are planted—than afterwards : the planting and sowing may, however, 
be done at any time. No plants are suitable for this purpose except 
those which defend themselves against the browsing of cattle. Those 
which I saw raised for the purpose, and which answered so well at 
