MR. WE1DENMAN has done excellent service to the public in his superb work on Landscape Gardening. He remarks, with truth, that "all cannot enjoy the privilege of a stroll in the king of parks, the Central Park of New York. Comparatively, few can view its extended lawns, or its bold cliffs and caves, admire its triumphs of architectural taste, or note how the skillful artist has converted a vast plain into hills and dales, and varied it with lakes and cascades, shady founts and open lawns. But all can make their country homes attractive and lovely, and enjoy the beauties of nature about their own house and fireside".

The present volume is intended by the author specially to show how to lay out a good plan of grounds, with the cost of carrying out necessary improvements, and the yearly expense in keeping them in good order. Connected with all this are the details of choosing a good location; then how to secure a perfect drainage; next, the construction of roads, and their grading, and finally how to plant the shrubs or trees, and how to seed or dress down the lawns. All these points occupy forty pages of the work, which is divided somewhat as follows :

Seeding down Lawns gives the best varieties of grasses, and he advises selections as follows:

This, we suppose, he intends to be the application to each acre, to be sown early in the fall, say September. As an illustration of a beautiful lawn the enclosed sketch is introduced, representing the pleasure grounds of H. E. Sargeant, Esq., Southampton, Mass.

One of the most valuable chapters is devoted to Drainage, excellent plans being given for the position of the drains and their outlet. Suggestions are given on the making of roads, drives and walks, and plans for laying the curves or grades properly. We are glad to see a chapter on fences, walls and hedges.

He expresses great favor for wire fences. "They have been rapidly adopted in Europe, and special attention was paid to them at the late Universal Exhibition in Paris. Their durability, lightness and little cost, place them above all others. Being almost imperceptible, they do not obstruct the view on ornamental grounds, while they possess all the desirable qualities of a good fence. They will soon gain the favor here they merit".

" Picket fences are objectionable for truly ornamental purposes. They are costly, requiring, if well kept up, annual painting, frequent repairs, and rebuilding; and if kept in the best order, are repulsive as well as stiff and unnatural".

We can hardly endorse his objection on picket fences, for there is a kind of ornamental architecture in their construction and appearance which more than makes up for the often time barrenness of duration inside. Wire fences are very suitable as side divisions of land and lots, but not for frontage purposes. The best of all fences is a neat, well-trimmed hedge, and we can heartily join him and his commendation of their use.

Six pages of the work are devoted to a list of trees and shrubs, deciduous and evergreen, very convenient for reference. Some practical examples are wisely given upon the important subject of grouping. One of the most beautiful illustrations of the entire work is that of a vase with a dense back-ground of low shrubs and latter evergreens, neatly grouped together.

After a few practical directions about transplanting trees and shrubs, he introduces some charming views of water scenery, rustic seats, rustic pavilions, plans for flower gardens and burial lots. The larger part of the work is occupied by colored lithographic plates of plans for laying out places of small or large extent, exceedingly well executed, numbering twenty-four in all. This work fills a special field in volumes devoted to rural ornament. Its colored illustrations are attractive, new, and representative of many existing examples of landscape gardening. The author esti-mates and bints - given in a better form than can be gained elsewhere - some practical idea of what will be the cost of improving and adorning one's home grounds.

We are indebted to the publishers, Orange, Judd & Co., for the accompanying illustrations, which are selected from the pages of the book.