THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK 



have mastered the cultivation of the easily grown alpines should try 

 the more difficult subjects. Many helpful hints on their cultivation 

 can be obtained from such books as "The English Rock Garden," 

 by Reginald Farrer, and "Adventures in My Garden and Rock 

 Garden," bv Louise Beebe Wilder. 



PROGRESS IN GARDEN DESIGN IN AMERICA 



By Mr. Ferruccio Vitale 

 Lecture given on January lo, 1924, American Museum of Natural History. 



(Mr. Leonard Barron, presiding) 

 (Introduction to a display of lantern slides) 



THE last thirty years of the artistic life of this countfy have 

 been so interesting and so remarkable that to have been able 

 to witness it, feeling, in a small measure, a part of it, has been a 

 most delightful privilege. This period saw the gradual emerging 

 of architecture, painting and sculpture from the chaos of the 

 Victorian era, to the appreciation of classic order and of funda- 

 mental principles of design and saw the rebirth of one of the 

 oldest among the arts, the art of landscape architecture. 



With the latter we are here principally concerned and with the 

 vast field of landscape design, whose function is the adaptation of 

 land to human use and enjoyment. We shall confine ourselves to 

 the progress of garden designs as typical, more evident and more 

 easily appealing as a work of art. This progress has been indeed 

 astounding and augurs well for its unlimited field and scope in 

 the future. It is needless to say that the design of parks, park- 

 ways and playgrounds, park systems and that portion of city 

 planning which falls properly within the sphere of the landscape 

 architect, has made strides no less astounding. 



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