414 THE GARDEN AND ITS DEVELOPMENT. 



endeavored to enliven it bv placing here and there little buildings, 

 such as small temples or hermitages. 



A happy event occurred to assist these endeavors. About the mid- 

 dle of the last centur}^ there became known to the European world 

 of culture the Chinese garden, which in the most bizarre manner 

 endeavored to create as great a diversity as possible within a small 

 space and purposely attempted to produce sharp contrasts. This 

 Chinese fashion was suddenly adopted, and Chinese temples and 

 pagodas (as they may be seen at Doberan upon the Cauip) were inti-o- 

 duced into the English garden, and even the entire principle of the 

 Chinese style was accepted in order to afford to the stroller views of 

 the utmost possible contrast. The windings of the paths and bushes, 

 apparently growing by chance, prevented any comprehensive view, 

 and there could thus be shown to the astonishc^d raml^ler, in motley 

 succession, wild helds, dark woods, artificial murmuring l)rooks, hills, 

 and sheets of water, sometimes with melancholy shade, sometimes in 

 full sunlight. In order to increase the effect of the landscape upon 

 those already sentimentally inclined, structures were erected on cN'ory 

 hand according to the fancy of the time. To the bark houses and 

 rustic ))ridges of the shepherd period followcnl, at the time of th(> taste 

 for the antique, round Grecian temples dedicated to sorrow or friend- 

 ship, and broken pillars or funeral urns posted in suitable situations 

 never failed of their touching effect upon sensitive souls. Then fol- 

 lowed the romantic period with Gothic ruins and fallen towers, 

 between which were placed, according to the inclination of the owner, 

 obelisks, pyramids, and mosques. In this way the English-Chinese 

 garden became loaded with the most contradictory decorative features 

 until it could no longer be endured b}^ the finer taste and historical 

 sense of the modern age. 



Since 18-10 these strange structures have gradually disappeared, and 

 yet there is no reason to dread the primitive uniformity of the English 

 garden. The diversity which it lacked has been effectively supplied 

 from the botanical, side. As in the English garden, the specific 

 character of trees is preserved, unnatural pruning not being used to 

 check freedom of growth, it was thought possible to introduce into 

 Europe the varied forms of American forest trees. The climate being 

 similar, the prospect of success seemed especialh^ favorable. They 

 naturally were first adopted in England, and from there the possessors 

 of large estates on the Continent received them. When we to-day 

 everywhere see in parks and gardens the abundance of North Ameri- 

 can conifers, oaks, and maples, which by their foliage and autumn 

 tints control the character of the landscape, we have to thank for this 

 enrichment the park of Schwobber, at Hameln, in which Otto von 

 Munchausen, in 1750, made large sowings of the fruits of North 

 American forest trees. Somewhat later there followed the Velheim 



