preface xi 



The past is not only valuable as a lesson with which 

 to correct and enrich present-day practice, but because 

 it will help to develop, or release perhaps, germs of 

 thought, which will eventually correct and enrich all 

 we learn in the future. 



My own experience has had considerable scope in 

 the way of working out landscape gardening problems 

 on parks and estates with Mr. Calvert Vaux, and by 

 myself, not only in Central Park, New York, but in dif- 

 ferent estates and parks of America. I have naturally 

 studied many examples both at home and abroad. 

 Nevertheless, I have cited few examples of my own work 

 and have taken the liberty of devoting the greater part 

 of the book to extracts from writings of unquestioned 

 authority in support of my ideas, hoping thereby to 

 more firmly establish the art of landscape architecture 

 in the dignified position it already occupies in the 

 brotherhood of artistic professions. 



It has been also recognized throughout the book that 

 the object sought is the exposition of landscape-gar- 

 dening doctrine and different methods of laying out 

 grounds. The chapter at the end of the book is only 

 intended to give practical suggestions in regard to the 

 use of a certain number of choice groups of plants. 



My endeavour has been to make my ideas clear, and 

 this is one reason I have used so many and lengthy 

 quotations, expecting that by the use of the phrases of 

 masters of the language as well as of the art of land- 

 scape architecture I might attain a better degree of 

 success. Master of the art of eloquent and lucid Ian- 



