266 OLanbscape Brcbltecture 



this country, and this book, passing through many 

 editions, and his Rural Essays and other works, are 

 stni classics in this branch of Hterature. It was his 

 example and precept which inspired such men as 

 Henry Winthrop Sargent, and they in turn kindled 

 the enthusiasm of younger men, so that the best 

 private gardens in America to-day owe what is best 

 in them to his sound teachings. 



"Downing was a graceful and forcible writer as well 

 as an artist of the highest intelligence, and as he had 

 been already recognized as an authority a timely 

 series of letters which he wrote for the Horticulturist 

 on the subject of pubHc parks in 1849 had a marked 

 influence in creating and moulding popular sentiment 

 in this direction. These essays, which appeared 

 month after month, and were widely copied by the 

 press, marshalled in a convincing way the arguments 

 which were then fresh and original, although many 

 of them have since become a part of our common 

 knowledge and belief. He began by showing that 

 public parks were needed not only to educate the 

 public taste, but because everybody at some time 

 felt the necessity for this contact with nature. He 

 showed that this communion was not only a delight 

 to people who were as unsophisticated as children, 

 but that the more thoughtful and educated a com- 

 munity became the stronger grew the passion for 

 rural pleasures. When it was argued that the people 

 would not visit parks, even if artistic ones were con- 

 structed, he pointed to the large cemeteries to prove 



