58 Frederick Law Olmsted 



HINTS 



AIDFUL TO ELEMENTARY 

 SELF-EDUCATION IN 



DESIGN 



in the common fields of 

 landscape gardening proper. 



By F. L. O. 



Honorary Member of the American 

 Institute of Architects and of the 

 Boston Society of Architects; Author 

 of a Journey in Texas, etc. 



PREFACE 



Something accrues from special attention continuously 

 directed for many years to a particular field of observation 

 and reflection, giving a value to counsel about it that would 

 not be allowed on the ground of native talent or learning on 

 the part of the counsel-giver. 



Partly for this reason I propose, by way of introduction, 

 to give at this point some account of my life. 



But partly also I propose to do so from regard to a dis- 

 position generally prevalent to underrate the value of pro- 

 fessional or bookish counsel on the subject of this book. 

 This disposition grows largely out of an impression that the 

 courses by which men come to set themselves up as profes- 

 sional advisers on this subject or to write books upon it are, 

 like those of students in a school, of a kind to withdraw them 

 in a great degree from nature and from the ordinary life of 

 men, consequently from a ready, sympathetic understanding 

 of their wants; that these courses tend to pervert their na- 

 tures, lessen freedom of mind, restrain healthy impulses and 

 make them creatures of rules and conventions. This im- 

 pression is the deeper because of the influence unconsciously 



