98 Frederick Law Olmsted 



The roads are macadamized. On each side of the carriage 

 way, and of all the walks, pipes for drainage are laid, which 

 communicate with deep main drains that run under the edge 

 of all the mounds or flower beds. The walks are laid first 

 with six inches of fine broken stone, then three inches cinders, 

 and the surface with six inches of fine rolled gravel. All the 

 stones on the ground which were not used for these purposes, 

 were laid in masses of rock-work, and mosses and rock-plants 

 attached to them. The mounds were then planted with 

 shrubs, and heaths and ferns, and the beds with flowering 

 plants. Between these, and the walks and drives, is every- 

 where a belt of turf (which, by the way, is kept close cut with 

 short, broad scythes, and shears, and swept with hair-brooms, 

 as we saw) . Then the rural lodges, temple, pavilion, bridges, 

 orchestra for a hand of instrumental music, etc., were built. 

 And so, in one year, the skeleton of this delightful garden 

 was complete. 



But this is but a small part. Besides the cricket and an 

 archery ground, large valleys were made verdant, extensive 

 drives arranged, plantations, clumps, and avenues of trees 

 formed, and a large park laid out. And all this magnificent 

 pleasure-ground is entirely, unreservedly, and for ever the 

 people's own. The poorest British peasant is as free to enjoy 

 it in all its parts as the British queen. More than that, the 

 baker of Birkenhead has the pride of an owner in it. 



Is it not a grand good thing? But you are inquiring who 

 paid for it. The honest owners — the most wise and worthy 

 townspeople of Birkenhead — in the same way that the New 

 Yorkers pay for "the Tombs" and the Hospital, and the 

 cleaning (as they amusingly say) of their streets. 



Of the farm which was purchased, one hundred and 

 twenty acres have been disposed of in the way I have de- 

 scribed. The remaining sixty acres, encircling the park and 

 garden, were reserved to be sold or rented, after being well 

 graded, streeted, and planted, for private building lots. 

 Several fine mansions are already built on these (having 



