104 Frederick Law Olmsted 



rolled, dark-coloured gravel. The surface, dropping by long 

 terraces from the steps of the hall to the river, is otherwise 

 only varied by stiff pyramidal yews and box, and a few vases. 

 On the whole, the effect of it in connection with the house, 

 and looking towards it, is good, more so than I should have 

 expected; and it falls so rapidly, that it affects the landscape 

 seen in this distance /row the house but very little. This is 

 exquisitely beautiful, looking across the Dee, over a lovely 

 valley towards some high, blue mountains. From other parts 

 of the hall grand vistas open through long avenues of elms, 

 and there are some noble single trees about the lawn. 



This English elm is a much finer tree than I had been 

 aware of — very tall, yet with drooping limbs and fine thick 

 foliage ; not nearly as fine as a single tree as our elm, but even 

 more effective, I think, in masses, because thicker and better 

 filled out in its general outline. 



ENGLISH LANDSCAPE 



I must say, that on the whole, the agriculture of Cheshire, 

 as the first sample of that of England which is presented to 

 me, is far below my expectations. There are sufficient 

 reasons to expect that we shall find other parts much superior 

 to it ; but what we have seen quite disposes of the common 

 pictirre which our railroad and stage-coach travellers are in 

 the habit of giving to our imagination, by saying that "all 

 England is like a garden." Meaning only a "landscape 

 garden, " a beautiful and harmonious combination of hill and 

 dale, with the richest masses of trees, and groups and fines of 

 shrubbery, the greenest turf and most picturesque buildings, 

 it might be appropriately said of many parts, particularly in 

 the south of the country. But, with reference to cultivation, 

 and the productiveness of the land, it might be quite as truly 

 applied to some small districts of our own country as to this 

 part of England. 



