The Park in Muskau 121 



quired on my own soil and land, while in this 

 region the consequent loss of farm acreage was 

 not a very great consideration. 



(5) The general cheapness of land labor and 

 cartage. 



(6) All building material of my own produc- 

 tion, coming from brick kilns, iron foundries, 

 and glassworks, also wood of every kind in pro- 

 fusion, also abundance of field stones, large and 

 small, mostly of granite, rich marl quarries, etc. 



(7) Lastly, the various means furnished by 

 such a large estate and by the disposition of so 

 many clerks and dependents whereby, on a large 

 scale, development is secured. 



It will be seen that drawback ( i ) is nullified 

 by the advantages mentioned in advantage (i), 

 and it is almost a moot point whether such an 

 oasis, surrounded with woods, like an island by 

 the sea, cannot be, perhaps, the most favorable 

 spot for grounds of this kind.' 



Moreover, forests of dark pine woods, melan- 

 choly when seen near at hand, at a distance 

 make a background and horizon against whose 

 dark masses the young green of deciduous foli- 

 age near by appears twice as gay, and colored 

 clouds of heaven afford a more brilliant con- 

 trast. 



Drawback (2): The soil which was partly 



■ Passing as one must a whole tract of somewhat barren country 

 before reaching Muskau, when all expectations are abandoned, a luxurious 

 landscape, summoned as if by magic, strikes with twice the force, just 

 as (if the comparison does not appear trivial) a rich meal is best en- 

 joyed by a hungry stomach. 



