Historical Sketches 21 



The seat of Col. Perkins, at Brooklinc, is one of the most 

 interesting in this neighborhood. The very beautiful lawn 

 here, abounds with exquisite trees, finely disposed; among 

 them, some larches and Norway firs, with many other rare 

 trees of uncommon beauty of form. At a short distance is 

 the villa residence of Theodore Lyman, Esq., remarkable 

 for the unusually fine avenue of Elms leading to the house, 

 and for the beautiful architectural taste displayed in the 

 dwelling itself. The seat of the Hon. John Lowell, at 

 Roxbury, possesses also many interesting gardening fea- 

 tures.* 



Pine Bank, the Perkins estate, on the border of Jamaica 

 lake, is one of the most beautiful residences near Boston. 

 The natural surface of the ground is exceedingly flowing 

 and graceful, and it is varied by two or three singular little 

 " dimples," or hollows, w T hich add to its effect. The perfect 

 order of the grounds; the beauty of the walks, sometimes 

 skirting the smooth open lawn, enriched with rare plants 



* We Americans are proverbially impatient of delay, and a few years 

 in prospect appear an endless futurity. So much is this feeling with 

 many, that we verily believe there are hundreds of our country places, 

 which owe their bareness and destitution of foliage to the idea, so common, 

 that it requires "an age" for forest trees to "grow up." The middle- 

 aged man hesitates about the good of planting what he imagines he shall 

 never see arriving at maturity, and even many who are younger, con- 

 ceive that it requires more than an ordinary lifetime to rear a fine wood 

 of planted trees. About two years since, we had the pleasure of visiting 

 the seat of the late Mr. Lowell, whom we found in a green old age, still 

 enjoying, with the enthusiasm of youth, the pleasures of Horticulture and 

 a country life. For the encouragement of those who are ever complain- 

 ing of the tardy pace with which the growth of trees advances, we will 

 here record that we accompanied Mr. L. through a belt of fine woods 

 (skirting part of his residence), nearly half a mile in length, consisting of 

 almost all our finer hardy trees, many of them apparently full grown, the 

 whole of which had been planted by him when he was thirty-two years 

 old. At that time, a solitary elm or two were almost the only trees upon 

 his estate. We can hardly conceive a more rational source of pride or 

 enjoyment, than to be able thus to walk, in the decline of years, beneath 

 the shadow of umbrageous woods and groves, planted by our own hands, 

 and whose growth has become almost identified with our own progress 

 and existence. A. J. D. 



