18(5 Landscape Gardening 



tainly not very large, though it is continually increasing. 

 But \ve have no hesitation in saying that the aggregate 

 sum annually expended in this way for the last five years, 

 in North America, is not exceeded in any country in the 

 world save one. 



England ranks before all other countries in the perfection 

 of its landscape gardening; and enormous, almost incredible 

 sums have been expended by her wealthier class upon their 

 rural improvements. But the taste of England is, we 

 have good reasons for believing, at its maximum; and the 

 expenditure of the aristocracy is, of late, chiefly devoted to 

 keeping up the existing style of their parks and pleasure 

 grounds. In this country, it is quite surprising how rapid 

 is the creation of new country residences, and how large 

 is the aggregate amount continually expended in the con- 

 struction of houses and grounds, of a character more or 

 less ornamental. 



Granting all this, it cannot be denied that there are also, 

 in the United States, large sums of money - - many mil- 

 lions of dollars --annually, most unwisely and injudiciously 

 expended in these rural improvements. \Yhile we gladly 

 admit that there has been a surprising and gratifying ad- 

 vance in taste within the last ten years, we are also forced 

 to confess that there are countless specimens of bad taste, 

 and hundreds of examples where a more agreeable and satis- 

 factory result might have been attained at one-half the cost. 



Is it not, therefore, worth while to inquire a little more 

 definitely what are the obstacles that lie in the way of form- 

 ing satisfactory, tasteful, and agreeable country residences? 



The common reply to this question, when directly put in 

 the face of any signal example of failure is - - "Oh, Mr. - 

 is a man of no taste!" There is, undoubtedly, often but 

 too much truth in this clean cut at the aesthetic capacities 

 of the unlucky improver. But it by no means follows that 

 it is always true. A man may have taste, and yet if he 

 trusts to his own powers of direction, signally fail in tasteful 

 improvements. 



\Ye should say that two grand errors are the fertile causes 



