Management of Larye Country Places 229 



the care of Ihe animals that graze in it. As most of these 

 parks afford excellent pasturage, and though apparently 

 one wide, unbroken surface, they are really subdivided into 

 large fields, by wire or other invisible fences, they actually 

 pay a very fair income to the proprietor, in the shape of 

 good beef, mutton, and venison. 



Certainly, nothing can be a more beautiful sight in its 

 way, than the numerous herds of deer, short-horned cattle 

 and fine sheep, which embroider and give life to the scenery 

 of an English country home of this kind.* There is a quiet 

 pastoral beauty, a spaciousness and dignity, and a simple 

 feeling of nature about it which no highly decorated pleasure 

 grounds or garden scenery can approach, as the continual 

 surrounding of a .country residence. It is, in fact, the 

 poetical idea of Arcadia, a sort of ideal nature, softened 

 refined, and ennobled, without being made to look artificial. 



Of course any thing like English parks, so far as regards 

 extent, is almost out of the question here; simply because 

 land and fortunes are widely divided here, instead of being 

 kept in large bodies, intact, as in England. Still, as the 

 first class country-seats of the Hudson now command from 

 $50,000 to $75,000, it is evident that there is a growing 

 taste for space and beauty in the private domains of repub- 

 licans. What we wish to suggest now is simply that the 

 greatest beauty and satisfaction may be had here, as in 

 England (for the plan really suits our limited means bet- 

 ter), by treating the bulk of the ornamental portion as 

 open park pasture, and thus getting the greatest space and 

 beauty at the least original expenditure and with the largest 

 annual profit. 



To some of our readers who have never seen the thing 

 the idea of a park pastured by animals almost to the very 

 door will seem at variance with all decorum and elegance. 

 This, however, is not actually the case. The house should 



* All attempts to render our native deer really tame in home grounds 

 have, so far as we know, failed among us, though with patience the thing 

 may doubtless he done. It would be well worth while to import the finer 

 breeds of the English deer, which are thoroughly domesticated in their 

 habits, and the most beautiful animals for a park. A. J. D. 



