431 Landscape Gardening 



reached and profoundly influenced hundreds of men in other 

 parts of the country. It is probably true that Downing's 

 staunchest personal disciples were the men who formed 

 their attachment to him at this point. 



His architectural work was of very considerable conse- 

 quence. While undoubtedly it represents that part of his 

 thought which has proved of least worth to us in our gene- 

 ration, yet it was credited in its time with far-reaching 

 influence for good. In any study of his intellect and charac- 

 ter it is obligatory to take into the account the wide, serious 

 and faithful study which he gave to this subject. 



We are to remember him also as a writer. There are 

 those who believe that his greatest achievements were in 

 the field of literature. This was obviously the opinion of 

 his biographer, George William Curtis. It is easy to join in 

 this opinion when we view those numerous books of his in 

 their several fields and in their several editions; when we 

 consider especially those masterly essays contributed to 

 the "Horticulturist;" and still more when we look at all 

 these achievements in the light of the later development of 

 a whole realm of country life literature, now an enormous 

 but then an untouched field. 



The literary fame rests upon a most substantial basis, 

 seeing his product had both matter and style. He had real 

 first-hand information to communicate. Much more than 

 that, he had sound personal opinions, the product of careful 

 study by a most extraordinary mind. This information and 

 these opinions were offered to the world in the best literary 

 dress of the times, - - in a style clear, finished, distinguished. 

 Yet it seems to me that we in this day are most of all 

 indebted to Downing for his achievements in the field of 

 landscape architecture. There have been many capable 

 nurserymen in America, hundreds of other writers of ability, 

 other architects of greater influence, but Downing was 

 without a question the founder of American Landscape 

 Gardening. It is here that his work is still the freshest and 

 most vital. 



As I look over the work of our great leader in the field of 



