12 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE. 



The new colonists had, however, for the most part, 

 little knowledge of country life, and no conception even 

 of the existence of governing principles for the arrange- 

 ment of grounds, the grouping of trees to secure tasteful 

 effects of shape and color, or the artistic development of 

 naturally beautiful or picturesque features to attain a 

 realization of the landscape painter's dreams. 



To the large class who found themselves thus situated, 

 delighted to escape from the restraints and the turmoil and 

 dirt of the city, and eager to secure the utmost possible 

 enjoyment from the new sources thus opened to them, yet 

 feeling continually oppressed with the sense of their own 

 ignorance and inexperience, Downing's book came like a 

 new revelation, and attained at once a degree of success 

 which was due alike to the admirable character of t^ie 

 work itself and to the fact of its appearing just in time to 

 meet a great popular want. 



Nothing like it had previously appeared in this coun- 

 try, and so few persons had any knowledge of foreign 

 works on the subject, that his skillful adaptation of the 

 principles of the art to our means, necessities and oppor- 

 tunities, had all the zest and freshness of original matter. 



Since then the demand and supply have gone on 

 annually increasing, till city and country have become so 

 merged that it is hard to say where one ends and the 

 other begins. The radius of available territory for sub- 

 urban homes has extended with the opening of new 

 roads, branches and lines of horse cars. Companies 

 have made a lucrative business of buying attractive sites 

 of comparatively wild land and arranging them tastefully 



