INTRODUCTION. xiii 



My chief confidence in the value of such a work lies, 

 I confess, chiefly in the superior effect the illustrations may 

 have in inspiring interest in the subject, and leading the 

 reader to pursue his investigations farther a-field. I have 

 also myself lived among choice ornamental trees all my 

 life, and had the opportunity of studying many examples of 

 landscape gardening in numerous more or less professional 

 visits to country-places in America. My position of Su- 

 perintendent of Parks in New York for nearly ten years, 

 moreover, gives some additional reasons for undertaking to 

 make a few suggestions and notes by the way that may be 

 helpful to others. 



The first chapter that I propose to undertake in the 

 series of what should be termed talks, rather than serious 

 discussions, will be on the subject of the actual lawn con- 

 sidered by itself. Having duly considered the best 

 methods of making a lawn, and arrived at the final convic- 

 tion that lawn-making requires considerable practical 

 knowledge and skill, we will be likely to meet the ques- 

 tion, " But how do you make your roads ? " To this I shall 

 be obliged to reply: "That, although I have arrived at 

 certain conclusions about road-making, I do not deem the 

 subject as clearly within the proper scope of landscape 

 gardening." 



Roadmaking is distinctly within the province of the 

 engineer, and all over the civilized world the subject has 

 been exhaustively treated by learned experts, who have set 

 forth their views in prize essays and more extended 

 treatises. But I must say this much, earnestly and from 

 an experience that has been checkered by good and bad 



