50 INTRODUCTION. 



cit} r , were in the height of their beaut}'' from 1820 to 1825 ; and 

 the proprietor, opening them freely to the citizens, contributed in 

 a great degree to improve their taste, and to inspire them with a 

 desire to possess the more beautiful productions of nature. The 

 grounds were laid out in the geometric mode, and were the most 

 perfect specimen of this style in America. 1 They now form a part 

 of the great Fairmount Park. 



Waltham House, the seat of Gov. Gore, and afterwards of 

 Theodore Lyman, about nine miles from Boston, was also at 

 this time one of the most beautiful places as regards landscape 

 gardening, with a fine level park a mile in length, enriched with 

 groups of English elms, limes, and oaks, watered by a fine stream, 

 and stocked with deer. Here, also, the finest varieties of fruit 

 were cultivated, the trees being trained on walls, in the English 

 method ; and there were also a grapery, greenhouse, and hot-house. 

 This and the Woodlands were the two best specimens of the 

 modern stj-le, as Judge Peters's seat, Clermont, and Lemon Hill, 

 were of the ancient st} r le, in the early period of the history of land- 

 scape gardening in the United States. 2 



In 1823 Samuel and John Feast began cultivating trees, plants, 

 and vegetables in Baltimore, on the Frederick road, and were the 

 first to offer plants for sale in the public markets of Baltimore. 8 

 In 1827-28 the garden of Dr. Thomas Young, at Savannah, 

 claimed superiority over every other in the South, being filled with 

 rare plants from every part of the world. The garden of Dr. 

 Wraj T , at Augusta, was rich in bulbs, native herbaceous plants, 

 and succulents. Major Le Conte's garden, at Riceborough, also 

 contained a superb collection of bulbs. At Charleston, S.C., 

 M. Noisette, brother to the Paris nurseryman of the same name, 

 had an extensive establishment, chiefly in the culinary line ; but his 

 grounds contained many fine camellias, C} T cas revoluta, Noisette 

 roses, etc. These and the gardens of Dr. McRee of Wilmington, 

 N.C., and Mr. Oemler of Savannah, were long considered inferior 

 to no private collections in the Union. 4 



In 1828 Judge Buel enumerated, 6 as among the principal nur- 

 series in the United States (besides those already mentioned in 



Hovey's Magazine, Vol. in. p. 4; Do\vning's Landscape Gardening, sixth ed., p. 27. 



Downing's Landscape Gardening, sixth ed., p. 28. 



Gardener's Monthly, Vol. XX. p. 284. 



London's Gardener's Magazine, Vol. IV. p. 464; Hovey's Magazine, Vol. III. p. 7. 



London's Gardener's Magazine, Vol. IV. p. 193. 



