288 Xanoscape Hrcbitecture 



ward and emphasize the softness and simplicity of the 

 meadow scenery. Even the Ramble, which is char- 

 acterized by intricacy and picturesqueness and where 

 there are places which have all the mysterious charm 

 of a natural wild wood, there are many little grassy 

 openings bordered with trees which repeat the 

 meadows in a small way and carry the idea of pastoral 

 quiet throughout the work. Indeed, the great value 

 of Central Park is that it is a work with unity of 

 design and that it is consistent throughout, and it 

 still remains the best, as it was the first example of a 

 pleasure ground designed to have the restful charm 

 of natural scenery and yet completely enclosed by a 

 compactly built city. . . . 



" 'Truly,' says an English writer, 'the transforma- 

 tion of a tract of swamp and rock into one of the most 

 beautiful parks in the world is a striking monument 

 of American skill and perseverance.' It is more than 

 that, it is a work of genius, and the more it is studied, 

 the more we wonder at the prophetic power of the 

 designers in providing so far in advance for the wants 

 of a city, which only existed at the time in imagina- 

 tion. Whenever any radical change in this design 

 is proposed, the project should always be examined 

 with reference to its effect on the fundamental charac- 

 ter of the work as a whole. It is just as truly a 

 unit in conception as if it consisted of one broad 

 meadow." 1 



1 Garden and Forest, William A. Stiles, New York Park Commis- 

 sioner. 



