THE OPEN FIELD 



ONE does not need to be a partisan advocate 

 of the natural style of landscape garden- 

 ing to believe that it has a wide present 

 usefulness and a glorious future. Let us, there- 

 fore, avoiding all invidious comparison, try to esti- 

 mate the special field of the naturalistic style. 



First of all let us remember that to the profes- 

 sional landscape gardeners, in a rather special sense, 

 is given the custody of the native landscape. This 

 immeasurably precious heritage ought to be pre- 

 served and passed on to succeeding generations in 

 all its pristine loveliness. It may be modified here 

 and there, forests may be cut, prairies plowed and 

 cities built; but the beauty and majesty of the land- 

 scape in its entirety need not be impaired. And 

 adequate types of all pure landscapes will every- 

 where be preserved. 



Elsewhere we have said that the work of the 

 landscape amateur and of the professional practi- 



140 



