JANUARY. 15 



chasing some of these wild and beautiful tracts, and conse- 

 crating them to the beneficent purposes of taste, science and 

 humanity. Many of these places have been entirely divested 

 of their wood, and stand in naked desolation, as monuments 

 of the folly or negligence of our predecessors. It behoves 

 the present generation to secure some of the most important 

 of these tracts, which are still partially wooded. Such an 

 enterprise is not likely to be accomplished under many years, 

 unless we set the public an example of the kind in Massa- 

 chusetts. Boston established the first rural cemetery in our 

 land ; let this city establish the first forest preserve on a large 

 scale, and its example would be immediately followed by all 

 other cities. It might also be found convenient and practica- 

 ble to connect these forestries with agricultural schools, in 

 which the pupils might, during their leisure, devote them- 

 selves to the study of natural history, and the pursuits of 

 taste, 



I will now, in general terms, endeavor to explain the 

 manner of laying out these grounds, and the means to be 

 adopted for keeping them in repair. The expense of such a 

 work is liable to be over-rated, by over-estimating the quan- 

 tity of labor which would be necessary to complete the un- 

 dertaking. I have already premised that one prominent 

 object should be to preserve these grounds, as far as practica- 

 ble, in their state of primitive wildness, or in one resembling 

 it. The only desirable improvements are the planting certain 

 naked portions of the land Avith trees and shrubbery, and di- 

 vesting certain other parts of their wood, where it interferes 

 with pleasant prospects ; and, finally, intersecting the whole 

 with paths, for the purpose of rendering the grounds accessi- 

 ble. These should not be gravelled, and I would allow them 

 to be overgrown with grass ; considering them in proper con- 

 dition, when they were free from shrubs, thorns, and tangled 

 vines. Nature rears in such green paths some of the loveliest 

 of her productions ; and, if they were left to nature after the 

 first clearing, the miscellaneous wild flowers which would 

 spring up spontaneously in their borders, would form a delight- 

 ful addition to the interesting objects of the place. 



