174 LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



the year. And yet there are very few of the large places that can 

 be looked upon as examples of tolerable keeping. 



The explanation of this lies in the high price of all kinds of la- 

 bor which costs us nearly double or treble what it does on the 

 other side of the Atlantic, and the comparatively small profits of 

 land managed in the expensive way common on almost all farms 

 attached to our Atlantic country-seats. The remedy for this unsat- 

 isfactory condition of the large country places is, we think, a very 

 simple one that of turning a large part of their areas into park 

 meadow, and feeding it, instead of mowing and cultivating it. 



The great and distinguishing beauty of England, as every one 

 knows, is its parks. And yet the English parks are only very large 

 meadows, studded with oaks and elms and grazed profitably 

 grazed, by deer, cattle, and sheep. We believe it is a commonly 

 received idea in this country, with those who have not travelled 

 abroad, that English parks are portions of highly-dressed scenery 

 at least that they are kept short by frequent mowing, etc. It is an 

 entire mistake. The mown lawn with its polished garden scenery, 

 is confined to the pleasure-grounds proper a spot of greater or less 

 size, immediately surrounding the house, and wholly separated from 

 the park by a terrace wall, or an iron fence, or some handsome 

 architectural barrier. The park, which generally comes quite up to 

 the house on one side, receives no other attention than such as be- 

 longs to the care of the animals that graze in it. As most of these 

 parks afford excellent pasturage, and though apparently one wide, 

 unbroken surface, they are really subdivided into large fields, by 

 wire or other invisible fences, they actually pay a veiy fair income 

 to the proprietor, in the shape of good beef, mutton, and venison. 



Certainly, nothing can be a more beautiful sight in its way, than 

 the numerous herds of deer, short-horned cattle and fine sheep, 

 which embroider and give life to the scenery of an English country 

 home of this kind.* There is a quiet pastoral beauty, a spacious- 



* All attempts to render our native deer really tame in home grounds 

 have, so far as we know, failed among us though with patience the thing 

 may doubtless be done. It would be well worth while to import the finer 

 breeds of the English deer, which are thoroughly domesticated in their habits, 

 and the most beautiful animals for a park. 



