Public Parks. 1 7 



grounds of our finest country residences have been made under the 

 direction of tlie owners themselves, suggested by their own good 

 taste, in many instances improved by the study of European authors, 

 or by personal inspection of the finest places abroad. The first 

 botanical garden was laid out and planted by John Bartram, one 

 of the pioneer botanists of this country, near Philadelphia. Some 

 of the trees planted by him are still to be seen ; among them the 

 enormous cypress, the destruction of which he feared by the British 

 army after the battle of Brandywine, which so much preyed upon his 

 mind that his death was hastened by it. Humphi-ey Marshall also 

 laid out a botanical garden near West Chester, Pa. 



One of the most celebrated places, known as the " Woodlands," 

 the seat of the Hamilton family, near Philadelphia, was perhaps the 

 best specimen of landscape gardening in this country in the early 

 part of the present century. These grounds were for a long time 

 under the care of the distinguished botanist Pursh. 



Judge Peters's seat, five miles from Philadelphia, was, fifty years 

 ago, the finest representative of the geometric, or ancient style, in 

 America. One of the chief attractions of this place, which still 

 exists, is a fine avenue of hemlocks, planted 120 years ago, several 

 with English ivy, also a chestnut tree planted by Washington, still in 

 full vigor. 



Lemon Hill, a short distance above the Fairmount Water Works, 

 on the Schuylkill river, was, thirty years ago, the most perfect speci- 

 men of the geometric mode in this country. Through the liberality 

 of Mr. Pratt it was open to the public. 



Clermont, on the Hudson, then the residence of Chancellor 

 Livingston, was laid out in the geometric style, with a decided 

 French impress, and at one time was quite noted. 



Waltham House, about nine miles from Boston, was, forty years 

 ago, one of the finest places in the country. The park, in addition 

 to clusters of native wood, was enriched with English limes and 

 elms, watered by a fine stream, and well stocked with deer. 



The first work published in this country on landscape gardening 

 w^as the American Gardener's Calendar, by Bernard McMahon, of 

 Philadelphia ; and the only practitioner of any note was M. Parmen- 

 tier, of Brooklyn, who emigrated to this country in 1S24. He gave 

 to landscape gardening quite an impetus, and to his taste and skill 

 we are indebted for many of the magnificent places on the Hudson ; 

 also others in difterent States and Canada. The taste for rural 



