222 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 485. 



of forestry ; it is simply to save the woods from the lawless 

 depredations of men and animals and the terrible dangers 

 by fire. 



But this is only a temporary expedient to bridge over 

 the time until there can be a permanent organization. The 

 management of forests requires such a wide technical 

 knowledge, and such a sustained effort to be persisted in 

 through generations, that success is possible only through 

 an organization as stable as that of the army or the navy. 

 And this seems to us the most important feature of the 

 entire report. It is hopeless to expect that forests can be 

 preserved, much less managed for production, under any 

 form of civil service that now exists. A regularly 

 organized forest bureau, consisting of officers of the highest 

 personal character and of liberal scientific education, is 

 needed, and men of this class cannot be had unless their 

 tenure of office is permanent and their remuneration is 

 liberal. As the committee point out, however, it is no 

 unusual occurrence for a single fire to destroy in a few 7 

 days material which is worth more in actual money than 

 such a forest administration would cost in years, while 

 the loss to the country in impaired waterflow, through 

 forest fires which might easily be prevented by such a 

 service, is incalculable. The expenditure, therefore, of 

 as much as $250,000 a year, the sum indicated by the 

 commission as necessary to furnish means for protecting 

 the forests on the public domain, is justified by every con- 

 sideration of common sense and of economy. 



We have no space to speak of the chapter on the un- 

 reserved forest lands of the public domain, or of the pro- 

 posed Board of Forest Lands, which is charged with the 

 decision of certain very important questions. We will 

 only add that one of the bills published as an appendix to 

 the report provides that all public lands of the United 

 States which in the judgment of this Board are more valu- 

 able for the production of timber than for agriculture or 

 mining shall be withdrawn from sale, settlement and other 

 disposition, and held for the growth and sale of timber. 

 Other bills provide that the upper slopes of Mount Ranier, 

 with its glaciers and alpine meadows, and the marvelous 

 Grand Canon of the Colorado in Arizona shall be preserved 

 without any further defacement than is necessary to make 

 them easily accessible to the people, and that they therefore 

 should be set aside and governed as national parks. 



No one can see far into the future, but it looks as if 

 Congress had taken effective means to postpone all 

 attempts at the efficient protection of our forests and to 

 prevent the adoption of the conservative measures recom- 

 mended by the committee of the National Academy of 

 Sciences. 



Plan of a Country Place in Connecticut. 



EVERY piece of land, especially in the older portions 

 of our country where the forces of nature and the 

 hand of man have been at work to mould and develop its 

 particular features, has a character of its own. This char- 

 acter may be pleasing, and, if so, when the land falls under 

 the control of the landscape-gardener it is always best for 

 him to work in harmony with the spirit of the place so as 

 to emphasize and bring out its special beauties rather than 

 to struggle against nature and attempt to transform it into 

 something essentially different. The plan on page 227 

 shows a design for home grounds in which the aim has 

 been to preserve the original features and make the most 

 of them. The property had been for years a New England 

 farm of the better class, and little attention had been given 

 to matters that were not strictly utilitarian. Nevertheless, 

 there were plain advantages in its elevated situation, and 

 the consequent breadth of view afforded, in its varied 

 ground surface and its fine natural growth of trees in groups 

 or isolated specimens. Altogether, these well-disposed 

 Oaks, Ashes, Maples and Elms on the rolling surfaces give 

 a dignified air to the place, with occasional picturesque 

 passages, and the design has been elaborated along these 

 lines. The aim has been to unite the scattered elements 



of value and so to dispose the architectural features in rela- 

 tion to them as to make a harmonious effect. 



The house is situated on high ground with a fine back- 

 ground of large trees, and plantings have been added as 

 required to screen but not to entirely conceal the green- 

 houses and stables and minor buildings. Since the ground 

 falls rapidly from the back of the house to a level fifteen 

 feet lower — a level which is maintained in the adjoining 

 meadow-land — these accessory buildings are properly sub- 

 ordinated. Being on level ground they are mostly con- 

 nected by straight roads. In front and at either side of the 

 house the ground slopes gradually, the street level in front 

 being five feet below it. The approach-drive entering with 

 a descending grade quickly passes through masses of trees, 

 after which a broad expanse of undulating lawn comes 

 into view, and the bordering plantations suggest its con- 

 tinuance beyond by the farthermost groups of trees. It 

 then enters a closely planted copse from which the grade 

 ascends continuously to the house. The house is visible 

 on emerging from this planting, and is here seen to good 

 advantage with fine stretches of lawn in front and on 

 either side, with a heavy background of trees supporting 

 groups to the left, an incidental glimpse of a little garden 

 behind some bordering shrubbery, and views on the lower 

 grounds to the right. Fine prospects open from the 

 house. On one side the well-kept lawn comes close 

 to the foundation, and the two are united by shrubs 

 and vines ; on the other is a foreground of pasture-lands 

 with wooded hills beyond the railroad, the glittering 

 waters of the Sound in the offing, and on clear days 

 glimpses of Long Island in the distance. The screen 

 which hides the railroad is of such moderate height that it 

 will not obstruct the distant prospect. Continuing past the 

 house the drive begins to descend, and opposite the end 

 of the greenhouse it enters a winding valley. Following 

 the low ground a pleasing succession of concave surfaces 

 comes and goes until a close-growing piece of natural woods 

 is reached. From this point to a ledge of rock near the exit 

 is a steep hillside on the left, which ascends to the street 

 some fifteen feet above it. The road first passes through 

 the dense shade of overhanging trees, then skirts a small 

 opening with the half-concealed ledge at the farther end. 

 This ledge makes an appropriate finale to a drive which in 

 its course has brought to view a succession of interesting 

 scenes, all of them united in that they suggest throughout 

 the main idea. The numerous curves suit the grounds, 

 and there is an evident reason for every one. The planta- 

 tions have been disposed so as to help the architecture 

 where they are related to it and unite the scattered trees 

 which originally existed, while simplicity and breadth of 

 effect has been the aim at every point. 



The material for planting has been selected with a view 

 to preserve the quiet dignity of the place. Near the house 

 trees like the Yellow-wood, Beech, American Hornbeam, 

 Liquidamber, Magnolias and a few Koelreuterias have been 

 selected ; while further away Oaks, Chestnuts, Maples, 

 Elms, Ashes and Lindens are used, and on the natural 

 wood-borders Flowering Dogwood, the Judas-tree and 

 Thorns in variety have been used, with many woodland 

 Ferns, flowers and shrubs. Among the latter Rhododen- 

 dron maximum has been very freely planted. Along the 

 low ground bordering the railroad an effect such as is 

 often seen in New England in the richer lowlands has 

 been attempted, especially in regard to the autumn foliage, 

 by planting Swamp Maples, Sumachs in variety, Amelan- 

 chiers, Cornuses, Viburnums, Celastrus, some White Birches 

 and White Pines. In this scheme the general character of 

 the place can be seen at once, although there are certain 

 details of the work which can only be brought about gradu- 

 ally, owing to the undesirable position of some of the old 

 trees and the lines of former roadways. Nevertheless, 

 with the hearty cooperation of the architect and the intelli- 

 gent interest of the owner, the successful development of 

 the design seems assured. 

 New York. Charles H. Loivrie. 



