TEXTBOOK OF LANDSCAPE GARDENING 
the area under study he will fix upon several stations where the best 
pictures are to be seen. The desirability of each station may be 
estimated by photographing it or even by imagining how it would 
appear in a photograph. An essential feature of this exercise lies 
precisely here, viz., in separating specific views from their context. 
The casual and uninstructed observer often fails to see the most 
intimate beauties of the landscape because he does not focus his 
attention upon them. He “can not see the forest for the trees,” 
or, quite as probably, he does not see the beauty of a particular 
tree because it is in a forest. 
As each one of these pictures is selected the exact point from 
which it is to be viewed should be fixed. At the point of view a 
stake may be driven. Upon the stake an arrow may be set pointing 
to the desired spot. The successive stakes in the landscape links 
may be numbered in series. 
The number of stations in this series should not be less than six 
nor more than twelve. Obviously it will be desirable to make these 
as different in subject matter as the resources of the area permit. 
Some views should open toward distant prospects; some should 
focus upon definite objects in middle distances; some should be 
directed to objects in the immediate foreground, as to a group of 
wild flowers, or even to a mass of lichens upon a stone. 
The subjects of these views may be infinitely varied, such as 
distant views of mountains, lakes, cities; middle ieaaa views of 
houses, fences, roads, water, brooks, waterfalls, bridges; or “‘close- 
up” foreground pictures of trees, shrubs, flowers, a aes s nest, a 
wayside well, a stile, a park seat. But let it be remembered that 
not more than twelve subjects are to be included in any one pro- 
gram. 
It will make the exercise more workable, especially for a large 
class, if a printed program of views is handed to each student, some- 
what in the following form: 
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