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than a continuous mass of evergreen deeply indented 
by bright green lawn, and forming a background for 
fine specimens of oak, maple, and tulip-trees, dressed 
in their autumnal hues. Yet how few elements are 
needed to produce this magnificent chord of color! 
For most cases, the safe and general rule is to avoid 
too many kinds of large trees, to keep similar foliage 
together in grand, quiet masses, to reserve strong 
effects of contrast for the outskirts of plantations, and 
to admit more and more variety and mixture of 
species as we use smaller trees and shrubs. 
In conclusion, we would offer some suggestions as 
to the proper office of a landscape gardener. Passing 
over the clumsy name, which it is now difficult to 
change and mend, let us consider how the person it 
means to describe can make himself useful. First, it 
is clear that he should act as a reformer of the 
prevailing errors,some of which we noticed above. 
This office, however, does not exclusively belong to 
him. Any man of taste, leisure, and observation, is 
perfectly capable of exposing such blunders. Next, 
in preparing the soil and forming the nursery, the 
landscape gardener can, as counsellor, be of great use. 
It is by no means desirable, however, that he should 
take the place of the surveyor, drainer, and agricultu- 
rist. If he does so, the result often is inferior work 
at greater expense, while his attention is diverted 
from his proper business. This is to study the 
grounds, and, from this study, to design and to carry 
out well-considered plans. It is evident, for reasons 
