THE LANDSCAPE BEAUTIFUL 



were not tilled." The idea of quoting Tull 

 and Evelyn to throw light on the cultiva- 

 tion of vineyards in America is laughable 

 enough, but it was the way books were 

 written and gardens were made in that 

 day. This extract, too, is from a book 

 published as late as i8ig. 



These little historical facts sum up 

 easily in a few important conclusions which 

 we may state as follows : First, the colonists 

 had a taste for gardening which they early 

 found time and opportunity to indulge. 

 Second, for many years they were sadly 

 handicapped with the experience, traditions, 

 and prejudice of old-world gardening. 

 Third, we may infer that this slavery to 

 European notions was more effective in the 

 field of taste than in the field of practice. 

 The design of the garden would be more 

 influenced by it than would the selection, 

 planting and cultivation of the plants 

 themselves. 



There are thus emphatic considerations 

 to show why the first civilized Americans 

 did not promptly develop a distinctive style 

 of gardening on the continent of North 

 America. There are many other reasons, 

 indeed; and chiefly the broad fact that the 



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