THE LANDSCAPE BEAUTIFUL 



flora. In the landscape-gardening way, he 

 was the first to make free and effective 

 use of it; and this is probably his most 

 truly original contribution to American 

 landscape art. Downing knew some of the 

 native trees, but he cultivated chiefly ex- 

 otics, especially in fruits and shrubs. 

 Olmsted boldly laid these all aside, and, on 

 occasion, used only the commonest and 

 meanest of the native shrubs and herbs. 

 The meadow and pasture weeds became 

 the materials for painting in his greatest 

 triumphs. How important this new idea 

 was may be seen from the wide vogue it 

 has achieved among Olmsted's followers. 

 Then came Mr. Charles A. Piatt and 

 Carrere and Hastings. These men were 

 the center of a group, each member of 

 which added something to the general 

 wealth of Italian gardens in America. 

 Mr. Wilson Eyre, Jr., Mr. Stanford White, 

 Messrs. McKim & Mead, and even the 

 younger Olmsteds, have built gardens in 

 the Italian fashion; and since these 

 gardens in America depend rather on a 

 trick of imitating details than on a genius 

 for originating new ideas, the work of these 

 well-trained men has been about equally 



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