THE LANDSCAPE BEAUTIFUL 



The attempt to show that the Italian 

 style of gardening is essentially bad, or 

 that it is improper to this continent, even, 

 is quite as futile as to try to prove its 

 accidental development here. The test of 

 centuries has shown that the style is good 

 in itself — very good. There are many argu- 

 ments of expediency and adaptation to be 

 made in its favor anywhere. As to its 

 adaptability to American conditions, that is 

 more nearly a debatable question. Of 

 course, it must be recognized that different 

 materials have to be used to build Italian 

 gardens in America, and various details 

 require important alterations. In these 

 matters mistakes are easy, and it would 

 have been very surprising had the begin- 

 ners not made grave errors; but these errors 

 do not affect the style itself, nor prove its 

 failure, any more than the great abuses of 

 democracy in America prove the failure of 

 our system of government. 



There is room on this great continent 

 for every style of landscape gardening. It 

 is worth while to notice, by way of illus- 

 tration, that a number of gardens are now 

 being done in the Japanese style. Indeed, 

 each and every possible style may have 



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