THE FIELD OF CRITICISM 



tude toward the giving of information, 

 what is to be expected when these men 

 are asked for an expression of opinion? 

 The majority of them refuse flatly to give 

 it. It seems to be considered a crime to 

 say that Mr. Brown's design for the public 

 park is good, and Mr. White's design for 

 the college campus inadequate. Indeed, 

 some of these good men appear to feel that 

 it is unprofessional and ungentlemanly 

 to think about such things. 



Let us understand now and evermore 

 that this attitude is wrong and harmful. 

 The right way is to welcome and assist 

 criticism. Well-informed, intelligent criti- 

 cism will clear the air, will set a standard 

 of taste, will foster a wider and better 

 appreciation of our gracious art, will tend 

 to the improvement of technique, will set 

 higher ideals before our professional 

 workers, and in a thousand ways will help 

 both the makers and the enjoyers of land- 

 scape pictures. 



In the field of landscape architecture 

 the critic meets certain practical difficulties 

 which do not exist in other fields, or 

 which elsewhere offer less serious obstacles. 

 It is quite possible to read all the works 



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