ON AMERICAN MASTERPIECES OF 

 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE 



'^^HE uninitiated person hearing of mas- 

 ^^ terpieces easily forms the idea that 

 there is something complete and final 

 about each one. The very word "master-^ 

 piece" has a big, sonorous and conclusive 

 sound. However, when the critic comes to 

 close quarters with any of the renowned 

 works he finds that they are not without 

 defects. Even the most masterful of the 

 masterpieces, in literature, music or painting, 

 is only a little way in advance of its com- 

 petitors. Or, to state the matter differently, 

 there is no such thing as perfection or 

 finality in the works of human art. 



In the field of landscape architecture 

 there are special difficulties which have al- 

 ready been hinted at. A piece of work may be 

 left to-day in the very best condition which 

 the landscape architect's skill can give it, and 

 yet five years from to-day, through neglect 

 or abuse, it may be worthless. An artistic 



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