562 LANDSCAPE GAEDEMING. 



Oolleges, &c. As illustration, we will give from each 

 class one example, selecting such as we happen to be 

 the most familiar with. • 



The Central Pa/rk, in New York^ being the most 

 important work of the kind that has been undertaken in 

 America, some slight reference to its plan and general 

 intention will be appropriate here, the more especially, 

 as the editorial articles that appeared in the " Horti- 

 culturist," urging its necessity, and setting forth its 

 advantages, unquestionably exercised an important in- 

 fluence in favor of the project. 



The ground set aside for the purpose, consisting of 

 about 750 acres (represented by the small diagram, Fig. 

 99), was appropriated by an Act of Legislature, in the 

 course of the year following Mr. Downing's death. It 

 was not, however, till the close of 1857, that the actual, 

 purchase of the land was completed. Premiums for de- 

 signs were at this time offered by the Commissioners 

 intrusted with the conduct of the enterprise, and early 

 in June, 1858, the plan (Fig. 98), submitted by Fred. 

 Law Olmsted, and Calvert Vaux, was adopted by the 

 Board. The work was at once actively commenced, 

 under the guidance"f the designers, and has since been 

 steadily pressed forward by the Commission — a force of 

 •over 2,000 men being employed during the most favor- 

 able part of the season. 



From the published description of the design, and 

 such other data as have been furnished us, it appears 

 that the Park is two and-a-half miles long and half a 

 mile wide. It is divided into two distinct parts by the 

 old and new Eeservoirs — the former a quadrangular 

 basin of mason-work ; the latter, of an irregular curved 

 outline, with an earth embankment to retain the water. 

 These two artificial structures occupy a considerable 

 space, and when complete, will have appropriated 

 about 150 acres of ground out of the middle of the site ; 



