431 



mistake, however, than to suppose that what has given great gratifi- 

 cation in one place, or under one class of circumstances, will do so 

 everywhere and anywhere, and that the neglect to use every opportu- 

 nity of introducing it is an evidence of ignorance or bad taste. Because 

 it is a very pleasant thing to see a great body of well-dressed people 

 enjoying themselves in the open air, it does not follow that every 

 pleasure ground should be designed with reference exclusively to that 

 pleasure, and all its parts, furniture, and decorations be specially 

 adapted to it ; nor because, also, it is a very pleasant thing to find in 

 the midst of a large town a winding road or walk, with borders 

 on either side, of dense luxuriant foliage, or with a fair landscape 

 opening from it, as completely free, as far as the eye can see, of any- 

 thing artificial as if in the country, that nowhere in a public ground 

 should there be conveniences for congregation, or any obvious dis- 

 play of human handiwork. In a park of five hundred acres, provis- 

 ion of both kinds may be furnished, but it is not wise to undertake 

 to provide both at all points, and if the ground has a varied surface, 

 it is unwise to pursue the congregative purpose in those parts where 

 the suggestions of natural scenery are most interesting. 



When the plan of your park was first outlined, it was intended to 

 provide a ground within which citizens could not only withdraw them- 

 selves at some few points from the sight of town houses and town 

 traffic, but in which they could wander for hours at a time, constantly 

 finding new scenes of natural beauty. The whole of it was laid out 

 with this purpose in view. At the same time, the growth of the 

 tastes and habits which are gratified by joining a gay assemblage or 

 throng was anticipated, and, to provide more completely for the de- 

 mand which was thus expected to arise, it was recommended that 

 two series of stately avenues should be provided outside the park. 

 This recommendation was repeated and urged in three of your an- 

 nual reports, and measures were at length taken to carry out the 

 suggestion before any public demand for the purpose began to be 

 manifested. 



But experience teaches, as we have indicated, that no matter 

 how fine and well adapted to their purpose such avenues may be 

 made, even when their drives are exclusively used for pleasure 

 carriages, where there is a rural park with good roads through 

 it, also conveniently accessible, it will likewise be more or less used 

 as a promenade, and this whether well adapted to that purpose 

 or not. 



Accommodations for large throngs of people, and advantages 

 for observing these throngs, are then at some points desirable and 



