66 



to bring them to a normal degree of perfection, but to 

 open the necessary views through them. A very bad 

 practice resorted to by the neighboring residents for a 

 long time — that of gathering the fallen leaves in autumn 

 for making compost — has deprived the soil of a large 

 amount of the essential ingredients of fertility, and the 

 trees of the food necessary to their very existence. This 

 will have to be remedied immediately by incorporating 

 manure and vegetable mould with their soil and around 

 their roots. All of the planting which it is proposed 

 should be done at this time, is around the border. This 

 may consist of every variety of trees and shrubs, forming 

 of them a nursery of young trees around the exterior 

 line and along the sides of Flatbush avenue, which, in the 

 progress of their growth and development, may be trans- 

 planted to the points where effect is required. Upon 

 the proper conduct of this portion of the work depends 

 the artistic character of the scheme. The method pur- 

 sued in planting may mar the beauty of an otherwise 

 perfect plan, and the closest study will be required to 

 maintain the unity and harmony of the design. By a 

 judicious selection of trees, and by their arrangement 

 into groups with regard to their size, shape and color, 

 we shall be able not only to preserve, but to heighten 

 the character of the scenes which the ever varying topo- 

 graphy calls into existence. This must be a work of 

 time. No person can appreciate this fact more than a 

 true artist and close observer of nature. Trees have 

 their individuality as strongly marked as men or animals; 

 and to say that one tree would produce anything like the 

 same effect in a certain locality that another would, is to 

 deny the existence of this individuality. It becomes ne- 



