The Artist 



cathedral aisles, completely over-arched by 

 giant elms and maples ; and this also is a 

 sight that one might travel far to see. 



Good planning, we know, is the foun- 

 dation of all good gardening art. Impor- 

 tant in the smallest problem, it is trebly 

 important in large ones ; and nothing in the 

 world is so instructive with regard to good 

 planning on a very large scale as are our great 

 public parks. In them, I think, we can 

 learn more about the highest principles of 

 landscape-gardening than Europe could 

 teach. When a student can really appreci- 

 ate all the excellence of one of Mr. Olm- 

 sted's parks, when he really understands its 

 creator's ideals and methods, he has- done 

 much to fit himself for his own future work. 

 Small problems are not very illuminative 

 with regard to great ones ; but the way in 

 which great ones have been managed — as a 

 whole and in their several parts — may be 

 infinitely helpful with regard to the smallest ; 

 that is to say, if the student alwaj^s bears in 

 mind that, in his art as in the architect's, 

 the virtue of virtues is fitness. 



369 



