28 



THE BOTS DE BOULOGNE. 



with even more satisfactory results^ to all the gardens of any 

 great city. 



Take a city with half a dozen parks,, a score of squares, 

 and perhaps numerous avenues and open places where 

 trees or flowers might be grown — take, in fact, the public 

 gardening of Paris or London at the present day. Now, in 

 the ordinary course of things, several kinds of trees and 

 plants, or several dozen kinds, will be found to do best in 

 all these places, and under the usual management the same 

 subjects will predominate in each. To the people who 

 live in the neighbourhood of each the effect will be perhaps 

 agreeable ; but it must become monotonous. To prevent 

 people endeavouring to see any life or interest in vegeta- 

 tion, the true way is to make a few things predominate 

 everywhere. It is also a simple and easy way for the 

 superintendents ; there is no " bother with it,^^ but there is 

 also little pleasure, and little of that enthusiastic effort which 

 is the highest of pleasures, and one only enjoyed by those 

 who work at things for their own sakes. Innumerable beds 

 of Cannas and Pelargoniums are better than nothing, no 

 doubt, but are bad where the opportunity for a higher kind of 

 embellishment exists. Eor the credit and encouragement of 

 our city gardening, it is necessary that we confine ourselves 

 to the better kind of trees, as many good kinds do not grow 

 well in streets ; but when it comes to the parks and open 

 gardens, it is a very different matter. If each park and 

 square in a city were arranged entirely different from every 

 other, the enjoyment of those in the immediate neighbour- 

 hood of each would be none the less, while the gardening 

 treasures of the town would be greater in proportion to the 

 number of parks or squares. A walk in any direction 

 would reveal new charms to those having the slightest 

 sympathy with nature, and help to sow the seed of love for 

 it, were the ground ever so barren. A walk to distant 

 parks or squares would furnish an object to the many, who 

 might be expected to take an interest in gardens under 

 such managenient ; and objects for walks in towns and 

 cities cannot be too numerous. 



One park might display minute floral interest in all its 



