108 



PARKS AND PLEASURE-GROUNDS . 



of unwonted beauty, almost unknown and unappre- 

 ciated as such by their proprietors, which are devoted 

 to the common purposes of grazing their herds. The 

 "barrens" of the west, as they are locally termed — • 

 any thing but barren, in reality, as they are among 

 the most fertile of lands when brought into cultiva- 

 tion — covered with scattering trees, and groups, and 

 clumps, and masses of forest of the largest dimensions, 

 and in great variety, with copses of underwood scat- 

 tered beneath, present the most luxuriant sites imagina- 

 ble for such purposes. Occasional stretches of prairie 

 intervene to add to their variety, and frequently a pond, 

 or lake, or running stream adds life and spirit to the 

 landscape. Large tracts of these have been inclosed, 

 and with a discriminating good taste in many of their 

 proprietors, the original trees have been preserved and 

 now remain in their fullest growth and luxuriance. 

 Mountains, and extended waters alone, are wanting, 

 to give them a perfection which all the arts of artificial 

 planting and cultivation cannot equal. Further south, 

 and east, but still on the slope of the western waters, 

 hills and mountains add variety to the scenery of these 

 natural parks. More heavily timbered than the bar- 

 rens, the finest forest ranges are frequently inclosed 

 with the open lands, and dotted with herds and flocks ; 

 and scarce aware of the fact themselves, their propri- 

 etors are in the enjoyment of parks and pleasure- 

 grounds such as few of the aristocracy of Europe can 

 boast, in native grandeur, beauty, and fertility. On 

 the Atlantic slope, a greater variety of surface, and 

 of natural objects may be found, with which to com- 

 bine and form a more perfect aggregation of interest, 

 but diminished in the lesser fertility of the soil, and 



