322 
FLORA AND SYLVA 
training is for different work. In 
France the landscape gardeners retort 
by taking lessons in architecture, and 
whenever they can they build the house 
as well as lay out the grounds. In Amer- 
ica, where the profession of landscape 
gardener is taking an organised shape, 
landscape gardeners are debarred from 
undertaking other work — a wholesome 
rule, as poaching on other's preserves is 
harmful in many ways. But even out 
of these confusing elements a man of 
genius arises now and then, like the late 
Robert Marnoch and F. L. Olmstead, 
and there are some good landscape 
gardeners in practice. 
How are we to know a good one ? 
By this among other signs, that he will 
study the ground thoroughly first, and 
bring no plan in his pocket. He should 
work on the ground itself and be able 
to show, by the aid of a few sticks, 
what his notions are as regards the 
ground near the house and the flower- 
garden. Paper plans are a feeble sub- 
stitute for the thingitself, but the custom 
of planning out is so fixed that it is 
not easy to get this truth accepted. 
One day I was considering the site for 
a flower-garden — there was a beauti- 
ful lake below, at just a good distance, 
with other advantages to be thought 
of and brought into relation with the 
proposed flower-garden — I was called 
into the house to see a wretched plan 
of the ground, which showed me no- 
thing but afewbare lines. Plans are essen- 
tial for busy men in oflices,but the man 
who would make the best of his ground 
can do better without any plan but such 
as he marks out on the ground itself 
Let it be remembered always, by 
those who care for the beauty of a 
country place, that the plotting out of 
the ground about the house is but a 
small part of the work that has to be 
done. It is only when we get clear of 
the parts near the house that the per- 
manent planting of the place — breadth, 
variety, and the bigger questions — 
really comes in, and here it is certain 
that no good work is possible without 
knowledge of the trees of our own 
country and the hardy trees and shrubs 
of northern lands. We may lay it down 
as certain that there can be no true 
work in landscape gardening save by 
one who knows these by heart, and 
there is no royal road to that save a life's 
study. We are not now like the old 
Dutch, who had one or two native 
trees to hack into green walls, but are 
rich with the trees of three continents. 
It is surely clear therefore that what we 
want is naturalists and artists, and not 
mere artificers who work with dead 
materials. 
In all important work there should 
be a professional man who should have 
nothing to do with the nursery trade 
beyond controlling it, who should re- 
ceive no commissions from anyone but 
his employer, and who should have the 
same power to reject unsuitable material 
that a good architect has and uses at 
his own discretion. 
The relation of nurserymen to gar- 
den design is a delicate one. A nur- 
seryman's business is a wholly distinct 
and very useful one, but if he does his 
own work well he has not the time or 
the knowledge to act as a professional 
