426 WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCEITY. 
ing to a rightly cultured man, than association and communication 
with Nature. He who finds not delight and renewed strength in 
the observation of her creations and processes in the external 
world, will not find pleasure in the creation of human artists. A 
painting or statue will be devoid of interest to him. But to and 
of such persons—the exceptional Gradgrinds of our civilization— 
I am not talking. 
Here let me emphatically say that the picture of suburban felici¬ 
ty which I am now drawing, requires spacious and beautiful 
grounds as its chief feature—a necessary feature. A spacious 
and elegant house and costly furniture are desirable, and shall 
go in if the bank account shall permit, but they are not essential. 
There is in this country far too much building of houses for the 
admiration or envy of our neighbors. The more simple style of¬ 
ten seen in England—a neat but inexpensive cottage or villa in 
the midst of an elysium of lawn, and trees and flowers, and grav¬ 
eled walks—commends itself to a truer taste, as well as to a more 
moderate purse. 
One of the earliest recollections of my childhood is of such a 
place in the lake region of Central New York. Ten or twenty 
acres of charming park land encircled the inexpensive but con¬ 
venient house of one whose money might have built a regal pal¬ 
ace. The place was not only the admiration and delight of 
neighbors, but an occasional English visitor felt there as if he were 
in the verdant glories of his own country. 
I have in recent days been nowhere so fully impressed with the 
truth of the ideas I am now presenting, as when traveling, not 
long ago, on the carriage road from New York City to Tarrytown. 
The drive was a perpetual delight. Perhaps nowhere else in 
America are to be found in a similar distance so many tasteful 
anJ delightful homes. I found it difficult to say whether I ad¬ 
mired most the regal residence encircled by forty or more acres of 
equally regal park land, or the more simple but tasteful cottages 
and villas embosomed in the trees and shrubbery of half an acre, 
or even less. Along that famous river horticulture has achieved 
some of its best American victories. Happy the business or pro¬ 
fessional men who, after the day’s toil and bustle of the city, can 
find recreation in such charming homes! Happy the children 
