New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-09-02

We sincerely trust the commissioners OF the
Central Park will not listen to suggestion
recently made, to make the Park an, arboretum,
either American or general The primary object
Of park is to furnish an attractive, healthy invig-
Grating playground, and an agreeable retreat from
the confined streets and edfces of town. Its
adaptation to this purpose is of the first importance,
as the plan Of rooms, lobbies, entrances and
windows is Of the first consequence in building.
But this purpose may be, and should be, COM
bined with purpose of beauty. The recreation
ground Of the city affords an opportunity for
and requires the aid of art as does court house or
a theater To compel the artist Of the recreation
ground to make it an American arbOretum would
be as absurd as to require the architect of the City
Hall to expose upon its face fair sample of every
sort of stone which could be gathered on the con-
tnent.
The landscape artist can neither be compelled
nor confined by such considerations as must govern
the collector of an arbOretum. An arbOretum 10
simply museum Of trees, and might be formed BY
any dry, clod hopping, scientific gardener. To
arrange upon given surface, with its required
roads, drives alley walks and parades, the most
beautiful lights and shadows, forms and cOlors, out
lines and tints, which it is practicable to obtain By
the available grass, water, rock aud foliage, is the
work, not of a botanist, but Of an artist: to
cOnfne BIN in the last material to American trees
and shrubs would be folly as egregOus as to refuse
the artist no is to furnish an historical painting
for the refunds of the Capitol his Spanish brown,
Prussan blue or burnt Sienna earth
The Park artist must be supplied with every ele-
ment of Ivan beauty which the Park climate will
permit him to use, come from where it may; he
cannot afford to dispense with the grateful
pancy and tender green of the DeOdora recently
acquired from the Himalayas any more than with
the dark ard majestic redwood from our own
Sierra Nevada, if nature interposes no resistance.
To bumbly test for such sn artist in the future,
and oer for bis selection, every variety possible of
vegetable form and color, is the great value OF an
srboretum, and for such purpose one is greatly
wanted in this vicinity. A dozen as important ad'
ditons from foreign clmes to the palette Of our gar
den and park artists, as the LOmbsrdy poplar and
tie weeping willow, would compensate much uu-
successful experiment, and it might be proper to
tax the people for it, but it is the University OF the
Horticultural Society to which fund for the pur-
pose should be intrusted, not the Commissioners Of
d Park.
We even question the propriety of in:iaaing
Botanic Garden in the Park, as 10 conteGp lated.
1t las no more business there than library or any
other museum. We know there is Earspesn
precedent for it, but the London BotaIic Garden is
associated with collection Of beasts, aud that Of
Paris has attached to it corp, of instructors in
fruit tree and vine trimniog aud culture and
medical faculty with its Anatomical Museum.
1t is in fact part of the University of Paris so is
that ef Edinburgh CT tke Scotch University, as 10
that of Boston (Cambritge), Of Harvard
For convenience sake part Of the PARK might De
appropriately devoted especially to Towering Plarta
or 10 delicate 81 rubs and ia such part 1t might Dc
be.. to employ The bizarre alley arrangement which
On Mr.. y.e!e's plan e labeled Botanic
Garden = This hiss its .respondipg characteristics
IN the other art Of srehit ectuIer il the enrchmeEt
Of certain portions Of q facade o. a1 deliberately
worked earritGre Of precious marbles, as On tae
Mai.On DorE, a! Venice.
In our opinion, tho CCmuis have acted wisely
il ohtrLg Moderately Liberal rewards .or further
plsIs; Lot that we suppose that any new plan is
likely 70 be adoped an "a entirety" but because
in pSs Of seyen hundrai acres there is room for
hdrne niousy. or ct leset asreeably, connecting
many ideas; and urAsr the stimulus Of thsse pre-
nuns important feature, vii probably 6esrggest
&c which oaa be grated urOn IL, genera. saa with
ad7arisre NJ. yis,e's llaz. y, vouic here
oa'e,v,, i, god Ike sta = big g.ea; g