New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-07-27
CENTRAL PARK.


else, in 10 very complimentary terms the policy Of tho
Central Par. Commissioners with respect 10 the laying
down OF their lawns and tho planting OF the trees Our
remarks welnondad aal timely AID the Authorities
in question had the good sense % correct ia part at as
the abuses uto which they had fel Tho lapse Of
years must have convinced them and the general public
that the labor and money expended for the judieious
preparation Of the ground ana tree planting and
laWn-sowinc has Yielded the gratifying results Any
sensible farmer coud well ourselves have uropheed
that il the Comm ssolers had persisted through mistaken
notions Of economy, in the they had marked out
for themselves the Park would not present today the
charming appearance II docs. IL tie spirit o. friend
illness which dictated our former article propose 70
ma e few suggestions 20 the Commits toners aud the
saneme present 20 the general reader idea OF The laws
II Landscape treatment which are led IN this great
popular plcasure-erould.
THE GRAND DIVISIONS OF LANDsCAPR
For convenience Of Illustration ii las been customary
among writers natural scenery to group al landscapes
into great clasestho Beautiful and the Picturesque
and the artist o. landscape gardener who sets about the
treatment 81 park pleasure ground or private property
must 10 preserve harmony n las work that a the de-
conform the requirements Of that particular class
he illustrating. At best be hope 20 be nothing
than copyst of the wonderful effects which nature
las productd his in c0ncealng the acaity OF
his work will depend upon the Initiative skill which be has
gained by patient and thoughtful study of the examples
which the Creator has displayed before Lis eyes. DIVER
sihed o. the face of nature, and much as ono might oA-
poet ind the elements OF both Of these great divisions
combined IN each landscape, n Is nevertheless true
that throughout whole ranges Of county have pre-
scented 10 examples OF the other exclusively
Thus the whole general character Of swiss scenery Is
picturesque, that of southern Italy beautiful In the
former there beauty spots Ike Como, Mdssore,
Geneva, and J. z mei 10 tie latter, Wild stretches OF
country here and ce; but the general character " each
distinctive and easily recognized II may be said tnat
the scenery Of the American Continent taken as "huIe'
of the Picturesque order but perhaps nowhere else are
there offered for the instruction Of the student more c-
quent * mres of the Beautiful nor more driul managed
.Ifft.ga nff no
examples Of either class will briefly state the puucl'
Pies By which either can be recognized.
THE BEAUTIFUL
purely beautiful landscape is one IN which the foliage
consists # dcciduous rourdhcadcd or spreading trees
the ground is cvo, gently undulane, the bodies oil
water smooth IN rcpo.c gently flowing between slop
ing banks and however far the eve may reach fields
Of grass golden grain, or bosomn- orchards, n pleas
ioestgOyes, there E presented picture 81 peaceful
in masses skirtine hu-"ke, tie PATH or sown broad
cast through the green meadows harmonic with such a
landscape this, also do the songs oi bTd' tAe Jay
sauuteruE Of cattle through pastures, AID the tnkie ~
ehcep-hels. The artist who aims 20 produce smnl
scale like the Central Park, landscape Of this KIND,
must employ tie greatest possible v4ney of trees as
color He must look rs closely 70 the sky-iuc.
Of his picture % the r-unlnc, bays or vsias n
be does moi do this be VII had when As 'Iees Get ili
growth that he has dun, tame, and HIuuioAoAs lANu-
scapc-his trees standing against The SKY a. regular ln
hight as file Of soldiers ard the artificial nature Of the
scenery made plain 70 every eye. Moreover, be must
or inacsae peculiarly suited Geo This klud OF landscape
he would produce most incungruous elect ~ gathering
them in great group, each KIND 10y iS.lL lie must
min gle al three and other varieties winch are known as
their subo. dluutc trees u each group 20 that TIE gen
era effect Of harmony will be- attained, and OF The same
time the sqrghthucss of natural landscape closely o-
lowed. The true artist viii see 20 n that each
of his groups shall be distinctive IN one the
oak predomuaiinr, DO another the elm WlIe IN
tanned H. % landscape of ths Kind may be- employed
graceful architectural firucturc- such as bnde ouu
tains summer houses mbors, aud even larger buildings
provided mat tAcr outlines ore su'ot asa i' .ns Day
monte with the tints Of nature about thcm Such buildings
asihat of the National Academy of Design and tlat won
derul Hiutoo Tai Maha, winch Ba{ ard Taylor describes
landscape but Ia the Central Park their tendency would
Doc u dwarf s proportions because t"rT da1Ing white
Where roads ana paths occur 10 such landscape the
artist must make them broad and smooth, climbing such
activities as there are vin easy giadc anu winding WIN
graceful SWEEP 70 The .ar distance vme sAca iaSee&
on their banks and The banks themselves must slope 6a-
tly downward 30 the waters edge.
TIE PICTURESQUE.
II viii naturally bo ilicueu nom ""at we .a'e aIL'4.y
said that the elements of the Picturesque ART Tie very "p
pose Of the above. IN this grand division o. landscape
occur the rugged features " narcbIokcn rocks steep
acclyite. chlsis aud prccpcos, io.nug torrents and
- - r., tf. C,l,,-. th-re j. ars..I arty Of form
and sombcrness o. color Instead OF ffa''ilu! ihitea
sky and ground lines, VIC ina mo reverse ga WAT
losers and plants t.oTc are occur u sheltered hooks az
trail over the face az bald o. ks. 100 sn"".A-lo"h-
broad vcr has place u tls division, b1t instead we
have brooks bawIng doHu rocky giclri chHci ie'
over boulder sOWn lodges into deep Cak pools anu the
cataract cupfyiuc tie contents oi nfer into ihe s'a
The hlased pine tho hirhrcnchnr Norway spruce. ana
the giant red wood which Do a purely beau'linl hll-
ecape would be olt oi place. hclc harAoLze Win tle
general character Of the picture H. the somber groves
about is the song of the lark and nightmare not hcafi
but overhead the slOW-slu, haHA, OF tle eagle
swoopug bis PROV Surrounded by such scenery rs ths
one feels impressed by IT. majesty uud grandeur ana re-
cognizes the fact that The mighty forces Of nature nave
been AZ Work o. produce The effects which meet 'no w "a
Ia IL %
ercscd over tic senses such awakening OF
in the mind as that felt by who elz over lne ueHu
sppeals TO all that Is heroic AID sublime I'D s hunaA
spint No murmurng zephyrs are nero 10 pA'uY nIs
laden with the perfume of BIZ saons aIu hoN's, no 49,
breezes blow s0fi DER Ceylons isle but Inc VINO Do~s
oaunplv through the mountain passes, OF ho"ls gale
a' IN VOID ft were possible TO eptomize subjects 30
comprehensive these might say that whatever more
IA Of grandeur il natural scenery belongs 10 the pc
turesque whatever Of oyeiness TO the beautiful Ald
while know that we expose ourselves 10 the chhge oi
crudty think it perhaps az ven, Oh the "hOe 50 70
group them that the general reader may get the impression
II viii hardly be necessary for us 20 recall Illustrations
Of these two classes for they viii suggest themselves
Anv ono who has cen the Swiss and Scotch lakes the
rivers Of France the Bay of Naples the Alps, the Wild
scenery OF Norway the ST. Lawrence, Niagara le lesser
American lakes the White Mountains Now OTk laD0r,
the Middle and Lower Hudson the Catskis, will not be
at loss 10 classify them whore they belong Close 70 TINS
city we have remarkable examples OF boh classes
Thus for instance bay with its shores and Islands,
and tho line the East River r rs tho Sound belongs
10 the Beautiful while, tie other hand the stern oit
Of the Palisades and the oloudsatherng rugged Ilgh-
lands illustrate the Picturesque IN every respect III is
worthy Of admiration too 10 see how, by almost nsensl'
bic rradaions the class succeeds the other along tho
from Nyack to to the Upper Bay and along me ~
Lawrence from the Thousand isles TO Montreal. And IN
this Connection wish 20 say that one OF e nnes views
Of American scenery this side the Rocky Mountains can
be had from the top Of the Palisades al Ehgie"ooa
SCENERY OF THg CENTRAL PARK.
he stated