Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-02-04
ART AT THE CAPITOL.
The New Terraces--Trees and Shrubbery
in the Grounds.

During the long recess, writes
Washington correspondent to the New
York Tribune, the capitol has been
nicely secured and polished all over,
and the new congress finds it as white
and smooth and shining as freshly
planted gravestone. The marble sur
face had begun to weather into tex
ture to hold the mellowed light instead
of rejecting it back from glittering
points and streaks and patches as from
FURNISHED metal, and the staring white
had begun to cloud into soft grays, when
| the usual resolution to scrub the build
ing's exterior was passed. The reason
for whitening up the walls to make the
masses of shadow appear less profound
| and all the recesses more shallow has
not been revealed. Meanwhile the ar
ehitectural terrace ON the north of the
capitol has been completed, as has that
on the south side, with the exception of
some surface details, and it is evident
now how the dignity and nobility of the
| entire structure are sustained and aug
mented by the broad-set solidity of the
base. 1t is plain, too, that the grading
of the grounds, when ii is completed,
| strengthens the architectural purpose
and effect of the work
In the planting there is little of what
is known as landscape gardening, al
though the art with which a breadth of
open greensward with surrounding
masses of foliage has been secured on
the west front of the capitol's north
wing is noteworthy. But the prevailing
purpose has been to reveal and set forth
the commanding proportions of a mon
umental building. From every line of
approach it can be seen, with nothing
to obstruct the sight OF distract atten-
ton, and from many points it is pre-
scented in fitting framework of foliage
to detach it from surrounding Objects
while a drapery or background of trees
has been arranged to bring out its lines
with distinctness. Provision for crowds
of people on grand occasions like the
Inauguration of q president requires
large paved areas, and many paths are
needed. But belts of shrubbery with
out being high enough to obstruct the
view, have been disposed so as to mask
the walks and overcome the hard, stony
effect they would otherwise produce.
The street trees, of which the people
here are justly proud, naturally come
into mind whenever any public plant
ing at the capitol is thought of. In no
other city of the country have trees been
so generally used, and nowhere else
have they succeeded so well. Ii has
been objected to them that they are too
close together, but there are two sides
to this question. 1t is an undeniable
misfortune, however, that so large a pro-
| g I,.;tt uoff wooded
like poplar and silver maple were Sc
lected. 1t has been prophesied, too,
that they are now at their best, because
the soil is sterile. A little of this was
removed where each tree was set, and
its place was filled with rich loan.
The trees must have already taken up
most of the nutriment contained in
this. and the fear is that the roots will
find scant feeding hereafter But it
will be time enough to take UP this la
mentation when deterioration begins.
Trees planted here years ago are flour
ishing, as can be seen in the fine growth
on the Smithsonian grounds. The
grouping of these trees, by the way, is
admirable. and this is not surprising
for it was the work of no less master
of his art than A. j. Downing. The
adjacent grounds of the agricultural
department would have been much
more satisfactory if they had been de-
signed by some one with Downing's
genius. The selection of some ,Ameri-
can tree for the broad avenue would
have had a certain appropriateness in
such place, but if an Asiatic species
was needed q better avenue tree than
the gingko. with its stiff and angular
way of branching could have been Sc
lected There are many rarer and in
teresting specimens in this attempt at
an arboretum, but the grounds are too
small or the number of trees is too
great