h i
, I
I f *
and a variety of other flonrishing plants, display themselves. Tlic greater part of the
habitations have piazzas and spacious balconies. Upon the wjills and columns are creeping
vines, and a great number of passion-flowers. {Flint’s Geography and History o f die
United States, vol. ii. p. 4.)
854. The garden o f Lewis Le Conte, Esq., near Riceborough, is said by Mr. Gordon
to be the richest in bulbs that he had ever seen. M. Lc Conte is an excellent botanist
and vegetable physiologist. He has also paid great attention to the subject of arboriculture.
{G. M., vol. viii. p. 287.) The village of Riceborough {fig. 231.) is very
picturesque. Most of the houses have veranda s; and it is observed, both by Captain Hall
and by Mr. Stuart, that the pride of India, the Afclia Azedarach, is planted along the
streets, as well as in those of most of the southern towns, particularly Charleston and
Savannah. {Hall’s Sketches, ^c., and Three Years in North America, ^c.)
855. The whole region o f the Alleghany mountains is a garden. “ The magnificent
rhododendron fringes every cliff, nestles beneath every rock, and blooms around eveiy
tree. Tlie azalea, the sumach, and every variety of that beautiful miscliicf the kalmia,
ai*e in equal profusion.” Cedars, firs, and the hemlock spruce attain here tho greatest
“ spleiidour and perfection of growth.” Oak and beech, with innumerable roses and
wild vines hanging in beautiful confusion among thcir branches, were in many places
scattered among the evergreens, and the earth was carpeted with various mosses,
and creeping plants. Often, on descending into the narrow valleys, spots were fomid in
a state of cultivation. These little gardens, or fields, were “ hedged round with sumachs,
rhododendrons, and azaleas; and the cottages were covered with roses. These valleys
are spots of great beauty, and a clear stream is always Ibund nmning through them,
which is generally converted to the use of the miller.” {Domestic Manners o f the Americans,
vol. ii. p. 276.)
856. Public Gardens. These arc very numerous in North America, and indeed
none of the principal towns arc without one. The following ai-e some of the most
important.
A t N ew Y o r k “ th e prmcipal promenade is th e b a tte ry ; and a m ore beautiful one no city can boast.
It commands a fine view of the magnificent bay, and forms a termination to the splendid street called
th e Broadway, which runs through the whole city, and is ornamented by several handsome bmldings,
some of which are surrounded by grass and trees. The park, in which stands the noble city-hall, is a
very fine area.” {Ibid. vol. ii. p. 158.) St. John’s P a rk is of considerable extent, and has lately been
thrown open to the inhabitants: it is tastefully and very judiciously planted, with the ornamental trees
and shrubs indigenous to the country. {G a rd . M a g ., vol. iii. p. 347.) There are a few trees in different
parts of the city, observes Mrs. Trollope, and many young ones have been planted, and guarded with
much care: were they more abundant, it would be extremely agreeable, for th e reflected light of the
fierce American summer “ sheds intolerable day.” The enclosure iu the centre of Hudson’s Square
(New York) is beautiful. It is excellently well planted with a great variety of trees, and only wants
o u r frequent and careful mowing to make it equal to any square in London. T h e iron railing which
surrounds this enclosure is as high, and as handsome, as that of th e Tuille ries; and it will give some
Idea of the care bestowed on its decoration, to know that th e gravel for the walks was conveyed bv
barges from Boston, not as ballast, but as freight. {D om . M a n .. ^ c . vol. ii. p. 160.)
Hoboken, on the North River, about three miles from New York, is a public walk of great beauty and
attraction. A broad belt of light underwood and flowering shrubs, studded a t intervals with lofty forest
trees, runs for two miles along a cliff which overhangs th e matchless Hudson ; sometimes it feathers the
rocks down to its very margin, and at others leaves a pebbly shore, ju st rude enough to break tho gentle
waves, and make a music which mimics softly th e loud chorus of th e ocean. Through this beautiful
httle wood, a broad well-gravelled terrace is led by every point which can exhibit th e scenery to
advantage; narrower and wilder paths diverge a t intervals, some into the deeper shadow of th e woods,
and some shelving gradually to th e pre tty coves below. At Hoboken th ere are various reposoires, or
smoking-houses; some not unpleasing to the eye: one, in particular, has quite the a .....................
tem p le; and, did they drink wine instead of whisky within it, might be inscribed to Bacchus. {D . M .
7c. vol. ii. p. 170 )
P rom en a d e a t P hilade lphia. T h ere is a very pretty enclosure before th e walnut-tree entrance to the
State-house, with good well-kept gravel walks, and many beautiful flowering trees. It is laid down in
grass, not in tu rf; which, indeed, Mrs. Trollope observes, “ is a luxury she never saw in America. Near
this enclosure is another of a similar description, called Washington Square, which has numerous trees,
with commodious seats placed beneath their shade.” (/¿zd. vol. ii. p. 48.) These and all the public
squares of Philadelphia were laid out and planted, in consequence of a petition drawn up by D r. Mease,
and signed, on his personal application, by such a number of citizens, as produced the effect intended.
{G a rd . M a g ., vol. iv. p .387.)
Waterxoorks a t F a ir M o u n t, n e a r P hiladelphia. “ Fair Mount is on? of the prettiest spots the eye can
look upon. A broad wear is thrown across the river Schuylkill, which produces the sound and look of
a cascade. On the farther side of the river is a gentleman’s seat, the beautiful lawn of which slopes
down to the water’s .edge; and groups of weeping willows and other trees throw their shadows on the
stream. T h e works themselves are enclosed in a simple but very handsome building of freestone, which
has an extended front opening upon a terrace which overhangs the river: behind the building, and
divided from it only by a lawn, rises a lofty wall of solid limestone rock, which has a t one or two points
been out into, for the passage of the water into a magnificent reservoir, ample and elevated enough to
send it through th e whole city. From the crevices of this rock the catalpa was every where pushing
forth, covered with its beautiful blossoms. Beneath one of these trees, an artificial opening in the rock
gives passage to a stream of water, clear and bright as crystal, which is received in a stone basin of
simple w'orkinanship, having a cup for the service of the thirsty traveller. At another point, a portion
of the wator, in its upward way to the reservoir, is permitted to spring forth in a perpetual jet d ’eau that
returns in a silver shower upon the head of a m arble naiad of snowy whiteness, admirably relieved by
its dark rocky background, and the flowery catalpas which shadow i t.” {Dome stic M a n n e r s o f the
Am e rica n s, vol.ii. i>-44.)
I n the. c ity o f Washington there are several squares newlyplanted ; and someof the streets are bordered
by rows of trees. The avenue of Tennsylvania, when the trees are a few years older, will be the finest
street in the world ; it leads to the capitol, a Grecian building, on the capitals of the columns of which
the Indian corn takes the place of the acanthus.
A t B a ltim o r e , the public walk is along a fine terrace belonging to a fort nobly situated on the Patapsco,
and commanding the approach from Chesapeake Bay, and a magnificent view of the city and river. Tho
terrace is ornamented with a profusion of evergreens and wild roses. { Ib id ., vol. ii. p. 303-)
A t C in c in n a ti there is a public garden, where the people go to eat ices and look at roses. F o r the
preservation of the flowers, th ere is placed at the end of one of the walks a kind of sign-post, representing
a Swiss peasant girl holding in h er hand a scroll, requesting th at the roses might not be gathered.
Boston there are extensive public pleasure-grounds calle'd the Common, consisting of seventy-five
acres, in tlie very heart of the city. This piece of ground is well laid out, and contains many fine trees.
The State-house, and the handsome houses of the city, surround it on three sides.
857. Cemeteries. These arc very general in America; and, indeed, there arc two or
three to all the large towns.
A p u b lic ceme te ry was formed in 1831 at Mount Auburn, about three miles from Boston, and is easily
approached either by the road, or the river which washes its borders. On the eligibility of the situatioiii
and the manner in which it should be laid out, a writer in the N o r th Am e r ic a n Reviexu has the following
remarks : — “ It affords every variety of soi! and elevation which trees or flowers would require, with
streams and meadows, from which ponds may be made for plants which love the water. T h e plants of
every climate may find there a suitable home. It might be thought that it would require many years
to cover it with v e rd u re ; but nature has anticipated this objection ; it being already clothed with trees
and shrubs of almost all descriptions which grow in this part of the country. T h e most striking par?
of this trac t is a conical hill of considerable height, which commands an extensive and beautiful prospect.
This is reached by a gentle ascent, which winds like a road round th e hill, with valleys on each side,
and is so exact in its bearing, th at it is difficult to persuade one’s self th a t man had no agency in
forming it ” {N o rth A m e r . R e v ., Oct. 1831.) The hill alluded to is Mount Auburn, which gives the cemetery
its name and which is 125 feet above th e Charles River. “ This romantic and picturesque cemetery,
savs D r. Mease, “ is the fashionable place of interment with the people of Boston.” Spurzheim, who
died in Boston, November 10th, 1832, was buried here. The tomb is an elegant but plain sarcophagus,
erected by subscription, and bearing no other inscription than his name. „ , .
Cemeteries a t Philade lphia. “ I.aurel Hill is about three miles and a half north of the city, on the
river Schuylkill. The part devoted to interments embraces about twenty acres, and is laid out in the most
tasteful manner. T h e entrance is a specimen of Doric architecture, through which is a pleasing vista,
and on each side are lodges for th e accommodation of tho gravedigger and gardener: and within is a neat
cottage for the superintendent, a Gothic chapel for funeral service, a large dwelling-house for visiters, a
handsome receiving tomb, stabling for forty carriages, and a greenhouse. Besides the native forest trees
on the place, several liundred more, and many ornamental shrubs, have been planted. The lots are enclosed
by iron railings.” “ Recently attempts have been successfully made to plant every tree, foreign and
domestic which will bear th e climate, and, in short, to convert the place into an arboretum.” {D r .
Mease in ihe Ga rd . M a g ., for 1843, p. 666.) “ The Woodlands, on the west side of the river, within sight
o fth e citv was the scat of the late William Hamilton, Esq., an ardent cultivator of botany. The road
to the mamion is through a grove of native forest trees, and the view extensive. Of ninety-one acres,
scventv-five are to be devoted to a cemetery.” { Ib id .) There are five or six other cemeteries in
th e neighbourhood of Philadelphia, but those which have been mentioned ave the most important.
The burvin<’.g ro u n d a t N ew h a v en “ is laid out with more care and attention, and is better kept, than
anv ground devoted to the same purpose in the United States. It is of considerable size, and formed
into broad lanes, shaded by weeping willows, poplars, &c. The whole has a good effect; many of_the
monuments are fine, and a considerable nmnber of them were brought from Italy. In short, the burying-
ground a t Newhaven is quite t\\a P a r e la Chaise o i the United States.” {S tu a r t's T h re e Y ea rs, SfC.,
'^ ^T h e ^ em e t2 -v o f th^ E p iscopal church o f the toxvn o f Gu ild fo rd is in a public square, and uninclosed.
T h e graves are, therefore, trampled upon, and th e monuments injured, both by men and cattle. On
this cemetery D r. Dwight makes the following judicious rem a rk s: — “ The design of locating places qf
burial in this manner was probably good. In its execution, however, it evidently defeats itself, while it
is also a plain violation of property. Instead of producing those solemn thoughts, and encouraging
those moriil propensities, which it was intended to inspire, it renders death and the grave such familiar
obiects to th e eye, as to prevent them from awakening any serious regard. Here, particularly, both the
remains and memorials of th e dead are presented to the mind m circumstances so gross, and indicative
of so little respect in th e living, as to eradicate every motion naturally excited by the remembrance
of th e deceased, and give to those which remain a coarseness and commonness, destructive of
all moral influence. Nor is it unreasonable to suppose th a t the proximity of those sepulchral fields to
human habitations is injurious to health. Some of thorn have, I believe, been found to be offensive ;