I have recvd yours of 13th. Before this you will have recvd my reply to your previous letters on the same subject.

I now better understand your reference to a young Landscape Gardener. What I said was that I could when you were prepared for it nominate—not a young but—an experienced and excellent man for the purpose of studying a general plan. I would send you no other & I would strongly disapprove of your employing any other or going on another step in scrappy desultory amateur plans. I expressed my convictions to you on this point at a very early stage of your work. They have been sustained, confirmed & strengthened by recent observations.

The man whom I had in mind in talking with you was Mr G. K. Radford, an engineer of about my age, who has considerable experience in Landscape and Sanitary engineering, and whom I have employed with satisfaction on several works. He is not qualified however to work up a detailed plan of grounds and it would be better if you undertook a complete and detailed plan—covering, I mean, arboretum, model gardens, conservatory &c.

If you are prepared for this, perhaps you could not do better than employ Morris Copeland of Boston.

But if you will appoint Mr Geddes and myself a committee on the subject and send me the topographical map with a map of Ithaca, I will give the matter more careful thought and submit some suggestions to Mr Geddes. I have no doubt that he will agree with me on the general policy which should be adopted. You are now proceeding and proposing to proceed upon a fallacy.

It is worse than wasteful to do so. You are heaping up trouble, perplexity, inconvenience, ugliness and expense.

Excuse me if I speak my convictions too frankly. If I am to be of use to you as a Trustee it is here.