I have received yours of 5th inst. and thank you.

My charge of $200.00 was intended to be for a preliminary visit one object of which would be to enable me to judge of the scope and requirements of your scheme and the probable difficulties of a plan. I should not like to undertake to form a plan until I had seen the ground and discussed the general propositions with you. It might turn out that I differed with you radically about it or that I should advise a course and that you would adopt it which made it unnecessary for you to employ me on a plan. Indeed a park and an arboretum seem to me to be so far unlike in purpose that I do not feel sure that I could combine them satisfactorily. I certainly would not undertake to do so in this case without your cooperation and I think it would be better and more proper that the plan should be made by you with my aid rather than by me with yours.

[69]

My usual charge for preliminary plans of parks is $15. to $20 per acre of ground covered.