I sent you a letter, this afternoon, which you can deliver to M André. In all probability if you find him in Paris he will give you some advice what to see on the Riviera and on Lake Como. He has done a good deal of fine and costly work in both regions but is not to my notion the sort of thing that your brother wants, nor what you want to spend much time upon. I am afraid that I do not think much of the fine and costly gardening of Italy. And yet I am enthusiastic in my enjoyment of much road side {planting} there, in which nature contends with and is gaining upon the art of man. I urge you again to hunt for beauty in commonplace and peasant conditions; rustic {terraces}, old footways with stairs and walls and gate ways; rustic stables, sheds, winepresses, tileries, mills, {pergolas} and trellised seats and resting places; wayside shrines, wells and springs, which they call fountains, with seats near them and stepping stones; and all of such things as they are made lovely by growths that seem to be natural and spontaneous to the place, especially vines. Remember too, that anything that can be done with vines in Italy, so far as concerns picturesque effect, can be done in the Atlantic States. You will find more that is really valuable, I imagine, in village lanes and alleys and foot paths, than in streets and stately gardens. Don’t forget that thousands upon thousands of artists have been making pictures of fine objects of architecture and whatever in drawings or photographs you bring back of this sort you bring to a crowded market. I suppose that I could easily spend a thousand dollars in a day upon architectural photographs of Italy, without going out of Boston, and that an order with remittance would bring me a ship full in two months.

Advise your brother to read an article in the last Fortnightly, January, with the {title} of The Blind Guides of Italy. I have not read it but have glanced through it, and tho’ written by a hysterically minded and ill-informed woman with a disposition to show her learning and be sensational it must give many hints toward information and towards lines of inquiry, and it at least suggests another thing which is that it may yet be possible to take a series of photographs & sketches this year, which ten years hence, if things go on as they are represented to be going on, will be invaluable historically; will have an increasing value constantly hereafter.

When I was last in Florence they were well-advanced with the crude work of the hillside and terraces of the Piazza (?) Michael Angelo. It did not look well as it was then, but I knew that if I had been doing anything of the sort {there} & had, it would be simply as scaffold for certain unusual forms of foliage and I could imagine that in the end something {interesting} would result. I am curious to know how it has turned out, and would like to have you get one photograph of it.

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When on the seashore and at the lakes, get Kodak shots of common boats, piers, landings. Boats with hoods, or tilts of canvas, on the Lakes; boats with high sterns and all sorts of awnings at Naples and Amalfi, boats with pictured sails at Venice.

For identification of plants such as effects in pictures depend much on, carry as broad a pocket book as you conveniently can and put leaves and flowers between blotting paper in it (a newspaper will answer the purpose). Press it when you have a chance; make memoranda of the circumstances, and at various points you will be able to get the names from gardeners, botanists, or peasants. Sketches and pictures in which the full general character of the plant appears will, of course help. But you will soon learn to know every thing important.

Wishing you & your brother all success and pleasure, I am

Cordially Yours