We have for several years been making progress, as if against head winds through complex channels, in the development and better definition of what we have been calling the Arboretum scheme. The fact is that a good deal is involved in, or dependent on, the plan for carrying out this scheme which the word arboretum does not at once suggest. No existing arboretum has been planned with the same motives; none has been planned to fit parallel circumstances, and in none has the accomplishment of the objects in view required that a plan should be prepared on as large a scale or with as much study and contrivance. I suppose that more work may have been already given to the development of the scheme than to everything else that we have been planning for you. One reason that we have never made you any definite report of our progress in dealing with the problems involved is that, as our collection of information with reference to them has increased, and our preparatory study of them advanced, such frame-work of the scheme as we have been provisionally entertaining has been subject to modification.

Another reason is that we have been holding this frame-work subject to revision in case certain enlargements of the Estate that we hoped for should be made. Lately some of them have been made.

Much that remains to be determined in the advice that we are to give you about the laying out of other parts of the Estate is in some way dependent on the shape which the Arboretum scheme will finally take.

And again, in the study of the Arboretum scheme we have had to constantly look to a nice adjustment of it to what was to be required in the laying out of ground which the Arboretum was not to directly occupy.

Largely because of this inter-dependence, I was, during my last visit to Biltmore, engrossingly engaged in trying to satisfy myself what we ought to advise you to let us have in view of our further study of the scope of the frame-work of the plan of the Arboretum. Afterwards in going from Biltmore [727]to Chicago I undertook to draught a paper, the substance of which I shall now embody in this letter. It was not originally written, however, for your consideration, but, first, to enable me to define more exactly to myself the results of our study thus far; second, that I might have ready what should be so defined, as a basis for more definite consultation and discussion, first with my partners, next with Mr. Pinchot, Mr. Manning and Mr. Beadle; lastly with Professor Sargent; all preparatory to the maturing of a more fully digested scheme to be submitted for your consideration.

Your letter of December 12th suggests that before we proceed further we might find it better to submit to you our present provisional ideas of the project, lest later we should find that study and discussion of it had been wasted because the conclusions reached did not consist with plans fixed in your mind of which we had not been aware. I thank you for this suggestion, and adopting it, will now attempt to give you such ideas on the subject as have been tending to be formed provisionally in my mind. I need hardly say that it is difficult to do so, the most important result of special training for my profession being the fitting of a mind to be hospitable to the entertainment of ideas in a strictly provisional and suggestive way; of ideas which are thus held subject to improvements and substitutions and rearrangements until the last moment is reached in the process of framing a plan. I know that I cannot do justice to the subject until I have had such a discussion as I desire, especially with Professor Sargent, in respect to the more strictly scientific elements of the scheme. I must yet for a time keep the plan before me as a sculptor keeps his work under damp cloths, in a plastic form. It is difficult, if it is not indiscreet, to attempt a very defined statement of it. I could make a clear definition of it much better after one more study in the elaboration of it with the advantages for such study as I hope will have been provided for me before February. I write this to show you in what provisional way I shall hope that you will take what I am going to say.

As a starting point of the study of the special problem of the Arboretum, I assume that a good road will be desirable on the east side, and another on the west side of that part of the Estate which is south of the Pine Tree group of hills and east of the French Broad, and that a connection between these two lines of road will be wanted, one on Four Mile Creek and another at the end of the Arrowhead Peninsula. Such connections will have the effect of forming one continuous circuit road through the district in question. This district is about four miles in length.

Because of the steep slopes of the eastern and southern parts of the region, in order that the road may have moderate grades, it must be laid out in these parts on winding courses, avoiding the broken ground of the higher elevations. Economic considerations will carry much of it near the water courses of the transverse valleys of this region. But, at intervals, it must pass from one valley to another and for this purpose must be taken across the divides between the valleys, and to get fair grades in passing these, it must be taken on courses diagonal to the general direction of the slopes.

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Two main motives would further influence the courses to be followed.

First, the circuit road should be adjusted to serve as a trunk road for all long distance transportation through the forest. It should be adapted to be passed over at night by timber trains drawn by a traction engine. Minor wood roads for local transportation would branch from it.

Second, it should be satisfactory simply as a pleasure road. If possible, it should be not less satisfactory as a pleasure road than if it had been laid out with no other end than that of the pleasure of people passing over it, the end of the transportation of forest products and the end of the Arboretum being lost sight of.

Considered as a pleasure road, with the monotonous masses of the forest at a little distance on each side, what should its immediate borders be?

To the question, what in general should be the character of the borders of the pleasure roads through the forest of the Estate we have indicated the answer we should give in our plan for the borders of the Upper Approach.

What we propose for the borders of the long southern main circuit road of the Estate, east of the river, is a treatment which to superficial observation would not appear very different in artistic motive from that. It would differ from it, however, in this important respect, that the trees to be planted should be so chosen and arranged that they would constitute a museum of living trees. How a suitable arrangement for such a museum would differ from that followed in planting the Upper Approach will be presently explained. But, first, what has thus far been said may here be briefly recapitulated as follows:-

First, a trunk line of road to serve various purposes is desirable to be laid out in the southern part of the eastern division of the Biltmore Estate. This road will conveniently be made a circuit road, the northern part of it running through the valley of Four Mile Creek, the southern part of it running near the great river bend of the Arrowhead Peninsula.

Second, independently of the specific purpose defined by the word arboretum, in the detailed laying out of this road its use should be had in view (a) as a main channel of transportation by which forest products may be brought to market; (b) as a pleasure road.

Third, a main road with minor tributary branch roads for various purposes, having been formed chiefly through a forest, it will be a comparatively inexpensive operation to give it the value of a road laid out expressly as a pleasure road, the principal requirement for this purpose being that its borders instead of having a monotonous forest character, shall be specially planted with a view to a pleasing variety of sylvan character.

Fourth, it will cost but little when preparing and planting the border of this road with a view to variety of character in the foliage displayed, to provide also that the plantations for that purpose shall be of a finer, more beautiful, more distinguished and more useful museum of living trees than any now existing in the world.

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Such a museum would have great, even critical and eventful, practical national value. It would serve much more to advance the science of dendrology; the business of forestry, and the art of landscape improvement, than any and all things which have been done for these purposes or that have thus far been projected, or even suggested, to be done by the national government or by any public institution of the country. Such a museum will be conveniently designated the Biltmore Arboretum.

In the development of this suggestion there are to be taken into account local conditions likely to affect the hardihood and health of particular classes of trees. These conditions may reasonably make judicious some variation from courses of the road which would otherwise be adopted. Where and how much of such variation would be desirable is a question requiring the balance of advantages to be carefully estimated by a detailed study of local circumstances to be carried on, rod by rod, all the way.

The circuit road of the south-eastern division of the Estate as thus planned will have the value not only of a convenient trunk road for the transportation of forest products, together with that of a road to be taken for the enjoyment of scenery, but it will also serve the purpose of a gallery floor from which will be favorably contemplated that which is to be exhibited on opposite walls of the gallery. The trees of the Arboretum are therefore to be arranged as pictures in a gallery, with due care for a satisfactory display of them from the road. That they may be so displayed to the best advantage, some slight variation from what might otherwise be thought to be the best course for the road may, also, as the plan develops in detail, be found expedient.

If it is considered that the leading motives have thus been explained by which the laying out would be governed of the main circuit trunk road of that part of the estate that lies south of the Lone Pine group of hills, the study of the problem in hand may next proceed to the detailed disposition of the proposed border plantations of this road. These plantations constitute what has been referred to as being analogous to the pictures on opposite walls of an art gallery. But a suitable disposition of them may, perhaps, be considered as having more in common with a suitable disposition of the materials to be exhibited in a great scientific cabinet.

As to the variety and number of specimens available to be exhibited in this cabinet; as to the order in which they shall be arranged, and as to the facilities that shall be prepared for observing them, either closely for scientific ends, or, cursorily for the pleasure of those who will care to look at them only as most visitors look at what is to be seen in a cabinet of shells or of stuffed birds; as to all these questions, a statement of considerations that should be regarded will here follow.

The climatic conditions of the site to be dealt with are intermediate between those of the northern, the southern, the eastern and the western [730]parts of so much of the United States as lies east of the Great Plains, being an area of nearly 100,000,000 acres. The rate of yearly growth and the maximum size of most of the trees growing naturally upon the site, does not vary greatly from that of trees of the same species, on an average, as they grow throughout this great region. The soil of the site varies considerably in different parts, but is mainly a rather thin, clayey loam, with a stiffer clayey subsoil. It is of less than the average fertility of the soil of the region as a whole.

In this respect and in the occasional ruggedness of its topography, the site corresponds to districts, which in Europe are, as a rule, thought to be more profitably assigned to Forestry than to Agriculture.

More frequent and copious showers commonly fall upon the site during the early Summer months than, on an average in most other parts of the eastern half of the United States. The Winters are commonly milder than they are, on an average, throughout the region, but occasionally at intervals, it may be, of twenty years, the mercury falls much below its usual lowest depression, and few trees survive these periods that would suffer from cold in the greater part of the extreme northern frontier.

All things considered, there are few, if any, other places in the eastern half of the continent, in which a larger variety of woody plants grow naturally. Among these plants there are some that are indigenous to the southern parts of the region, and not to the northern; others which grow naturally in the northern, and not in the southern parts of it.

The Arboretum is proposed to be planned more particularly as a field, in which the value may be studied of a large variety of trees and shrubs for extensive planting, whether with a view to landscape improvement or to the commercial profits of forestry in the eastern part of the continent.

It is believed that the borders of a road laid out with the motives which have heretofore been explained would incidentally present situations for trees of considerable variety in respect to conditions of topography, of exposure and of soil.

It is, then, proposed that, beginning near an entrance to this road, trees and lesser woody plants shall be set agrowing on its borders, species following species, in an order approximately corresponding to that adopted in modern books treating scientifically of trees and known as “the natural [731]order.” But variations from this order are to be occasionally made, when, by such variations, plants of a particular species or series of species can be placed under conditions especially to be desired with a view, first to their health and development; second, to an instructive exhibition of the specific characteristics of each; third, to their forming agreeable compositions, as they will be seen by those passing along the Arboretum Road.

As far as practicable, consistently with a predominating regard for the main purposes above stated, the Arboretum Road is designed to be a route that will be pleasantly followed by those having no purpose of study. In other words, it is to be a pleasure road. To this end its laying out is to be influenced by the motive of presenting to those passing over it a series of agreeable prospects, to a distance, as well as interesting objects on its immediate borders.

As to the Arboretum considered as a museum of living woody vegetation, not less than four specimens are to be planted, near the road, of each species of trees to be exhibited. Before these four trees come to crowd one another, two of them are designed to be removed, leaving the two which promise to best represent the character of trees of their species, when grown with room for them to spread, at least on two opposite sides, to the greatest distances that they would be likely to spread if wholly unimpeded by other trees. At a suitable distance behind such spreading specimen trees others are to be planted, with a view to the exhibition of the character of trees of the same species when grown in groups. And back of these, chiefly on existing clearings, it is proposed (at the suggestion of Mr. Pinchot) to plant plots of about an acre of each of a certain number of the more valuable forest trees. The general object of these “Forest Acres” is to present examples growing in forest form and under forest conditions of all trees valuable for their wood which are likely to prosper at Biltmore, in order to obtain from them a variety of information which could not be afforded by the single trees or groups of the same species planted in the body of the Arboretum. To provide for the specimen trees and groups at least ten specimens of nearly all the trees to be planted in the Arboretum are now being propagated or are growing in the nursery of the Estate. The larger number are already grown to a size suitable for planting out.

It is not intended to include in the Arboretum specimens of each variety which may be distinguishable from others of its species by peculiarities of flowers or fruit, or even of form or tints of leaves. In general, varieties are to be admitted, by the special qualities of which the character of a passage of scenery is to be affected for a considerable period, and not, for example, merely for a brief flowering season.

That those seeking such information as the Arboretum is intended to supply may find what is required for their purposes within reasonable limits of space, varieties of plants will be excluded that are chiefly interesting because of strikingly abnormal qualities not recommending them to be used either as [732]elements of pleasing landscape compositions or with a view to commercial profits in economical forestry.

Where varieties distinguished from others by peculiarities of fruit or flower are introduced it will generally be for the purpose of illustrating different types of variation.

The ground about and between the trees of the Arboretum is to be generally planted with bushes, vines and creepers, and as far as practicable consistently with the two leading purposes that have been stated, such shrubs are to be displayed before and between the trees of each genus as are associated with that genus in the “natural order.”

In placing these shrubs the purpose is to be kept in view of having them eventually illustrate the value of shrubs of each species, first, when standing singly, or as specimens; second, when clustered in groups; third, when massed in open ground; fourth, when growing as underwood.

Finally, as with trees, so with shrubs, considerable elasticity is to be allowed in all the rules for placing them, the interests of those seeking pleasure from scenery being consulted as far as they may be, without putting students to serious inconvenience.

To avoid the excessive care and expense which would otherwise be necessary, it is not intended to introduce paths among the trees nor to keep turf spaces open that will serve as paths. But care will be taken to make it practicable to walk from the road near to and between the trees, passing over only such low and generally trailing bushes and creepers as will not be injured if occasionally trodden upon. The material used for this purpose will not necessarily be of the same genus as that of the plants growing adjoining that are representative of the genera to be exhibited in following the natural order.

Where economy of space or the convenience of students is to be served by it, shrubs of a particular species may be taken from the exact place which they would have if the natural order were to be strictly followed, and may be set anywhere near the trees adjoining which they would be placed if the natural order were more strictly followed. In this respect it is to be provided, simply that when a student coming to one species of a genus, wishes to examine another species of the same genus, he may expect to find it near by.

When any specially promising, young and vigorous trees or bush of any kind is found growing naturally near the Arboretum Road, it is not necessarily to be removed in order to secure adherence to the rule of pursuing the natural order. In such a case, consideration is to be given to its value as an [733]element of scenery rather than to its value as an object of instruction. And this exception may occasionally be applied to natural groups as well as to trees growing singly. In short, nothing is to be destroyed which will add materially and lastingly to the interest of the road as a pleasure road.

Herewith is sent you a lithographed map on which has been laid down a line representing as nearly as is practicable without further study, the route of a road which would be adapted to serve fairly well in each case, the several leading purposes which have been set forth in this letter. A road on this line, that is to say, would serve the purpose of a road through the forest, adapted to use for the transportation of heavy loads of forest products, and this, if it shall be thought desirable, by steam power. The road would give near approach, if it did not lead directly to the best points for enjoying broad, distant prospects in those parts of the Estate which it traverses. On its immediate borders it would be practicable to find suitable places for the series of woody plants had in view to be used in forming the Arboretum without departing inconveniently in the arrangement of these from the succession of the natural order.

The length of road shown on this map is nine miles. The eighteen miles of border thus provided is necessary to fully carry out the Arboretum planting plan as it has been explained on page eleven, making desirable allowance for (a) blank spaces to be used in giving access to the road from the forest on each side; (b) for leaving existing trees of a character fitting them to add to the beauty of the road border, as explained at the foot of page fourteen; (c) for occasional openings between the trees of the Arboretum series from points on the road at which distant views of unusual interest would be commanded. Near the road in these openings it is proposed to plant creepers, shrubs, and low trees, so graduated, by selection with reference to attainable height that they will always form agreeable fore-grounds without danger of shutting off the prospect to a distance.

While we were at Biltmore copies of this map were furnished Mr. Thompson, Mr. Pinchot, Mr. Manning and Mr. Beadle, with a view of engaging the study of each of these gentlemen in special departments of inquiry, preparatory to further discussion of the scheme in February.