With  regard  to  Hyde  Park  (Mr.  Langdon's),  Ellerslie
(Mr.  Kelly's),  Montgomery  Place  (Mrs.  Livingston's),
and  Annandale  (late  Blithewood),  Mr.  Bard's,  which  we
have  always  considered   the  four  great  places  in  this


mSTOBIGAL  KOnCES.  553

country,  we  can  only  refer  our  readers  to  Mr.  Downing's
remarks  about  them  in  the  iii*st  portion  of  this  volume.
While  the  hand  of  time  has  even  still  more  mellowed
their  beauties  by  those  touches  and  effects  which
Nature  alone  can  produce  with  years,  yet  even  here  the
hand  of  man  has  not  been  idle.
At  Annandale  and  Hyde  Park,  extensive  ranges  of
glass  have  replaced  the  old  6ne8  of  previous  owners,*
while  at  Montgomery  Place  and  EUerslie  the  most
showy  and  superb  conservatories  and  green-houses  have
been  erected.
At  Montgomery  Place  also,  there  has  been  planted
within  the  past  ten  years,  the  most  complete  and  satis-
factory arboretum  in  the  United  States.  Neither  pains
or  expense  have  been  spared  in  obtaining  the  most  entire
and  thorough  collection,  or  in  the  peculiar  and  appro-
priate preparation  of  soil  for  the  reception  of  the
different  varieties.
In  the  neighborhood  of  Rhinebeck,  is  "  Wyndclyffe,"
the  residence  of  Miss  Jones,  a  very  successful  and  dis-
tinctive house,  with  much  the  appearance  of  some  of
the  smaller  Scotch  castles.  This  place  is  still  quite
new,  but  the  situation  is  one  of  great  beauty,  upon  a
bold,  projecting  point  of  land,  in  admirable  harmony
with  the  style  of  the  house,  and  with  the  most  extensive
and  superb  views.
Immediately  above  Hyde  Park,  is  the  fine  house  of
Mr.  Curtis,  one  of  the  most  expensive  and  costly  upon
the  Hudson,  possessing  very  much  the  same  extended
views  of  river  and  mountain  as  at  Hyde  Park.
