THE AGASSIZ ASSOCIATION 



[91 



tiful grove in Sound Beach. This also 

 is a part of Arcadia. So beautiful is 

 the grouping of the trees, north and 

 east, and so pleasing in appearance are 

 the long lines of maples set out on the 

 border of the street, when it was open- 

 ed by the Ayres Brothers and their 

 associates fourteen years ago, that the 

 place has long been familiarly known 

 as Ayres Park. Now it is to be in 

 reality a park, to be developed as such 

 for the use of all that study or love 

 nature and outdoor lift. The Ayres 

 Brothers, Hoit & Company have add- 

 ed $100.00 to their contribution for 

 this purpose, making in all $300.00. 



The entire new Arcadia will contain 

 more than three acres. This, which is 

 more than six times the size of the 

 present Arcadia, will give room for the 

 development of many of those special 

 features that interest visitors, and 

 space, too, for a small colony of nature 

 workers, that will occupy portable 

 buildings, log cabins and tents. The 

 first to engage space for this purpose 

 is Mrs. Fannie E. Blakely of Wiscon- 

 sin. The site for her portable cottage 

 has already been assigned near the new 

 Arcadia Assembly Hall, and founda- 

 tions have elsewhere been made or 

 planned for eight other buildings. 



THE GIANT OAK IN ARCADIA. 

 Eleven feet seven inches at the base. 



ly in two distinct groups about thirty 

 feet apart. 



Within Nymphalia are several re- 

 markable trees. One oak lacks only 

 five inches of being twelve feet in cir- 

 cumference at a short distance above 

 the base, and its branches are remark- 

 able for their beauty and grace. Under 

 it is a picturesque stone wall. Here 

 have come and here will come nature 

 students from near and far for outdoor 

 conferences. Not far away from 

 Nymphalia is probably the most beau- 



A Country Asset Not a Country Lia- 

 bility. 



At one time it was almost the general 

 notion among farmers that picturesque 

 shrubbery and wild flowers by the 

 roadside were the sign of a "slack" far- 

 mer, and the enterprising man conse- 

 quently kept the roadsides closely 

 trimmed from fence to fence. In due 

 time, especially after the evolution of 

 the modern interest in nature, and in 

 country life in general, he learned that 

 these wild plants are not weeds, since 

 a weed is a plant growing out of place, 

 for these were exactly in place and 

 where they should be for the decora- 

 tion of the highway. But unfortunate- 

 ly there are farmers who have not yet 

 realized that especially to the city resi- 

 dent these roadside decorations are 

 among the most attractive features of 

 the country, and in many places may 



