SOCIETY OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS. 36S 



in delineating a lion's tail, or to give color to a ball player's cap, 

 and in other monstrosities even more absurd. 



Floriculture being of necessity more or less artificial in its re- 

 quirements and display, when employed in park adornment^ 

 should have a portion of the ground set apart for its use, and 

 should be confined and screened within those bounds by judicious 

 planting of trees and shrubbery. Nothing would seem to be in 

 worse taste than to see artificial and formal beds of flowers 

 scattered throughout the park. 



Floral displays are confusing and unintelligible when seen from 

 any great distances, therefore to be appreciated must be brought 

 close to the eye, and concealed from distant views. Where the 

 florid style of the art is employed, meaning thereby the massing 

 of colors in ribbon or parterre work, such embellishments as 

 vases, fountains of statuary, terrace work or stone balustrades 

 are permissible. 



The conservatory or palm house may overlook the parterres 

 from a broad terrace from which a commanding view of the par- 

 terres may be had. 



The old fashioned but delightful herbaceous borders should 

 not be forgotten, but rather, in our estimation, should take pre- 

 cedence over the modern style, a winding irregular border round 

 a space rectangular or nearly so in its outline, at the back low 

 trees and choice shrubbery. The front may be promiscuously 

 planted with herbaceous plants graduating from the tallest at the 

 back to the lowest in the front, reinforced by annuals and bulbs 

 in summer, a foreground of lawn and a broad walk form the 

 ground work of interesting and effective floral adornment. 



Much remains to be said on the subject. The practical details - 

 have not been touched upon in this paper; the habits and quali- 

 fications of the various trees, shrubs and evergreens have been 

 scarcely mentioned; the ideas expressed have not been sufficient- 

 ly elaborated ; yet if it should promote discussion of the subject 

 in the least degree, it will not have been unproductive of good. 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. Woodard — I consider the paper just read a very valuable 

 one, and the more that we can have of the kind the better. 



Mr. Dunning — The subject is a broad and professional one, and 

 one that requires a great deal of study. Mr. Pettigrew is a very 

 practical man, and has done some very valuable work in the 

 changing and re-modeling of Lincoln Park until now it is one of 

 the finest in the world. It will pay any of the members of this 

 Society or any person who contemplates starting a park to visit it. - 



