1880. 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



865 



South Park, from its extent — 1050 acres — and 

 the improvements in the roads and walks still 

 going on, does not present such a finished and 

 unique appearance as it will do when these im- 

 provements are completed ; but every thing that 

 had been done showed skillful and careful 

 management, indicating that the Commissioners 

 had been fortunate in selecting a man with 

 talent comprehensive enough to grasp the multi- 

 tude of details in such an undertaking. 



"Lincoln Park" to the north of tlie city has an 

 area of only 250 acres, but is a perfect gem in its 

 way. The floral department of this park assumed 

 form only three or four years ago, and it is diffi- 

 cult to understand how so much, so well done, 

 could have been accomplished in such a brief 

 time. Already upwards of 10,000 square feet of 

 well constructed greenhouses are up and filled 

 with an extensive and valuable collection of 

 tropical plants, exceedingly well grown, embrac- 

 ing many large and fine specimens. As in 

 South Park, the greater part of the greenhouses 

 during the winter and spring months are used 

 for propagating and growing plants that are 

 wanted for decorating the grounds in summer, 

 but this extent would be entirely inadequate for 

 that purpose were it not that the plants about 

 May 1st are shifted and transferred to the cold 

 frames of which there is capacity enough to hold 

 125,000 plants grown in five-inch pots, which 

 must require an area of at least 35,000 square feet. 

 These plants are set out about June 1st, and 

 being grown in five-inch pots, are then fine 

 plants, large enough to give an immediate effect 

 — not quite as fine, of course, as when growth 

 has vigorously started later, but yet sufficient to 

 make the beds at once attractive. On the main 

 lawn in front of the Mall was a flower bed repre- 

 senting a Knight Templar's cross with the square 

 and compass in the centre, a very handsome de- 

 sign surrounded by an arabasque in the Byzan- 

 tine style, the lines of which are defined by white 

 shells. 



Some captious criticism has been made on the 

 taste of this arrangement in using the shells, but 

 leaving the question of " propriety" aside, noth- 

 ing in flowers — particularly at a distance — could 

 produce such a sharp, well-defined and pleasing 

 line of white. Another beautiful bed represent- 

 ing a butterfly, exhibited well the unusual skill 

 shown all over in these decorations. When in 

 Europe a few years ago, I thought that nothing 

 seen there in planting equalled that of Battersea 

 Park, London, so we would here say that noth- 



ing seen in this country, in our opinion, comes 

 up to the planting in Lincoln Park, Chicago- 

 The originality of design, the well judged blend- 

 ing of color, the healthy vigor of nearly every 

 plant, showed that there was a master hand to 

 lead ; this we found to be Herman De Vry, a 

 young German gardener, who has, for the past 

 three years, had charge of the floral department 

 of Lincoln Park. 



The Commissioners of the Chicago Parks may 

 well feel proud of their work Only fifteen years 

 ago the grounds, now such a paradise of green 

 lawns, beautiful trees and brilliant flower beds, 

 was an open prairie. The transformation seems 

 magical, and stands out in strong relief against 

 the tasteless, niggardly method of those in charge 

 of our parks of New York and Brooklyn; where 

 twice longer in existence, and backed by all the 

 wealth of these great cities, there has not been 

 for years a flower bed fit to be looked at. Many 

 of the florist establishments of Chicago already 

 show the western energy and enterprise, but of 

 cpurse, are as yet far behind the long established 

 concerns of the Eastern States. On leaving 

 Chicago our next visit was to Dayton, Ohio, 

 where the reports of the fine planting at the 

 National Soldiers' Home there induced us to 

 visit. Report had not exaggerated. The Sol- 

 diers' Home is finely situated some two or three 

 miles from the city on high undulating grounds, 

 which are laid out with broad and finely kept 

 roads and walks, judiciously arranged through 

 the finest lawns I have ever seen in this country. 

 The grounds of the Soldiers' Home answers all 

 the purpose of a park to the citizens of Dayton, 

 and has the additional interest of its grounds 

 being filled at all times, in fine weather, with 

 about five thousand " men in blue," to whom 

 the Home seems a Viome indeed, for no one can 

 look upon — many of them — scarred veterans, the 

 most of whom are now grizzled and gray, with- 

 out being struck with their free and easy carriage 

 and contented looks, as if each soldier felt an 

 ownership in the ground on which he trod. 

 They are fed, housed and clad in the best man- 

 ner, and every thing else done to conduce to 

 their comfort and happiness. Any one spending 

 a day at the Soldiers' Home at Dayton, and ob- 

 serving the manner in which our nation's defend- 

 ers are so luxuriously cared for, would never 

 hesitate for a moment to believe that our re- 

 public, at least, is not ungrateful. 



There are quite a number of well built green- 

 houses, embracing a most extensive variety of 



