HORTICULTURE 



July 8, 1905 



NEWS OF THE CLUBS AND SOCIETIES 



;^ 



for members 



trea- 



AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PARK 

 SUPERINTENDENTS 



The American Association of I'ark Super- 

 intendents met in annual convention in 

 Buffalo, June 28-30. The business meeting 

 took place at Historical Hall, Delaware 

 Park, in the forenoon of the first day, and 

 was promptly opened by President W. S. 

 Egerton, of Albany, N.Y. The reports of 

 the secretary and treasurer were received 

 and accepted, as was also the report of the 

 executive committee and its recommenda- 

 tions, viz: 



Raising the annual 

 from $2 to $5. 



Merging the offices of secretary ; 

 surer into one. 



Paying the secretary' an annual salary of 

 $100. 



That the annual banquets be dispensed 

 with. 



That members one year in arrear be sus- 

 pended. 



That all bulletins of the .Association be 

 referred to an editing committee of three 

 before printing and distribution. 



J. Horace McFarland, of Harrisburg, Pa., 

 addressed the convention in behalf of the 

 .\merican Civic Association. In a few well- 

 chosen remarks he defined the relative posi- 

 tions of park commissioner and park su- 

 perintendent, saying that in most cases the 

 superintendent was the real creator and 

 developer of our most progressive park sys- 

 tems, and that too often the commissioners 

 claimed or accepted the credit for achieve- 

 ments w^ch were the results of the super- 

 intendent's professional knowledge, efficiency, 

 and ability. It should be the park com- 

 missioner's duty and object to conceive a 

 proper system for the city, to acquire the 

 necessary lands, secure the means for their 

 development, maintenance, and protection. 

 In other words the commission was here to 

 provide the work, while it was the super- 

 intendent's share to do the work, and ac- 

 complish the real purpose for which the 

 department was created. He thought that 

 the superintendent should receive the full 

 share of credit due his efficient and impor- 

 tant work. Mr. McFarland complimented 

 the association on the good work already 

 accomplished, and thought that the very 

 valuable bulletins of the association should 

 be brought more within the reach of all 

 interested in park work and civic improve- 

 ment in general, and he thought that the 

 official publications of the Civic .'\ssociation 

 would provide excellent means for the proper 

 dissemination of the valuable information 

 which those bulletins contain, and he urged 

 the closest possible relations of the two 

 associations, as having the sainc object and 

 aim in view. Mr. McFarland's address was 

 received with interest and heartily ap])lauded. 



President Egerton, before appointing a 

 committee on nominations for the ensuing 

 year, expressed his thanks for the courtesies 

 received during his term of office. He was 

 in favor of having the ofiico of ])rcsident 

 occupied by a different member every year, 

 while he thought that such an ilficient sec- 

 retary as the a.ssociation had at jjresent 

 should be retained by all means. The fol- 

 lowing officers were then elected unani- 

 mously: 



President, Theodore Wirth, Hartford, 

 Conn.; secretary and treasurer, J. W. Dun- 

 can, Jamaica Plain, Mass.; vice-presidents, 

 Byron Worthen, Manchester, N.H., John 

 Chambers, Toronto, Can., W. J. Zartman, 

 Brooklyn, N.Y., Edward Baker, New Or- 

 leans, La., \V. R. Adams, Omaha, Neb., 

 R. H. Warder, Chicago, 111. 



The following new members were ad- 

 mitted: 



Edward Perry, superintendent state reser- 

 vation, Niagara Falls, N.Y.; James Braik, 

 assistant superintendent parks, Buffalo, N.Y.; 

 John Pearce, superintendent parks, London, 

 Ont.; Frank Baker, superintendent National 

 Zoological park, Washington, D.C.; V. G. 

 Dubuis, superintendent parks, Peoria, 111.; 

 Alex. Cumming, forester department parks, 

 Hartford, Conn.; Fred. Nussbaumer, super- 

 intendent parks, St. Paul, Minn.; Edwin A. 

 Kanst, assistant head gardener. South Park, 

 Chicago. 



After the business meeting the members 

 adjourned to the nearby Pa\illion facing the 

 lake, where a fine lunch was enjoyed, and 

 the courtesies and hospitality e.xtended the 

 association by the park commissioners of 

 Buffalo gracefully acknowledged by Presi- 

 dent Egerton, whose remarks were cordially 

 and humorously responded to by President 

 Hengerer of the park board. The afternoon 

 was devoted to a drive through Delaware 

 Park, and the connecting parkway to Hum- 

 boldt Park. The fine meadow, beautiful 

 drives, and thrifty trees of Delaware Park 

 were never seen to better advantage, and 

 the short visit to the zoological garden was 



Theodoke W irih 



President-elect American Association 



of Park Superintendents 



enjoyed by all. The groves, lawns, and 

 floral displays of Humboldt Park were very 

 attractive, and the immense circular wading 

 pool of 500 feet diameter, with its appro- 

 priate surroundings and approaches was ad- 

 mired, and its usefulness so well illustrated, 

 recognized by all. 



The long drive through the seemingly 

 endless residential district of the city to the 

 "Front" was a revelation to all and the 

 opinion was universally expressed that Buf- 

 falo had the best developed residential dis- 

 tricts of any city so far visited by all those 

 present, and the numberless magnificent 

 buildings, well kept trees and lawns, taste- 

 fully planted grounds, and clean sidewalks 

 and streets deserved all the praise that was 

 forthcoming. Unlimited praise was given 

 to Assistant Superintendent Braik, who was 

 held directly responsible by his superiors 

 and associates for the excellent condition in 

 which the parks under his jurisdiction were 

 found. 



A visit to the botanical garden at South 

 Park was made the third day of the conven- 

 tion, and under the guidance of the genial 



director. Professor Cowell, the e.xtensive and 

 very interesting grounds were thoroughly 

 inspected. 



The pseonies were about passing away, 

 but there was enough evidence left to show 

 that it must have been a glorious sight when 

 they all were at their best. The visitors 

 were very strongly impressed with the very 

 unfavorable location of South Park as the 

 site of a botanical garden, and expressed 

 their opinion that the very valuable plant 

 colleclion.s, both under glass and outdoors, 

 shoulil be transferred at as early a time as 

 possible to a site much more remote from 

 manufacturing districts, in an atmosphere 

 free from smoke and gases. Mr. Warder in- 

 troduced a resolution to that effect which 

 was unanimously adopted, and the secretary 

 was instructed to forward a copy to Profes- 

 sor Cowell. 



Lunch was served on the spacious piazza 

 of Professor Cowell's residence. 



The second day was occupied by a trolley 

 ride to Niagara Falls, where the members 

 were received by Superintendent Perry, who 

 conducted them all over the reservation on 

 electric omnibuses. After a trip on the 

 Maid of the Mist, the visitors were landed on 

 the Canadian side of the river, where they 

 were taken in hand by Superintendent Wil- 

 son, and horticulturist Cameron of the 

 Queen Victoria Park. .'\n e.xcellent lunch 

 was .served at the splendid new refectory. 

 Short speeches by Messrs. Egerton, Wilson, 

 and Cameron were enjoyed as much as the 

 fine menu. A stroll through the grounds 

 in the immediate vicinity of the building 

 brought the visitors to the excellent collec- 

 tions of perennial plants. 



,\fter enjo>ing the beautiful sight of the 

 Horseshoe Falls, a special trolley car took 

 the visitors along the very interesting works, 

 now under construction by the Canadian 

 Power Co. at a total outlay of $25,000,000. 

 A short stop was made at the General Brook 

 Monument, where Mr. Wilson gave an in- 

 teresting talk. The excellent view from this 

 point was the crowning feature of the day's 

 outing. 



The return trip was made on the Ameri- 

 can side of the river, along the rapids and 

 the wliirlpool of the Niagara. 



A majority of the visitors accepted the 

 cordial invitation of the park commissioners 

 of Rochester, and went there on Saturday, 

 July I. They were most cordially received, 

 and under the able guidance of Superintend- 

 ent Laney and Assistant Superintendent 

 Duncan ascended the heights of Highland 

 Park in a tallyho, dravvn by eight horses. 

 The well-arranged and cultivated collections 

 of trees, shrubs, and plants in general here 

 displayed were a revelation and a most 

 instructive object lesson. The entire park 

 system was visited and the drive through the 

 Meadow Park and on both sides of the 

 Genesee River was most inspiring. In the 

 evening an elegant banquet was tendered at 

 the Power House by the Park Commission to 

 the visiting guests, and with this the 9th 

 annual convention of the association — the 

 second since its branching out into a national 

 organization — came to an appropriate and 

 most pleasing end. The attendance, consid- 

 ering that the large majority of the members 

 are from the New England states, was quite 

 satisfactory. The selection for next year's 

 meeting place was left with the executive 

 committee, the invitation by telegram from 

 the mayor of Toronto, Can., being referred 

 to its consideration. 



The following members were present: 

 Gustave X. Amrhyn, New Haven, Conn.; 

 John Chambers, Toronto, Can.; Guy H. 

 Chase, Princeton, Mass.; John F. Cowell, 



