54 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



were the methods carried nut by its president an<l 

 others that a large number of donations were secured 

 and considerable suitable property was purchased at 

 reasonable figures. 



It has been the endeavor of the commission to se- 

 cure as much as possible of the close-in properties as 

 would fit into the general scheme, and so well has this 

 been accomplished that, with one or two exceptions, 

 all the districts are taken care of, all having a 

 park or playground within easy reach. 



It has been the purpose also, to secure much of the 

 rugged natural lands and river banks, so that as much 

 as possible of the basaltic clififs and river embankments 

 wovdd for all time be preserved in their most natural 

 condition, a boon to the generations that are to follow. 



In the work of development, in reality only a start 

 has been made. It has only been during the past three 

 years that anything comprehensive has been under- 

 taken, but so vigorously has the work been prosecuted 

 that the Park System now boasts of a number of fin- 

 islu-<l neighborhood parks, eight fully equipped play- 

 grounds, and a large numl)er of baseball fields and 

 tennis courts, distributed in difterent localities 

 throughout tlie city. 



It should be rememliered that Spokane lies in a 

 semi-arid district with a maximum annual rainfall of 

 18 inches, and that as there is little or no rainfall dur- 

 ing the summer months, all plantings of trees, shrubs, 

 lawns, etc., therefore have to be watered and no at- 

 tempt is made at such development without a perfect 

 watering svstem. This makes construction work ex- 

 pensive, but a few years show the benefit from the 

 cost, for there is no losing of foliage from deciduous 

 trees in mid-summer, so often seen during a dry sea- 

 son in Eastern cities. 



It is the purpose of the department to preserve 

 every particular feature that each park may possess, 

 and a brief descriptiiin o[ a few of the most interesting 

 features follow : 



Manito Park, the most popular of dur jmrks, is a 

 beautiful tract of high blufts and fine nilling knolls 

 and valleys, cori'si.sting of about 90 acres, but so far 

 only about one-half has been improved. In this park 

 the Zoo has been located, but space will not permit of 

 its continuance here, and eventually the animal jiark 

 will be Indian Canyon, perhaps the most artisticall}- 

 natural park of the whole system. At Manito the city 

 greenhouses are also located, a very complete range of 

 modern houses, with a beautiful fronting where the 

 flower gardens are laid out. Manito Park will event- 

 ually become a veritable arboretum', for it is intended 

 to gather in it as large a collection as possible of all 

 varieties of trees and shrubs that will stand 'climatic 

 conditions. Manito Park also contains an old-fash- 

 ioned garden ; also a rose garden ; in the latter are 

 grown many of the newer varieties of hybrid tea 

 roses, for which class the superintendent has discarded 

 many of the old hybrid perpetual varieties. 



Liberty Park is a natural park of peculiar beauty, 

 situated a little over a mile from the center of the 

 city. Its center is a low depression, said to have been 

 at one time a volcanic crater, while the stirrounding 

 slopes have now been covered with many thousands of 

 dififerent varieties of trees and shrubs. At the western 

 end of the park a beautiful pergola eft'ect has been 

 given, surrounding a children's playground and wading 

 pool. Lincoln Park is one of the recently acquired 

 tracts : so far only a little development has been under- 

 taken. It, however, has the distinction of having a 

 splendid growth of Douglas firs, something that no 



other park so near the city's center is possessed of. 



Indian Canyon Park, already referred to, is wholly 

 within the three and one-half-mile circle and connect- 

 ing with Palisade Park totals 162 acres. Indian Can- 

 yon is a beautiful gulch, where much varied scenery 

 mar be seen. At the eastern end are many thousands 

 of dift'erent deciduous shrubs, among them the phila- 

 del])huses, which are so plentiful as to make a special 

 feature. Farther up the canyon are some excellent ex- 

 amples of lava overflow, and a beautiful little water- 

 fall helps to add to the naturally wild effect. A fea- 

 ture, too, are the Indian tepees, for few, if any, cities 

 can boast of the aborigenes living naturally within 

 their border. 



From Rimrock Drive, which surrounds the western 

 border of these parks, are many changing views of 

 the city, the Si)okane Valley, the distant Coeur 



N.\TIVE PHIL.\nELPHUS GROWING IN INDI.VN CANYON P.\KK, SPOl .» 



