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lUustrntioHs. 



Rustic Shelter — Prospect Park. — The 

 frontispiece this month is illustrative of a 

 handsome specimen of decorative rustic art 

 in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. It is situ- 

 ated at the summit of a natural eleva- 

 tion, approached from the entrance of the 

 Park by a vpalk of gradual rise, but on the 

 other side overlooks a bank of considerable 

 precipitate declivity. From this point there 

 is a fine survey of nearly all portions of the 

 Park. Towards the south is the broad 

 expanse of the lawn, and drives and paths 

 of the Park extending to the verge of the 

 woods. Eastward is the expanse of the 

 meadows, gardens and farms of Long Island, 

 and in the distance is discerned the deep 

 blue of the Atlantic Ocean. Northward is 

 the magnificent reservoir of Ridgewood 

 water, and westward is the entrance of the 

 Park, with the broad avenue leading down 

 to the city. The building itself is a shelter 

 of thatched roof supported by rustic beams 

 and posts of rough untrimmed trees and 

 cedar wood. The floor is solid stone or tile 

 work, and in front is an open plaza, extending 

 a few feet outward to the fence which over- 

 looks the bank. The shelter will accom- 

 modate about 100 persons, is provided with 

 rustic chairs and seats for all visitors de- 

 sirous of resting, or who have alighted 

 from the carriage to gain the benefit of a 

 better view. Elegant equipages are con- 

 stantly passing to and fro, aff'ording life and 



variety to a very pretty scene. The build- 

 ing is thatched with straw to the depth of a 

 foot and a half, and is fully 100 feet long_ 

 The bank immediately in front is turfed 

 with closely cut grass and planted with 

 ornamental shrubs and evergreens. At the 

 base is a small pool. 



A. Hitnging Basket of Ferns. 



In this number is published a handsome 

 illustration of a basket of ferns of rare 

 character. It is modeled after one illus- 

 trated in The Gardener^s Chro?iicle last 

 year. It is constructed of wire, from such 

 as is found at the store of any dealer in 

 wire or horticultural goods. The entire 

 interior is filled with moist moss, except 

 the centre, which contains some earth. At 

 the bottom of this earth is a sponge, to 

 prevent dripping (perhaps it would be ad- 

 visable to substitute a small basin). The 

 basket is filled with Ferns and Srailax. 

 The varieties of Ferns most suitable for 

 culture in hanging baskets are the Maiden- 

 hair Fern (though it spreads pretty widely), 

 Athyrium, Polypodium vulgare, Aspleniuin 

 flaccideitm,^ Pteris serrulata. Such a list 

 is easily supplied by any florist, with many 

 other valuable additions, but we would con- 

 fine the plants to one class only, viz., Ferns. 

 We know no plant so durable or requiring 

 so little care, and yet able to live in any 

 position (as long as they are watered), like 

 Ferns. We would be justified in naming 

 them the Windoto Gardener^s Live-for-Ever. 



Shade Trees, 



John J. Smith, Esq., one of the former 

 editors of The Horticulturist, in a 



