IRISH GARDENING 



XOI.l'MK \II. 

 No. 7-' 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL DF.VOTED lY) THK 



ADVANCEMENT OF HORTICULTURE AND 



ARBORICULTURF. IN IRELAND 



FF.BRIARY 



lqi2 



Notes on Gardens and Orchard 

 Work in America. 



BOTANICAL 

 QARDBN 



(i'diiliiiiifd \ 

 By Sir K. W". M.k.kk, .M,.\. 



I 



11 WE previously remarked that 

 energetic efiorls were beintr 

 made in America to teaeli 

 horticulture and jfardeniiii; to the 

 Noung'er generation, and tliese 

 efforts are worthy of all conimenda- 

 tion, not only on account of the 

 pleasure derived from the cultiva- 

 tion ot plants and the intimate 

 association with nature which such 

 work entails, but on account of the 

 thoroughness of the methods adopted 

 and the wide scope of these methods. 

 To meet the cases of all classes and 

 ages of the people the public parks 

 and gardens are being made as edu- 

 cational as possible— educational 

 from every point of view. The 

 public park system in .America is 

 very extensive and very ad\ anced — a 

 system in which the people with 

 every reason take the greatest pride 

 and interest, and they have the satis- 

 faction ot knowing that there is every justifi- 

 cation tor these sentiments. Large sums ot 

 monev are freely voteil by the municipalities and 

 other public bodies for the upkeep o\ these parks, 

 and the public concur in this huge expenditure 

 of their mone\' for their own benefit and enter- 

 tainment. Further, the parks have the approval 

 of wealthy and benevolent philanthropists, and 

 many of the American parks owe their present 

 excellent position to benefactions in money and 

 in land from prominent citizens. .Attached to 

 manv of the parks are what are termed " park 

 drives," long stretches of road planted with 



suitable trees, sometimes two broad roads with 

 trees between and trees at each side, one road 

 generally reserved for motors only, and in all 

 instances fine banks of shrubs interspersed 

 between the trees. These large hanks of shrubs 

 are everywhere a prominent feature not confined 

 to the park drives only, but prominent in the 

 parks proper -a feature of great value and 

 interest, and one which is worthy of the highest 

 praise. To a stranger the parks are at first 

 rather bewildering, l-'rom the ordinary road 

 or street one gets gradually or abruptly into 

 a shady drive ; from this one emerges into 

 a glade or fine open space — the park proper- 

 but no gate has been passed, no fences or 

 boundary walls met with, and it is difficult to 

 realise that one is in a public park. This 

 absence of fences is not universal, but it is very 

 general, and it is increasing, every effort being 

 made to impress on the public that they are the 

 proprietors of these parks, and that they must 

 respect their own property and guard it. It 

 would be untrue to say that in every case this 

 experiment liad been an unqualified success. 

 .Some places suffered severely at first, but the 

 lesson is being gradually learned, and after a 

 while the majority appreciate the responsibility 

 thrown on them, and become as conservative 

 and appreciative as if they really were in 

 possession, and help to keep down the depreda- 

 tions of the small minority, who have not yet 

 developed the "bump" of law and order. 

 .Vnother feature in .American parks and public 

 gardens, which at once strikes a stranger, is the 

 number and extent <ii the carriage drives all 

 tlirousrh them. There is 'lardiv a striking 



