902 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. 



WKSIIUX M'l'KOAC'H TO BAIRD COURT 



l{liii(i(Klciuln)Ms and Ccnuan iris 



out tlic progress of tlw work. This policy was to 

 j)reserve as nearly as possible the wild character 

 of the park, to establish an adequate boundary 

 shelter, to provide sufficient shade in all corals 

 and alouij all w.ilks, and to confine all formal 

 planting to the immediate vicinity of the large 

 buildings and to Baird Court. The general re- 

 sult ai)pears to have given general satisfaction. 

 All of the planting in the Zoological Park 

 may. like omnia Gallia of old, be divided into 

 three ])arts, according to its primary use, 

 namely: slielter or ])rotective planting, shade 

 jilanting and ornamental planting. On the south 

 and west the Zoological Park is bounded by 

 streets that are or ultimately will be occupied 

 solidly by large apartment houses, which if not 

 shut out will obtrude most unpleasantly into all 

 the views from within, as do even now, by reason 

 of their higher ground, certain existing build- 

 ings that in some instances arc two or three 

 blocks distant. This prospect called for the 

 great border plantations which extend from 

 West Farms at 1 8'2d Street, at the southeast cor- 

 ner of the Park, to Pelhan) Avenue and South- 

 ern Boulevard, the northwest corner, being in 



length ],.J.OO feet, and in width from 30 to '250 

 feet. 



In order to have this border effective in winter 

 as well as in sunnner it was determined to use 

 conifers to the largest extent possible; and over 

 .'5,000 of these evergreens were planted. White 

 pine and hemlock predominate with about 750 

 plants of each, the remainder being white, bal- 

 sam, Norway, oriental, Douglas and Colo- 

 rado spruces, silver fir, Nordraan's fir, red and 

 white cedar, Austrian pine, Norway ))ine, ])itch 

 ))ine, Scotch pine and others. Wherever ]ios- 

 sible this great belt of evergreens was fronted 

 by a planting of flowering or berry-bearing 

 shrubs, sncli as arrowwood, highbush huckle- 

 berry, snowberry, witch hazel, sumacs, cornels, 

 pepper bnsh, etc., of which about 12,000 were 

 used. All of this ])lanting has done exceedingly 

 well, some of the white jiines making an average 

 animal' growth of o^ er ,'iO inches. In a way this 

 border plantation has formed a great nursery; 

 aTid many of the fine evergreens now seen at the 

 Concourse and elsewhere have been transplanted 

 from the borders. 



Besides forming a shelter belt and wind- 



