BRINGING UP A PARK THE WAY IT SHOULD GO 



refer to " our " park — in one sense narrowing the scope of their civic 

 interest but furnishing an example of helpfuhiess that results in ideal 

 park conditions in that particular neighbourhood. Parks which are 

 actually owned by the adjoining property owners, such as once was 

 Granimercy Park in New York City, and so many of the parks of 

 London, are never subjected to damage and despoliation. 



INTELLIGENT GUIDANCE 



Assured of the cooperation of citizens in the desire to facilitate 

 instead of to retard park development, the question arises " just what 

 is meant by the bringing up of parks." Most things need to be 

 brought up. Topsy " just growed," but she didn't meet Miss Ophelia's 

 standards, and we were never told what became of Topsy, or what 

 kind of a future she made out for herself. The biblical adage, " Bring 

 up a child in the way he should go : and when he is old, he will not depart 

 from it," holds equally true in the matter of parks. A park develop- 

 ment, even when started right, cannot be brought to maturity without 

 constant care and training to conform it to the beau ideal; also leaving 

 it entirely to the ministration of a gardener is merely attending to its 

 physical welfare ; there must be intelligence in a park, something more 

 than bulk. 



Similar to the case of bringing up children — -it is the man who has no 

 children of his own who knows best what to advise and how to censure 

 in the bringing up of other people's children. There is a striking 

 analogy in the fact that almost any lay person at first glance can tell 

 exactly what is the matter with a park and liow it may be remedied. 

 Controlling conditions that have proved stumbling blocks and insur- 

 mountable obstacles to the landscape architect are ignored or dis- 

 counted in a moment. Moreover, the opinions of such on-the-spur-of- 

 the-moment designers are expressed freely so that all may hear, and 

 the work of the conscientious designer cast in the limbo of incompetent 



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