"PASSING-THROUGH" PARKS 



ered with sharp, projecting ornaments, the eye would be harassed 

 and distracted." Thus, jagged park planting means irritation. There 

 is already sufficient to irritate the eye in the average city prospect 

 without the introduction of a new element. With rare exceptions, an 

 even skyline composed of trees of regular contour arranged for cer- 

 tain formality of effect in relation to the buildings will best express 

 park and civic relationship in respect to this style of park. 



The general park planting should consist primarily of tree growth 

 and turf — if any means is ever discovered of getting grass to grow 

 under city conditions of atmosphere and shade. There should be little 

 or no promiscuous shrubbery. Such material, if included, should be 

 selected for uniformity of height and texture and confined to distinct 

 beds almost in the nature of flowers. The planting must be so 

 arranged as to give strong contrast of light and shade, and so disposed 

 that to the greatest degree possible the shadows will fall in line value 

 and not be broken up into a confusion of unrelated shadow masses. 

 Properly availed of, foliage shadows in formal park design can be 

 made to render as dependable service as in architectural composition. 

 A row of Norway maples, for example, will give as solid a line of 

 shadow as an architect may obtain in his heaviest overhang of cornice, 

 and such foliage shadow lines will emphasise or disrupt the character 

 of the park plan. Shrubs in like sense will clarify or confuse a plan 

 and, if not to be confined to formal arrangement, as so well done in 

 German examples, should be omitted from passing-through parks. As 

 confusing the plan, interrupting the prospect, and preventing a clear 

 understanding of the park and civic relationship, this point that shrubs 

 be omitted from passing-through parks is earnestly recommended. 



RELATION OF FLORAL DISPLAY TO PLAN 



Floral displays in parks of this class should be very bold and 

 positive in character, disposed in beds strongly related and controlled 



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