PARK ADMINISTRATION 



before their time, become decrepit and infirm. Even if able to with- 

 stand the harsh treatment, their appearance, as seen in many cases of 

 Hydrangea paniculata, becomes distorted and gnarled like that of an 

 overworked labourer of the fields. Cropping, the exact opposite of 

 pruning, is a cause ratlier than a prevention of disease. 



NEEDLESS EXPENDITURE 



6. Annual cost. At the present day, when increasing demands in 

 park management are raising the cost of maintenance to a point which 

 discourages new work, any means of holding down the annual ex- 

 penditure, even in comparatively small items, is welcomed. Semi- 

 annual shearing of a large proportion of the park plants represents a 

 considerable item of expense, especially when it is neither necessary 

 nor desirable. If, as has been stated, continual cropping is necessary 

 to keep rampant planting within bounds, it will be cheaper in the long 

 run to remove it entirely and replace with plant varieties which will 

 not outgrow their location. From the standpoint of beauty, health or 

 park maintenance, the usual expenditure for semi-annual cutting back 

 of park shrubs is profitless and should not be permitted. 



HARMONY BETWEEN CO-WORKERS 



In general, it may be said that a spirit of compromise between the 

 co-workers of a park system is imperative, if friction is to be avoided 

 and the best interests of the work served. In cities where either the 

 park superintendent or the landscape architect is in full control, in- 

 stead of the more ideal arrangement of equally divided responsibility, 

 the one in charge should constantly be on guard lest his autocracy lead 

 him to underestimate and disregard the phases of the work with which 

 he may not be conversant. The park superintendent cannot for his 

 own interest disregard the importance of good planting design, nor can 

 the landscape architect overlook in the preparation of his designs prac- 



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