THE CANADIAN HORTICULTUKIST, 



209 



fountain and statue of President Lin- 

 coln. 



Passing through this noble vestibule, 

 distinguished alike for amplitude, sym- 

 metry, and dignity, we enter upon the 

 area of the park itself. Oiir space does 

 not. of course, permit us to describe La 

 detail the many features of interest that 

 meet one at every turn throughout the 

 intricate maze of six miles of carriage 

 drives and eleven miles of foot-paths, 

 but we will consider briefly a few of 

 the more important and attractive 

 points. 



As we enter and saunter along the 

 wast side of the park, we find ourselves 

 completely shut out by trees and shmbs 

 from Flatbush Avenue, a few yards 

 away. The sense of the close neigh- 

 borhood of the city is still farther 

 eliminated by the natural woodland 

 appeai-ance of the system employed in 

 arranging the trees and shrubs. A 

 short dLstance from the Plaza, a glimpse 

 through an archway under the main 

 drive, evidently placed at precisely this 

 point for a distinct purpo.se, reveals a 

 great far-reaching sweep of undulating 

 meadow fringed by remnants of an 

 original forest of Oak, Elm, and Chest- 

 nut. This green or Long Meadow, as 

 it is called, consists of not over twenty- 

 five acres of open grass space ; but its 

 natural hills and hollows have been 

 managed so as to give, through our 

 peep-hole of archway, the impression of 

 an unbroken perspective of miles. This 

 feature is the most important in the 

 park ; for, without a single farriage 

 road, a field of ample dimensions is 

 offered for the illustration of the pas- 

 toral idea. 



" Thousands of people," says the 

 " Report " of the landscape architects, 

 " vrithout any sense of crowding, stroll 

 about the level or undulating, sunny or 

 shady turf spaces that are to be found 

 in this strip of pasture or woodland." 

 Here, as elsewhere, the original features 



are not only strictly adhered to, but 

 actually intensified by raising the hills 

 with soil and trees and deepening the 

 hollows. Old forest trees are generally 

 throughout the park carefully preserved. 



Passing on by a deep dell where a 

 small pool and steep hill-side are beau- 

 tifully ornamented with choice speci- 

 mens of rare trees and shrubs, and 

 where the water and open ground are 

 arranged specially for the amusement 

 of children, we come by devious ways 

 past a deer paddock, protected by a 

 sunken moat and fence, to an important 

 region of the park. 



Here we find, on the borders of a 

 lake of sixty acras, an open space finely 

 decorated with carved stone balusti-ade« 

 and vases. Within this space grow 

 some of the bast trees and shrubs of the 

 park, choice Elms and Maple-s from 

 •Japan, America, and Europe, and on 

 the hill-side, remarkable specimens of 

 Rhododendrons and Conifers from all 

 parts of the world. It may he truly 

 said that some of these Conifers, Silver 

 Firs, and Arbor Vitses, are hardly 

 equaled by those of any other lawn in 

 America. The spot Ls, moreover, so 

 fortunately protected from cold winds, 

 by embowering hills, that Evergreens 

 which usually fail north of Washington 

 and Virginia are here found in perfect 

 health and vigor. Cannas, Colocasias, 

 and other tall-gi-owing foliage plants, 

 tastafully an'anged, thrive vigorously 

 and produce a rich tropical effect. A 

 rich display of bedding plants, Coleus, 

 Geraniums, Salvias, Alternantheras, 

 etc., is presented at this point year 

 after year in connection \vith the refec- 

 tory and shelter, which are perhaps the 

 most ambitious architectural structures 

 of a park where the pastoral idea of 

 wide-spreading turf and woodland is 

 intended to be ever\"where dominant. 



Passing under an archway and down 

 by a lovely pool where stands the skate- 

 house in winter, we come to the grove 



