BRINGING UP A PARK THE WAY IT SHOULD GO 



notably the case where the planting and growth of trees or other vegetation is 

 involved, but it is no less true in many other cases. Not only is the full effect 

 of such expenditures slow in arriving but often the first visible results do not 

 even suggest the nature of the final results to which they are intended to con- 

 tribute. An isolated piece of grading done in expectation of some other change 

 which is not yet practicable may seem meaningless and even highly objection- 

 able to one who does not understand the whole purpose behind it. As a rule a 

 high degree of beauty and convenience can be developed in the grounds of a 

 great institution only by cumulative effect of long continued intelligent annual 

 maintenance work and innumerable minor improvements made from year to year 

 as circumstances permit, often in a fragmentary way ; and where the direction 

 of such work frequently changes hands there is naturally a great deal of waste 

 through repeatedly starting on lines of development which are abandoned in 

 favour of other ideas before they have really progressed far enough to show 

 their real advantage. A tolerable plan consistently followed will give far better 

 results for less money than a rapid succession of contradictory plans, even 

 though every one of the latter be a work of genius." 



ADVICE TO PARK PARENTS 



For the bringing up of parks in accordance with the foregoing con- 

 ditions, three recommendations are made: First, that a definite and 

 explicit plan be prepared under the direction of a competent designer 

 for each and every park of a park system, which plan, if approved, 

 shall be formally adopted in its entirety, and be included in the next 

 published report of the town or city; or, if considered advisable, be 

 made the subject of a special report to be sent to all residents in the 

 neighbourhoods affected ; that such plan be rigidly adhered to, and no 

 deviation in detail be permitted as jeopardising elements of design in 

 the future development beyond that expressed in the drawings. 



Second : That the main lines of each park be laid out on the ground 

 immediately and established in such a way as to make a definite design 

 apparent to the observer, thereby both committing the community to a 



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