May I, 1895. 



Garden and Forest. 



171 



GARDEN AND FOREST. 



PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY 



THE GARDEN "AND FOREST PUBLISHING CO. 



Office: Tribune Building, New York. 



Conducted by Professor C. S. Sargent. 



ENTERED AS SECOND-CLASS MATTER AT THE POST-OFFICE AT NEW YORK, N. V. 



NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, MAY i, 1895. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



Editorial Article;— The Metropolitan Parks of Boston 171 



Notes upon Poisonous Plants Professor Byron D. Halsted. 172 



Four Native Trees in the North-west Z. C. Corbett. 173 



Foreign Correspondence: — Hippeastruins in England George Nicholson, 173 



New or Little-known Plants: — Rose, Belle Siebrecht. (With figure.) 174 



Plant Notes 174 



Cultural Department:— Sprin,^-flowerint; Bulbs IV. E.JLniitcott. 176 



Work of the Season H. 177 



Indian Azaleas T. D. Hat/ield. 177 



Notes on Carnations IV. N. Craig. 17S 



Early Flowers y. N. Gerard 178 



Greenhouse Plants in Blooms G. IV. Oliver. 179 



Adonis vernalis B. M. IV. 179 



Correspondence : — The Hardiness of the Cherokee Rose G. L. C. 179 



Notes from the South-west La?-a S. La Mance. 179 



R ecent Publications 179 



Notes iSo 



Illustration : — Rose, Belle Siebrecht, Fi,^. 27 175 



The Metropolitan Parks of Boston. 



E;E the metnorable prehminary report of 1893, the 

 second annual report of the MetropoHtan Park Com- 

 mission of Boston forms a contribution to the hterature of 

 public open spaces of great general interest, as well as of 

 more immediate local concern. The first regular report was 

 issued so soon after the creation of the commission that it 

 formed a document of but slight scope, although the 

 remarks of the landscape architects, Messrs. Olmsted, 

 Olmsted & Eliot, concerning some of the conditions 

 governing the establishment of public reservations, and 

 particularly the definition of their boundaries, were of 

 universal application. The present report is a work which 

 may well make the people of Boston realize what invalu- 

 able treasures they possess in the magnificent public 

 reservations that have already been established, as well as 

 quicken their appreciation of the possibilities for enlight- 

 ened municipal development that are contained within 

 their metropolitan territory. 



The wealth of illustrative material enhances greatly the 

 value of this report. Besides a panoramic view of the vast 

 reach of landscape, looking easterly from the highest 

 eminence in the Blue Hills reservation — still called by its 

 commonplace modern designation of Great Blue Hill, 

 instead of its ancient historic name, Massachusetts Mount, 

 which by all means should be restored — there are a 

 number of beautiful photogravure plates, representing 

 various notable scenes in the various reservations, such as 

 the falls, the brook and the noble Oaks in the Beaver 

 Brook reservation ; a pleasant woodland interior showing 

 how some of the old "wood-roads" in the Middlesex Fells 

 have been improved for temporar}'- use ; and scenes from 

 the borders of various ])ieces of water in the reservations, 

 includmg an e.xceptionally lovely prospect over the Stony 

 Brook VVoods, across to the Blue Hills range, with Turtle 

 Pond nestling in the middle distance, amid a sylvan 

 setting. Then there are excellent maps of the several 

 reservations, a diagram showing the relations of the Blue 

 Hills and the Fells Parkways to the metropolitan district, 

 and a careful enumeration in an outline sketch of all the 



landmarks visible in the panorama on every side from the 

 Great Blue Hill 



The commissioners report takings to a total extent of 

 6,070 acres in the four reservations, which they have thus 

 far laid out, while previous takings, amounting to about 

 1,600 acres, increase the total area in charge of the com- 

 mission to nearly 7,700 acres. Altogether "the total open 

 space for recreative and water-supply uses in the Boston 

 metropolitan district now amounts to almost 14,000 

 acres. The commissioners discuss their important trust 

 in a conservative spirit that inspires confidence in their 

 capacity for its proper administration. Great activities, 

 yet scarcely entered upon, await them. These include 

 the complicated problem of Charles River, the contem- 

 plated taking of the grand stretch of ocean shore at Revere 

 Beach, and the providing of suitable facilities for access 

 to the various reservations by means of parkways and 

 boulevards. 



The discussion by the landscape architects of various 

 questions connected with the acquisition and develop- 

 ment of public reservations, is of such general application 

 and importance that it should be brought to the attention 

 of park commissions, city authorities and students of 

 municipal economy everywhere. Resuming the considera 

 tion of the boundary question, it is pointed out how it has 

 not been the habit of park commissions, speaking gener- 

 ally, to give much attention to the boundaries of public 

 reservations. 



It is generally easier to acquire tiie whole of a given parcel 

 of real estate, though half of it is not really wanted, and then to 

 omit the purchase of any of the ne.xt parcel, though half of 

 that is sadly needed, tlian it is to acquire a part from tliis and 

 a part from that for llie sake of obtaining what is essential 

 and omitting what is of less importance to the landscape of 

 the domain to be preserved. There are few public grounds 

 which are not grossly deformed by the imperfections of their 

 boundaries. Almost everywhere the iminediate saving of 

 time and trouble for the surveyor, the conveyancer and the 

 commission concerned has worked permanent injury to pub- 

 lic interests in public scenery. 



It is pointed out that these large reservations have been 

 taken not for the sake of making an exhibition of fine 

 trees, economic forestry, model roads or any other special 

 thing or things, however desirable, but simply in ortler to 

 provide the metropolitan community with fine scenery ; 

 and consetjuently that all work done within the reserva- 

 tions ought to be directed solely to preserving, enhancing 

 or making available the charm, the beauty, or the impres- 

 siveness of that scenery. 



The scenery of all the reservations thus far acquired is 

 essentially sylvan. Sylvan scenery is compounded of the shape 

 of the ground and vegetation. The variously sculptured or 

 modeled forms of the earth's surface furnish the solid body 

 of landscape which man seldom finds time or strength to mar. 

 \'egetation, on the other hand, supplies the dress of living 

 green which man often changes, strips av.'ay or spoils, but 

 wliich he can generally restore if he so chooses. 



Emphasis is laid on the necessity of regarding the 

 ancient wood-roads that have been opened up in the 

 reservations to serve pressing administrative needs as 

 merely temporary affairs. They do not and cannot be 

 made to exhibit the scenery as it ought to be and may be 

 exhibited. The report states that one may easily drive through 

 the whole length of the Blue Hills range by the present 

 service road and come away disappointed, and that, con- 

 trariwise, it is easily possible to imagine a road along the 

 range which, preseitting one quiet or surprising picture after 

 another, could not fail to avv'aken admiration of scener)- in 

 every observer. The reservations will not return to the 

 community that dividend of refreshment which is rightly 

 expected of them until roads and jiaths shall have been 

 built with special reference to the exhibition of the 

 scenery. Prolonged study, not only of the ground, but of 

 complete topographical maps, is shown to be essential to 

 the devising of such roads. 



The opening or closing of vistas, and the modification 



