252 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 383 



landscape architect. Mr. Vaux, as one of the desio;ners of 

 Central Park and of other parks of the city, and by his 

 long service in the department, thoroughly understands 

 what a park is and what it is for. He stands primarily 

 for the artistic treatment of the parks. He has made a 

 study of just such questions as these, and he is employed 

 to give advice whenever a problem of this sort is presented 

 to the Board for solution. Nevertheless, the question was 

 not referred to him, but to one of the commissioners, who 

 does not pretend that he has ever had any training or ex- 

 perience that would give value to his opinion on such 

 a point. 



When the Park Board which was superseded by the present 

 one attempted to lay out the Harlem speedway without 

 consulting its ofticial adviser the people protested against 

 the act as a violation of the obligations they had assumed. 

 The same considerations which condemned that Board for 

 their action in relation to the speedway apply in the 

 present case. If the commissioners should adopt a design 

 for a new park prepared by one of their number, it would 

 be considered an intolerable assumption of authority, but 

 the placing of an alleged work of art on the city's public 

 ground is quite as much outside of his proper function. 

 There is only one way to defend the parks against vulgar 

 intrusion, and to hold them steadily to their original pur- 

 pose without any impairment of their value, and that 

 is to defer matters of this sort to some paid and permanent 

 official whose capability is unquestioned, and who is held 

 to the careful performance of his duties by a sense of his 

 professional responsibility. 



Rhododendrons in a Natural Wood. 



THE illustration on page 255 represents a drivevvay 

 through a natural wood in Westbrook, the estate of 

 W. Bayard Cutting, Esq., on the shores of Great South 

 Bay, Long Island. Unfortunately, the original photograph 

 lacked sharpness of detail, and, therefore, much of the 

 beauty of the view is lost in the reproduction. It suffices, 

 however, to show how Rhododendrons can be success- 

 fully used in connection with the natural undergrov^'th of 

 woodlands without being so obtrusive, even when in full 

 flower, as to give an effect of artificiality where it is the 

 leading intention to preserve the spirit of native wildness 

 and seclusion. Even when at their height of bloom the 

 deep shadows and abundant foliage above and about them 

 soften the glow of color, so that they seem but little more 

 conspicuous than the Kalmias, Clethras, Viburnums, Thorns, 

 Elders and Wild Roses which flourish and flower abun- 

 dantly in that region. And it must be remembered that 

 these plants are in flower but a comparatively short time 

 during the year, and as Mr. Cutting remains late in the 

 country, the evergreen foliage of the Rhododendrons is 

 of great value all the year round, and especially in 

 winter. 



The successful use of Rhododendrons in the woods is 

 also interesting as a horticultural experiment on the south 

 side of Long Island, where the light, dry soil contains appar- 

 ently very little plant-food. It was rightly judged that even 

 near the shore these plants would fiourish under the shelter of 

 the woods, which would at once defend them from driving 

 winds and from the snow-reflected sunlight in winter, 

 if they could only be supplied with proper soil conditions. 

 In order to secure moisture, advantage was taken of a 

 natural depression in the woods along the bottom and 

 sides of which one of the principal plantations was made. 

 Beds were here excavated to the depth of some two feet, 

 and since peaty soil was not available, loam from the 

 woods was mixed with good barnyard manure and leaf-mold 

 from the surface of the Pine woods. Lender this treatment the 

 plants have grovi'n well, and although they have suffered 

 as Rhododendrons did elsewhere during the trying weather 

 of last winter, a fortnight ago they were all showing ad- 

 miralile flowers in fair-sized trusses. Perhaps the plants in 

 the lowest part of the hollow are the largest, but they do 



not seem more thrifty than those on higher soil, or than the 

 isolated plants which are scattered through the woods to 

 connect the different groups with each other and with the 

 natural underwood. No Kalmias originally grew in this par- 

 ticular woodland, but they abound near by, and Mr. Cut- 

 ting has successfully transplanted these also from their 

 native woods, and ttieir flowers and evergreen foliage make 

 a harmonious addition to the natural scenery of the place. 



At this season the Rhododendrons are probably the most 

 striking feature of the estate, although they are mostly con- 

 fined to the borders of the drives through the woods. But 

 in its general treatment Westbrook furnishes an interesting 

 illustration of a successful effort to emphasize and develop 

 the natural features of these wooded shorelands. On one 

 side of the house the woods have been thinned out, leaving 

 vigorous young Oaks and other native trees, which are 

 allowed to remain until they interfere with each other, and 

 already what vi'as once a forest is now an expanse of park- 

 like land, which will continue to improve as the trees 

 increase in age and dignity of expression. Some of the 

 Oaks now are fine broad-spreading specimens, and one 

 rarely sees more luxuriant and glossy foliage than they 

 carry. On another side of the house a broad lawn stretches 

 toward the shore, giving a glimpse of sea in the offing. 

 This lawn is set in a natural and irregular wood border, 

 and on one side of it an open group of Pines, with their 

 dusky shadows, gives the final finish to an exquisite picture. 



Apart from these large features of the design there are 

 drives through Pine woods and along the water and be- 

 tween masses of foliage almost as dense as a close-set 

 hedge, and secluded jiaths which lead through the wild- 

 wood it may be to a bridge across some inlet of the 

 bay or it may be to shores which are brightened with 

 the flowers of Irises and many other water -loving 

 plants. The shores and thickets and wood borders are rich 

 in the variety of their native vegetation, and Clethras, 

 Ilexes, Myricas, Viburnums, Dwarf Willows, Cornels, 

 Sassafras, Beach Plum and many other shrubs and low 

 trees give a diversity of form and color and character to 

 the masses of foliage which are a continual delight. 

 Along with these, the Sweetbrier and Rosa rugosa are 

 quite as much in keeping with the scene as the native-Roses 

 among which they grew. Clematis paniculata clambers 

 over the shrubbery as contentedly as if it had always been 

 at home there, and the golden flowers of Iris Pseudacorus 

 are quite as much in accord with the natural wildness of 

 the scene as those of our own Blue Flatr. In thus addine 

 to the natural richness of the woods, good judgment has 

 been exercised in selecting such plants as are suited to the 

 spirit of the place. It is especially gratifying to observe 

 with what apparent abandon Rosa rugosa gives itself up to 

 this untamed life, and how perfectly its glossy leaves and 

 the careless, unconventional way in which its flowers open 

 adapt it to half-wild situations. Of course, in a large 

 estate like this there are greenhouses and flower gardens to 

 interest any one with horticultural tastes, but its leading 

 attraction, after all, is the appreciative and respectful way in 

 which the native and distinctive features of the place have 

 been treated. These wooded shorelands have a quiet 

 charm of their own which is well worth preserving, and 

 one who apprehends and cherishes the true spirit of the 

 place, and submits himself to its guidance, is in little danger 

 of going wrong in his planning or planting. An intelligent 

 and affectionate regard for what Nature has done for this 

 part of Long Island will save any one who attempts to 

 develop its landscape resources from the mistake of deco- 

 rating it with elaborate floral embroidery or from import- 

 ing many strange and incongruous exotics to mingle with 

 the varied, but ever graceful and harmonious, native 

 vegetation. 



Many large trees aliout a house — especially Elms — are an 

 indication of old family distinction and worth. . . . Any evi- 

 (ience of care bestowed on these trees com pels the traveler's 

 respect as for a nobler husbandry than the raising of corn 

 and potatoes. — Thoreau. 



