November 21, 18S8.] 



Garden and Forest. 



457 



GARDEN AND FOREST. 



PUBLISHED WEEKIA liV 



THK GARDEN AND FOREST PUBLISHING CO. 



Office : Tkibuke Building, New York. 



Conducted by Professor C. S. Sargent. 



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



NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 31, 1888. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



l-AGE. 



EuiToniAi. .^RiicLES : — A No\cl Project for a Public Park (with illustrations) — 



The Manufacture of the Oil of Sassafras 457 



Double Stocks 45S 



Entomology : — The Red Mite on Trees y. G. yach. 459 



New or Little Known Plants: — Beirberis Fcndleri (with illustration). 



Screjlo IVatsoil. 460 



Cultural Department ; — The Vegetable Garden Win. Falcoyier. 460 



When and How to Prune Grape-vines (with illustrations). .,,E. IVilliaiiis. 461 



Rose Notes IV. 462 



Hardy Perennials for Autumn T. D. Hatfield. 462 



Orchid Notes F. Goldrin^. 464 



Notes from the Arnold Arboretum J. 404 



The Forest ; — The Forest-free Plantation of the University of Illinois. 



T. J. Bwrrill. 465 



CORRESrONDENCE 466 



Periodical Literature 467 



Horticultural E-xhibitions : — The Philadelphia Chrysanthemum Show 467 



Chrysanthemums at Boston 467 



Notes 468 



Illustrations : — Views in the Proposed Buffalo Park 457-8 



Methods of Pruninjj Grape-vines (Figs, i, 2 and 3) 461 



Berberis Fendleri, Fig. 72 462 



Design Map of South Park, Buffalo 463 



A Novel Project for a Public Park. 



THE Park Commissioners of the City of Buffalo, in tliis 

 State, having been asked by the Common Council 

 to consider the practicability of forming a park upon a 

 given site south of the town, have obtained the opinion of 

 Messrs. F. L. and J. C. Olmsted, landscape-architects, 

 upon the question. This opinion, in the form of a pam- 

 phlet illustrated with small sketches and accompanied 

 by a plan, gives a definite and remarkably original and 

 interesting form to the project. 



It is needless here to summarize the reasons given b)' 

 the authors why Buffalo should have another park, or why 

 the site in question should be selected. As they show, it 

 is an extremely discouraging spot, from the ordinary 

 landscape-gardening point of view, but it has certain dis- 

 tinctive advantages, and it seems to be proved that there 

 is no better site available, and that a way to adapt this 

 one can be found which will make it both useful and 

 attractive. 



quently, half-swampy and liable to be submerged at sea- 

 sons of high water. The gravel beach and low shifting 

 sand dunes that edge the lake rest upon a stratum of 

 black muck, which is constantly washed out, and thus the 

 shore is rapidly wasting. And no facility for the landing 

 of visitors from boats is supplied by nature. 



Turning now to the plan, which we reproduce on page 

 463, we find that it is proposed not merely to conquer the 

 natural disadvantages of the site, but actually to base the 

 scheme upon them. The main tract, lying between the 

 shore and the railroads already referred to, is about 240 

 acres in e.xlent, and nine-tenths of it lies below the level of 

 the lake at high water stages. At its western extremity, 

 however, along the lake, there is a considerable piece of 

 ground which lies several feet higher, and another high 

 strip runs along its southern boundary, while the railroad 

 embankment protects it on the east. Thus it can be flooded 

 only from the northern and from a small portion of the 



The site borders upon Lake Erie and the unobstructed 

 view of the water which it will offer is, of course, a fact of 

 almost priceless value in its favor. It can be reached from 

 the heart of the city by navigable water and by four lines 

 of railroad already in operation. No buildings or cultivated 

 grounds of importance exist to make its acquisition costly, 

 nor is it fitted for agricultural use. But, on the other hand, 

 the surface is quite flat over nine-tenths of its area, and 

 shows no rocks, trees or other valuable natural features. 

 It lies but little above the surface of the lake, and is, conse- 



western side. Here it is proposed that it shall be pro- 

 tected by a levee four and one-half feet high, along 

 which, on the northern side, a tree-planted street may be 

 carried. 



The high tract towards the west is to be planted as a 

 green, forming a park-like expanse of turf, about twenty 

 acres in extent, with groups of trees about it. This will 

 afford an excellent playground, and near by will be an 

 athletic ground, with running tracks and other facilities 

 for exercise, three acres in extent. A road for general 

 traffic will cross the park from north to south between the 

 green and the athletic ground, and it will be encircled 

 by drive-ways, with ample spaces for the congregation 

 of persons on foot and in vehicles where the roads approach 

 Lake Erie. 



The remainder of the tract in question, about 120 acres 

 of flat and swampy land, is to be turned into a lake with 

 very irregular borders, dotted with islands and promon- 

 tories. To effect this, it will suffice that the ground shall 

 be excavated in certain places and the soil taken from 

 these heaped upon the remaining portions, while water 

 from Cazenovia Creek is drawn into the excavations, 

 flooding them to the desired height and then passing out 

 into Lake Erie, thus insuring perpetual renewal and fresh- 

 ness. The largest island will be connected with the shore 

 near the north-east corner of the park by a little foot- 

 bridge and is intended to be used for picnics. Its surface 

 will be four or five feet above the water level and planted 

 with shade trees surrounding open spaces of turf. Three 

 smaller islands, which can only be approached by boats, 

 will be reserved as picnic-grounds for private parties who 

 , may wish to hire them. And upon still smaller ones it is 

 proposed to breed aquatic birds and grow interesting 

 plants, their shores being protected from disturbance by 

 spaces of shallow water. 



Of course, all this implies a park where boats will be the 

 chief means of conveyance. But, as the report explains, 

 this fact by no means militates against the wisdom of 

 the project, for, in all cases where similar schemes have 

 been adopted, their success is emphatic. At Stockholm, 

 for example, and in our own country, at Detroit, there arc 

 ])arks accessible only by boats, j'Ct they are ([uite as gen- 

 erally used and approved of, as any which have a more 

 usual character. In the case of the Buffalo ]iark ample 

 facilities for walking and driving are provided, but it is 

 believed that its boating facilities may prove its greatest 



