458 



Garden and Forest. 



[■November 21, 18 



attraction. To secure these it is proposed to liuild an 

 artificial haven on the shore of Lake Erie — two parallel 

 piers extending outward to a point on the lake, where at 

 low water a depth of seven feet exists. It is expected 

 that the existence of these piers will cause a sand-bank to 

 form on their southern side, and, supplemented, perhaps, 

 by a wall, will protect the shore from further wasting. In 

 this case, a good beach for surf bathing will be secured, 

 and, on its inward side, facilities for still-water bathing in 

 the artificial lake can be provided. The piers will admit 

 of the approach of steamers of sufficient size coming from 

 the city, and the passengers they land can thence make 

 the circuit of the park on foot or in carriages or by means 

 of boats. For the latter purpose it is intended that row- 

 boats shall be provided, and also public packet boats, in 

 the shape of steam or naphtha launches, which will suc- 

 cessively make the tour of the lake, landing passengers 

 where desired. This tour, owing to the winding nature 

 of the water-passages, will be nearly four miles in length. 



On the eastward side of the railroad tracks it is thought 

 that, should the state authorities agree, a rifle-range may 

 well be established. A new one is needed in the vicinity 

 of the town, and its association with the park would be 

 a great advantage to those who would use it. In the win- 

 ter the range could be flooded for skating, and toboggan 

 shutes put up near by, Avhile there is ample room beyond 

 it for all the accessory buildings that would be required. 



Thus the proposed park would be not merely a pleasant 

 resort, but a great and varied public playground, including 

 many features which we have no space to note. The extra- 

 ordinarily skillful way in which, in other works, Mr. F. L. 

 Olmsted has united usefulness and beauty, is one of his 

 highest and most peculiar titles to respect as a landscape- 

 architect ; but his talent in this direction has never been 

 more clearly displayed than in the present scheme. It 

 seems as though no out-door amusement in which mod- 

 ern youths and men indulge had been forgotten ; yet all 

 are provided for without injuring the beautiful effect which 

 such a park ought to have. Nothing could be prettier 



A£i^, . 



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than the effect we may predict for this scheme, if it is as 

 well carried out as it is now sketched on paper. The 

 greatest variety in outline, disposition and planting will be 

 aimed at in the arrangement on the main shore and the 

 many islands. Each rod of the four-mile water journey 

 will reveal new combinations of water, land and foliage, 

 while the views from the green, with the varied scene to 

 the eastward and the broad expanse of Lake Erie to the 

 westward, will be of unusual charm. 



Of course the beauty of the intended result would not 

 fully reveal inself at once, for time must be allowed for 

 trees to grow where to-day there are none. But how much 

 intelligent planting can accomplish in a very few years, 

 we showed not long ago when we illustrated a portion of 

 the park that Mr. Cleveland recently designed for Min- 

 neapolis, and in all such schemes ultimate excellence 

 rather than immediate effect is naturally the prime consid- 

 eration. Of course, too, this would be a costly scheme to 

 execute ; but its projectors show that it would not be too 

 costly for the consideration of wise city-fathers, either as 

 regards the expense of actual construction or the future 

 annual expense of maintenance. From the artistic point 

 of view the idea is one that we cannot help desiring may 

 be put in execution ; for its intrinsic interest is great, and 

 an idea of just the same kind has never before'been car- 



ried out by a landscape-architect. And, from the material 

 point of view, there ought, in a city like Buffalo, to be no 

 serious objections made. 



In a separate report the Messrs. Olmsted discuss the 

 question of the driving approaches to the proposed South 

 Park ; but as the suliject could be clearly understood only 

 by those familiar with Buffalo, it does not seem advisable 

 to refer to it here. Our illustrations presenting views in the 

 proposed park as well as the plan, are reproduced from the 

 Messrs. Olmsted's report, and they serve to show how 

 attractive a park of this character might be made. 



The manufacture of the oil of sassafras is becoming an 

 important industry in some parts of the country, especially 

 in the Southern States, where this tree is common. Only 

 the roots are used ; they are chopped up into small pieces 

 by a machine constructed for the purpose, the oil being 

 then distilled from the chips by the aid of steam. About 

 one gallon of the oil, weighing nine pounds, is obtained 

 from 1,000 pounds of the chips. The uses for which the 

 oil of sassafras can be emplo3^ed are numerous and varied. 

 It is a favorite perfume for soaps and candies ; it is used 

 as a solvent for different gums, and as a liniment. It is 

 also very largely employed in the manufacture of several 

 popular proprietary medicines. The importance of this in- 

 dustry may be expected to increase rather than diminish, as 

 the Sassafras and the Persimmon are the two trees which 

 are spreading most rapidly over the old and abandoned 

 fields throughout the Southern States outside of the Pine 

 Belt proper ; and at present prices good wages can be 

 made by digging out the roots. 



Double Stocks. 



MANY are the theories that have been promulgated as to 

 the cause of the production of double flowers, but few 

 indeed have been the practical e.xpermients made with a view 

 either to confirm or confute the assumptions that have been 

 so freely made. But now we find a record in the Journal of 

 the National Horticultural Society of France which bears so 

 directly on the point, that we shall be doing our readers a ser- 

 vice by calling attention to it. The record is taken from one 

 of the reports of the German agricultural stations — institutions 

 practically unknown here. The report in question bears the 

 name of Dr. Nobbe — a suflicient gviarantee of the credit that 

 may be assigned to the experiments. 



At the outset the point is clearly raised by the inquiry as to 

 the reason why seeds of herbaceous plants, improved by cul- 

 tivation, show a tendency to produce double flowers ? Is 

 there any appreciable relation between the nature and con- 

 dition of the seed and of the flowers which result from their 

 development ? In the horticultural department of the experi- 

 mental station at Tharaud an attempt has been made to find 

 an answer to these queries. For this purpose the common 

 stock was selected, as completing its development in the 

 course of one season. Twelve distinct varieties were selected 

 from the establishment of M. E. Benary, of Erfurt. Of each 

 of the twelve varieties 100 seeds, as nearly alike as possible, 

 were chosen. These seeds were placed in Dr. Nobbe's ger- 

 minating apparatus, and submitted to a continuous and uni- 

 form temperature of 20° C. (= 68° F.). After four days some 

 of the seedlings (whicli must have germinated at once) were 

 removed from the apparatus, and placed in the open ground. 

 The other seedlings, which came up after four days, and be- 

 tween four and nine days after the commencement of the 

 experiment, were thrown away, so that the seedlings reserved 

 consisted of two classes — one in which the germination had 

 been accomplished within four days, and the other those in 

 which germination was not appreciably commenced till after 

 the ninth day. We need not give in detail the arrangement 

 for the accurate comparison of the two sets of seedlings — 

 suffice it to say that the seedlings were eventually transferred 

 to large pots, "and placed side "by side, half of the pot being 

 occupied by those of slow growth, the second half by the 

 quickly developed seedlings. Moreover, some of the two 

 sets of seedlings were placed in large, others in small pots ; 

 some in sterile, sandy soil, others in rich soil, care being 

 always taken to make the experiments rigidly comparable. In 

 all, nearly 600 seedlings were thus under observation. In 

 each case the time of the first appearance of the flower-bud 

 was duly noted, and the period when the first flower opened. 



