342 



Garden and Forest. 



[NUMUER 340. 



them ; we think only of the varying succession of beauti- 

 ful prospects which they open up to us, and yet, when our 

 attention is called to them, we realize that they are very 

 gracefully drawn and disposed. Nevertheless, many plans 

 look more harmonious and attractive upon paper than the 

 plan of Central Park. Without a clearer knowledge of the 

 conformation and the planting of its different parts than 

 paper can convey to the average eye, one might not think 

 it remarkable for artistic excellence. But it is artistically 

 remarkable just because it was not elaborated with any 

 thought of its effect on paper. 



In view of the great beauty of this park, it is instructive 

 to know that none was ever created in a less theoretical, 

 in a more practical way — less in the office, more in the 

 open air. The design of Messrs. Olmsted and Vaux as 

 first drawn and accepted was very different from their de- 

 sign as we see it realized to-day. The former was, of 

 course, adapted, after careful study, to the very peculiar 

 and difficult site in view. But during the long years while 

 the actual work progressed it was perpetually modified in 

 deference to the minuter knowledge gained by its creators. 

 They lived on the borders of the park and studied its face 

 as a portrait painter studies the face of his sitter. Day by 

 day they reconsidered and recast parts of their scheme, and 

 day by day they reviewed and revised their proposed 

 emendations on the site itself. .Thus a great work of art 

 was achieved, and thus only can a great work of land- 

 scape art ever be achieved — "through patiently extended 

 experiments upon the spot itself." 



These facts imply, of course, that there is great danger 

 in attempting too much work at once. It is impossible that 

 Central Park could have been so good had its creators been 

 busy at the same time with similar undertakings elsewhere. 

 The success of the Chicago Fair Grounds is another illus- 

 tration in point. Mr. Olmsted's partner, Mr. Codman, lived 

 near them for many months, devoting himself to every 

 detail of their preparation, and also to the work of gather- 

 ing and propagating the materials with which they were 

 to be planted. And thus it must always be. An architect's 

 design, if thoroughly studied and carefully put on paper, 

 may be adequately carried out by some one else, in the 

 security that no changes will be required. But a landscape- 

 gardener's mind must be continually at work, his eye must 

 be upon his plan, his hand must be active in its amelio- 

 ration, until the last of his work upon the soil is done. 

 And even then, as we have often pointed out before, his 

 superintendence will be needed for many years if the 

 eventual aspect of his pleasure-ground is to fulfill his inten- 

 tions with purity and completeness. 



Botanical Notes from Texas. — XXIII. 



GALVESTON ISLAND is a reef lying off the Gulf coast of 

 south-eastern Texas. The trend of the mainland gives 

 to the island a north-easterly and a south-westerly direction. 

 The extreme length of the island is about thirty miles, and it 

 has a varying width of from one to three miles. Its highest 

 elevation is about ten feet. There are depressions of its sur- 

 face which are lower than the level of the Gulf, and these 

 are filled with sea-water. The ninety-fifth meridian crosses 

 the western portion of the island, and the twenty-ninth parallel 

 runs a little south of it. The thermal mean for the year eigh- 

 teen hundred and ninety-three was sixty-four and six-tenths 

 degrees. The total precipitation for the same year was about 

 forty inches. The city of Galveston is built at the extreme 

 south-east corner of the island, and it is the principal seaport 

 of Texas. A chief attraction of Galveston is the long stretch 

 of nearly straight wide beach, which the heavy waves of the 

 Gulf have pounded into the smoothness and hardness of pave- 

 ment. A walk or a ride along it at any time is a source of 

 pleasure. 



About fourteen miles down the island coast is a grove of 

 Live Oak trees, known as Lafitte's Grove, for there the noted 

 Gulf rover, Lafitte, had his base of operations and of supplies. 

 With the exception of this grove, it is said there are no native 

 trees upon the island, but many species of trees of southern 

 nativity readily grow here and are largely planted for shade 



or ornament. They have upon the island an Oleander Park, 

 and thousands of trees of that species adorn the streets and 

 lawns of the city. Coast Cedar (Tamarix Gallica) is also largely 

 planted as a street-tree, of tener in yards, and Jerusalem Thorn 

 (Parkinsonia aculeata) is not uncommon in the city. Barba- 

 does Flower Fence (Cassalpinia pulcherrima) is frequently 

 seen, and sometimes the famous Silk-tree (Albizzia Julibrissin), 

 the handsomest of all our native or naturalized trees of the 

 Pea family. For abundant and rich perfume, Huisache (Aca- 

 cia Farnesiana) excels them all. The Silk-tree, like many other 

 Asiatic species, as the China-tree (Melia Azedarach), Ailantus, 

 Sterculia, Tallow-tree (Stillingia sebifera), Crape Myrtle (Lagers- 

 troemia Indica), makes itself quite at home in all the Gulf states. 

 Acacia filicina, probably the most widely distributed species 

 of that genus, has also found a home here. 



A Solanum (S. sisymbrifolium), of peculiar and not un- 

 handsome habit, but armed with sharp and cruel spines, is 

 occasionally to be seen along the railways. It is very rare in 

 Texas, coming up from farther south. Its congeners, S. 

 nigrum, S. Torreyi andS. elgeagnifolium, "Triompillo," have 

 also immigrated to the Island City. 



The Coast Evening Primrose (CEnothera Drummondii) now 

 (April nth) displays nightly its large yellow flowers to walkers 

 on the beach. CE. hnitolia, with the smallest flowers of any of 

 the species, is very common on the drier portions of the 

 island. From here it extends easterly to Georgia and north- 

 ward to Missouri and Kansas. Two or three other species of 

 the genus are found within the city limits. Tissa marina, 

 with small pink flowers, is common in saline soils, and several 

 other low-growing Pinks abound. Melilotus Indica, very like 

 M. officinalis, but less tall and with little fragrance, is common 

 in the city. 



I observed four species of Clover (Trifolium) on the island, 

 T. Carolinianum, T. Begariense, T. repens and T. pratense. 

 Blue Bonnets, as Texans call Lupinus subcarnosus, has lo- 

 cated here, moving over from the mainland. This plant 

 thrives without seeming injury from salty air and salty soil. 

 Its fleshy leaves indicate that the species originated where salt 

 breezes could reach it. Other genera of the Pea family repre- 

 sented on the island by one or more species, and in sight, are 

 Galactia, Rhynchosia, Schrankia, Baptisia, Vicia, Desmanthus, 

 Sesbania and the common Yellow Locust (Robinia). The pe- 

 culiar prostrate Crucifer, Senebiera didyma, is very common 

 in Galveston. The abundant volatile oil that this plant emits 

 is almost fetid. Its disagreeable odor, its fleshy finely cut 

 leaves and twin pods lead to its easy recognition. It seems to 

 thrive best when ill-treated, being commonest in well-trodden 

 places. The species is very abundant in the coast country, 

 and inland to Little Rock, Arkansas. Cissus stans grows in 

 Galveston, and C. incisa ; the latter species is called Marine 

 Ivy by some florists. Two species of odd little Water-cups (Hy- 

 drocotyle umbellata and its cosmopolitan cousin, H. Asiatica) 

 are here. A Horn Poppy (Argemone) displays everywhere its 

 large white flowers to the vernal breezes. I have not seen in 

 Texas any form of Argemone with yellow flowers. Lechea 

 tenuifolia, Verbena Aubletia and Borrichia frutescens are 

 abundant. 



During a long stroll down the island I saw an attractive 

 Gentianaceous plant, Sabbatia campestris, growing commonly 

 on the prairie. It grows northward to Kansas. There is a 

 form of it with white flowers, known in this state as Texas 

 Star. A little Bartonia, distantly related to Texas Star, grows 

 near it. The southern Dewberry, so common over most of 

 the state, is here in force. The species deserves more credit 

 for the quantity and value of the fruit that it yields than has 

 been given it in these notes. The gathering and sale of its 

 fruit in the month of May gives it a commercial value of some 

 importance. A fruit-dealer in a near-by town informed me 

 that he expected to buy this season 50,000 quarts of dewber- 

 ries, all produced from wild plants. The business of gather- 

 ing the fruit is largely in the hands of negroes, and it affords 

 them an income at a time when it is appreciated. 



Monanthochloa littoralis, a low, creeping, maritime grass, is 

 common along the Gulf coast from Florida to Mexico. It 

 bears numerous short rigid leaves and dioecious, glumeless 

 flowers. The stems are woody at the base and not more than 

 five to eight inches tall. Bulbilis dactyloides (Buchloe dac- 

 tyloides), the well-known Buffalo Grass, is not uncommon on 

 the island along the railways. The peculiar, handsome and 

 not common little yellow-flowered Sisyrinchium, S. Thurowi, 

 is quite abundant on the island within the city limits and along 

 South Galveston Railway. During a visit to Ouintana earlier 

 in the season I found the rare little Fern ally, Ophioglossum 

 crotalophoroides (O. bulbosum, Mx.), growing within reach of 

 high tide. 



