8o AMERICAN SOCIETY OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS 



it. I remember going up the West Drive a good many years ago, and happened to look 

 up and there was a very handsome turnout with footman, and with two ladies very hand- 

 somely dressed. To my amazement I saw them stop and give the footman some order; 

 they drove up to a flowering bush and the footman pulled off whole branches and filled 

 one side of the carriage. I rode on and when I came to a policeman I told him to go back 

 and find them and take them in, I didn't care who they were. They were taken in and 

 there was quite a fuss. 



There is a question now which is interesting me a great deal. There is an effort being 

 made to take property along the Hudson and get permission to erect boat-houses, which 

 are really club-houses — most elaborate affairs; the builders get a permit which says that 

 the property may be used until the permit is revoked, or it is revokable at pleasure; and 

 everybody knows that, if they put up a building worth $20,000 or $30,000, the land will 

 never be required of them. They are actually taking public land for private uses. 



There is a misunderstanding of the functions of a park among the mass of people. 

 I do think, however, that in New York and Boston, and possibly Philadelphia, there 

 is an intelligent view of these things among a few people; but they are people who have 

 a great deal of information on the subject, and who I think are pretty well posted. 



I think the American elm is the most successful street tree in the city. Of course 

 the plane tree is a very good tree, and does very well; I think the plane tree and the 

 America elm and the English elm are the best. Of course we have good maples, but 

 the maples are a little uncertain; they do not grow vigorously; sugar maples won't grow 

 well at all. I don't look upon the silver maple as much of a tree. People like to plant the 

 Carolina poplar because it grows quickly, but in a few years it becomes very ugly. Up on 

 72d Street there is a remarkable example of that; it is only five or six years since they 

 have been planted, and their poor condition shows what they will look Hke in time. The 

 American linden will do very well, but you cannot depend upon it; one will grow all right, 

 and immediately next to it will be another specimen that will not grow at all. The American 

 ash does very well. 



There is a park downtown, at Tompkins Square, that shows what will come after 

 twenty years. It is a park of ten to twelve acres in size — ^Avenue A, Avenue B, 7th Street 

 to loth Street. Among the trees in this park are a great many silver maples and elms. 



There are separate grounds for the use of the girls and women in all these parks; 

 in De Witt Clinton Park there is one for the girls and one for the little children. I do 

 not think the city of New York has built any regular playgrounds in connection with 

 the schools. They have places at the back of the schools where they may have apparatus, 

 but I don't think they have any regular system; there may be, but I am not prepared 

 to say positively; I have never had my attention called to it. 



