WATERING THE PARKS. 37 



as boulevard trees in and near the Bois de Vincennes, and 

 promise well. The Planera, it is hoped, will replace the 

 elm in places where that is destroyed by the Scolytus ; and 

 the Cercis looked very fresh and well about the middle of 

 September, and at the end of the very trying season of 1868. 



A plantation of about seven acres of Wellingtonias was 

 made here about three years ago, and the plants are strong 

 and good. Were it not for the ver blanc this would even 

 now be a fine feature ; but unfortunately very few speci- 

 mens remain uninjured by this most terrible of pests. Some 

 of the trees had formed good specimens, and showed what a 

 noble wood of Wellingtonias would have been seen here 

 were it not for this grub. Hares are rather plentiful here, 

 and may be seen scampering over the open parts — quite an 

 uncommon occurrence in a public park. 



To connect the Bois with the promenades in the neigh- 

 bourhood, the plains of Bercy and St. Mande, lying between 

 the old boundaries of the wood and the walls of the fortifica- 

 tions of Paris, were bought up, so that the new promenade, 

 like the Bois de Boulogne, now begins at the very gates of 

 the city. The pieces of water in the Bois de Vincennes, as 

 well as the pipes by which the gardens are watered, are sup- 

 plied from the river Marne. Here, as in other parks and 

 gardens, the hottest and most arid weather merely makes 

 the grass and plants greener and healthier, in consequence 

 of the admirable arrangements for watering both turf, trees, 

 and flowers. 



Watering the Parks. 



The climate of Paris being dryer than that of London, 

 and the soil less conducive to the growth of grasses, the 

 verdure maintained in the more ornamental parts of the 

 Paris parks is naturally a source of some surprise to visi- 

 tors. It is difficult to give the reader, who has not seen it 

 himself, an idea of how perfectly the watering is done. 

 The contrast between the parks and gardens of London 

 and Paris is in this way by no means flattering to our way of 

 managing them. It will be better to quote one of our jour- 

 nals to represent our own side of the question. " We have re- 



