DEPARTMENT OF PARKS. 1 63 



Report of the Landscape Architect. 



Office of the Department of Parks, 

 "Litchfield Mansion," Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 



January I, 1897. 

 Hon. Jacob G. Dettmer, 



Commissioner of the Department of Parks : 



Dear Sir — I herewith present a report of the work done in 

 the Department of Parks during the year 1896: 



prospect park. 



The season of 1896 has been a very favorable one generally 

 for park growth. Abundant rain at short intervals kept grass and 

 leafage constantly green; at no time during the summer did the 

 lawns or meadows show signs of drought. 



Summer followed closely on the heels of winter. Within one 

 week of frost and snow the leaves budded out, and consequently 

 very little spring planting could be done, it being confined princi- 

 pally to the setting out of nursery stock, of which about nineteen 

 thousand plants were purchased. These consisted of oaks, lindens, 

 beeches, maples, etc., and various species of shrubs. 



THE PLANTING. 



The fall season was very favorable for planting, and numerous 

 plantations were made from the nursery, principally in the line of 

 border screen planting, to more effectually shut in the Park from 

 the street and to give greater seclusion within. 



Groupings of shrubs and vines were also made along the lines 

 of various walks and on the edges of tree groups, to cover the open- 

 ness of naked boles and extend the foliage line to the ground. 



To carry out this work were used many shrubs of new intro- 

 duction, as well as those of rarity and beauty indigenous to 

 North America. 



Over one hundred thousand spring-flowering bulbs were planted 

 during the fall for naturalization, in the grass on the edges of 

 woods and shrubberies. They consisted of narcissus, crocus, 



