90S 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. 



BORDER PLANTATION OF CONIFERS IN 1905 



fire and marauders did their deadly work. Now 

 over 4,000 fine thrifty bushes from three to six 

 feet high delight the eyes of visitors as they 

 approach the Lydig Arch. 



On account of the poisonous nature of the 

 foliage of the mountain laurel and rhododen- 

 drons, none have been planted near the enclos- 

 ures of the ruminants, as visitors might easily 

 break off branches and feed them to the sheep, 

 etc., with bad effect. The low wet ground op- 

 posite the Rocking Stone Hill has been planted 

 with magnolias, the fragrant blossoms of which 

 perfume the air for a great distance. 



Another ornamental planting that may well 

 be mentioned is the rose groups from the Buf- 

 falo Range to the restaurant. On the slope 

 facing the upper bison corrals is an interesting 

 lot of seedlings, showing an intermixture of 

 Iiosa rugosa, Rosa humilis and others, several 

 of them of horticultural value. Above these and 

 around the base of the Lydig Arch is a great 

 mass of memorial roses, and west and north of 

 these, two groups of Multiflora and ramblers 

 and prairie roses. All of the varieties of roses 

 mentioned are of value, not only on account of 

 their flowers, but also because of the winter food 

 supplied by the bright red rose hips, and the 

 excellent protected nesting sites which the 

 thorny tangle affords. 



We have planted many shrubs that are useful 

 in attracting birds, such as buckthorn, red and 

 black chokeberry, black haw, arrowwood, maple- 

 leaved viburnum, kinnikinnick, several cornels 

 and many others. 



Fortunately we have always had at hand an 

 abundant supply of good fertilizer and mulch- 

 ing material, and the writer has never been 

 stinted by the Director in the sinews of war 

 necessary to care for this vast planting material, 

 nor has he hesitated to use men or money when 

 the occasion for extraordinary effort was re- 

 quired. For instance, in 1905 when our 12,000 

 newly planted trees and shrubs were endangered 

 by a drought of seven weeks, permission was ob- 

 tained from the Water Department to use the 

 fire hydrants surrounding the Park, and a num- 

 ber of men working in relays, sometimes all 

 night, through watering and mulching suc- 

 ceeded in keeping the losses down to one and 

 one-tenth per cent., though over 5,000 of these 

 plants were large conifers. 



Again in 1912, when the shortage of water 

 caused the Department of Water Supply to 

 issue an order that no city water should be used 

 on the grounds, a gasoline engine and pump, 

 quickly purchased and set up on the banks of 

 Lake Agassiz, saved the situation. 



