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Flatbush avenue, are not only in our estimation far more valuable 

 and suggestive as accessories of the park, but they are not in a posi- 

 tion ever to be cut off, or even seriously injured by the inevitable 

 march of city improvement. 



It has been proposed that the ground east of the Plaza, if not 

 thought desirable to be incorporated in the park, should be laid out 

 as a parade ground, or as an arboretum, or as a botanic garden, or 

 as a zoological garden, but the site possesses no evident natural fitness 

 for either one of these purposes. Even if it so happened that it 

 offered some advantages for cither, and it should be thought best to 

 associate such a ground with the park, a site should clearly be pre- 

 ferred which promised incidental benefit to the park scenery, which 

 this would not. To show how such sites might be selected, we may 

 refer to any of the special districts which are not, strictly speaking, 

 territorially a part of the public park as now planned, but which, 

 nevertheless, besides serving a special purpose, constitute a real ad- 

 dition to its attractions. 



The ground assigned for a children's garden is, for instance, so 

 placed that no visitor will enter it except by special intention. Yet, 

 following the main park drive or walk on the east side, every visitor 

 in approaching its border will, almost immediately after passing the 

 entrance, be made to feel that he has plenty of room, all at once, on 

 both sides of him. The trees on the opposite border of the children's 

 ground being so placed as to shut out all inharmonious exterior ob- 

 jects, and yet so that no distinct limit to the rural country on the left 

 will be discernable. 



Again, the enclosure set off for the pasturage of deer is so ar- 

 ranged that, while the visitor cannot enter it, he will not notice any 

 artificial obstruction. It will appear a bright, sunny little meadow, 

 with sparkling water, lost in the distance under trees, and this will 

 come at a turn of the road, between two stretches which will be all 

 in shadow, and where the view will have been for a time closely con- 

 fined by dense underwood. 



Again, the Kings county parade ground, while entirely outside 

 the park boundary, is so placed that it serves a very important and, 

 indeed, almost invaluable landscape purpose, when seen from the 

 high grounds within the park ; and so of every other special ground 

 which is now intended to be connected with it. 



There is no object to be accomplished by appropriating the ground 

 in question to any form of garden, which would not be much better 

 served by establishing it in some other part of the city, where it 

 would incidentally give the advantage of an airing ground to persons 



