ture in connection with the climbs that start or end along 

 this base. 



These basins, of the Spring and Pool, with their interesting 

 native life, their wild flowers, trees and ferns and the wild 

 background of the mountains, are natural wild garden areas, 

 and so should stay. But leading to them three hardy gar- 

 den walks are planned, approaches to the Monument. The 

 one upon the bay, or eastward, side enters from the Old Post 

 Road at Compass Harbor Pond, in the midst of Iris and other 

 hardy gardens, and follows up Compass Harbor Brook through 

 the ravine which it has cut from deep deposits of the Glacial 

 period until the latter loses itself in the upland which divides 

 this watershed from that of the Wild Gardens' basin under 

 Newport Mountain. 



This land, from Compass Harbor Pond till the divide is 

 reached, has formed part till now, when given for the path, of 

 the Mount Desert Nurseries' hardy gardens, and the beauty 

 of the flowers which they have grown upon it, familiar to all 

 who have visited the Island during the last twenty years, is 

 a good earnest for the future, establishing, as do the many 

 private gardens on the Island now, the remarkable possibili- 

 ties of the soil and climate for such an exhibition. 



Much work has been already done upon this path, which is 

 the result of a long studied plan. The pond from which it 

 starts is itself a natural water garden, around whose edge 

 the native flags and cardinal flowers and superbum lilies 

 mingle delightfully with English meadow-sweets, purple 

 loosestrife and Siberian irises, while in its water the fragrant 

 native pond lilies grow along with hardy species from abroad. 

 Above, in the ravine, picturesquely wooded, moist and shady, 

 ferns and all kinds of shelter-loving plants grow wonderfully, 

 while over the upland which succeeds it an apple-shaded walk, 

 a dozen feet in width between alternately-placed trees, leads 

 on to a grove of native thorns which marks the entrance into 

 the Wild Gardens' tract beneath the mountain. 



Here, along this upland portion of the walk — sheltered 

 from the wind by shrubbery plantations — the beautiful old 



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