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when we consider how great the improvement must be. 

 This much is certain, that the expense of this land is but 

 trifling compared with what cities are obliged to pay usu- 

 ally for ground for parks; and trifling compared with what 

 this city would be obliged to pay, if it shall put off much 

 longer the duty of providing such grounds. A large park 

 must be secured sooner or later. Shall it be deferred ? Is 

 it not better for the present generation to initiate this work, 

 which must be done sometime, and never can be done as 

 cheaply as now ? 



The additional expenditures may be more or less, as may 

 be deemed advisable. Roads and trees are the chief things 

 to be attended to. Trees should be set out at once ; and at 

 least a part of the roads graded. But other embellish- 

 ments, such as would be desirable for the future, may very 

 safely be carried on slowly, and at small annual expense. 

 It would be neither wisdom nor economy to put such a 

 park in perfect order at once. Some parts of it, after 

 being secured, might even be left in the possession of their 

 present occupants for a time, until such time as they could 

 be improved. It would be a great mistake to burden such 

 an enterprise with an expensive and unattainable plan of 

 adornment. Expensive bridges and arcades, subterranean 

 archways, costly exotic plants and trees — such as are 

 making New York Central Park so expensive — should be 

 avoided, especially in the inception of the enterprise. 

 There is such a thing as making a park too finical, and 

 ornamental. It ought not to be too nice to be used. Have 

 no warnings to "keep oif the grass," about it. Such a 

 park, with merely good roads to and through it, with plenty 

 of trees tastefully disposed, with sporting grounds, and 

 pleasant rambles laid out, would of itself be such a de- 

 light, such a glory to our city, that we would scarcely 

 wish for anything more. 



The expense of such improvements it would be hard to 

 determine, without a systematic survey and computation. 



