642 



TASTE AND TACT IN ARRANGING ORNAMENTAL GROUNDS. 



domestic animals of colder latitudes know, but still were 

 of a fair size, and cool, the chief consideration in this 

 tropic zone. 



A stone's throw from these buildings were the taro 

 patches, on lower ground, and here the native women oc- 

 casionally came for that favorite vegetable. Still be- 

 yond, across the stream, lay a bit of woodland, a field or 

 two, and then the sides of the Punch Bowl began to rise 

 with gradual slope, until the rim of the crater seemed to 

 form a level summit. 1 never tired of looking off at this 

 singular mountain ; its coloring, or the beautiful, soft 

 blending of dark and light tints upon it always soothed 

 the eye. One is never long in the near vicinity of an ex- 

 tinct volcano without longing to climb up and peer down 

 into the center of the earth ; but in this case the exterior 

 view of the mountain was sufficient. To gaze upon it as 

 one looks upon an untroubled sea was a real and per- 

 petual pleasure. 



Our little Eden did not lack for serpentine forms. 

 Centipedes were to be found under every upturned 

 board, but the chickens pounced upon these at once- 



Scorpions lurked in unexpected places, but they could be 

 circumvented. The little ants, however, and some 

 wretched insects that got into our books, were pests that 

 greatly disturbed our peace. Mosquitoes could be kept 

 out of the house, and flies never obtained possession. 



Days here in Honolulu were halcyon almost all the 

 year ; indeed, there was too much sameness and sweet- 

 ness about them. One longed for a change, a violent 

 storm, a mighty wind, the pelting of the rain ; yea, even 

 for the bursting forth of our neighbor, the volcano. But 

 we did have at times, in the cooler season, long periods of 

 rainy weather, when the moaning breeze sighed about the 

 house like an unhappy spirit, when water dripped from 

 the eaves and pattered upon the roof, when the trees 

 whipped their long branches and flapped their heavy 

 leaves against each other, and when the garden was dark 

 and cheerless. When the sun broke forth again every- 

 thing was glistening and jubilant, and we had, in minia- 

 ture, a picture of spring in northern lands, where nature, 

 with a joyous outburst, suddenly wakes and sets streams 

 leaping and birds caroling, M. 



TASTE AND TACT IN ARRANGING ORNAMENTAL 

 GROUNDS— XXV. 



SMALL OVAL PARK A HOME MADE BEAUTIFUL. 



E LITTLE Soldiers' Monument Park, 

 lying near to the railroad station at 

 Watertown, N. Y,, is familiar not 

 only to residents and visitors of 

 this pretty county-seat of Jefferson 

 county, but also to multitudes of 

 people who, passing through the 

 ' town catch cheering and refreshing glimpses 

 of Its bright bit of greenery from the hot, crowded, 

 dusty railway trains as they rush by. When journeying 

 through the town the writer has often noticed the trim 

 little area, always to enjoy it. 



Concerning this park, a reader sends us an entertaining 

 letter ; also, a diagram of the little oval plat. He admits 

 that in passing by the park he is always charmed by its 

 neatness and refreshing appearance, lying, as it does, in 

 the midst of stone pavements and solid business blocks; 

 but he wonders whether to eyes accustomed to fine land- 

 scape gardening, the plan of the grounds would seem good 

 or complete, and asks for suggestions for improving it. 



In figure i, a plan of the park as it now is, the soldiers' 

 monument occupies the central portion of the oval, being 

 located apparently on a circular mound of grass within 

 the edge of a stone walk about four feet wide. This 

 circular walk unites at two points with the main walk, 

 which extends between the grass-plat and the street- 

 curb, around the entire oval. The two end plats are 

 entirely covered with grass, save where a round flower- 

 bed occupies the center of each. From this plan it will 

 be seen that the union of the central circular walk with 

 the outside oval one leaves four sharp points of sward, 



that detract materially from the otherwise pleasant ap-' 

 pearance of the park. Other objections to the arrange- 

 ment are, that the flower-beds are not located for the 

 best effect, and that the park could be rendered more at- 

 tractive in every way by locating here and there groups 

 of bold-growing shrubs. 



In figure 2 are set forth some changes suggested for 

 the park. The connections between the central and the 

 outer walk are here made in such a way as to leave 

 rounded corners at the walk junctions, and open spaces 

 wide enough to accommodate a large settee on each side 

 of the monument. Shrubs have been introduced in 

 groups of irregular outline, in order to relieve the formal 

 circle and oval, which constitute the main features of the 

 plan. With a view to keeping the center of the park 

 open, these groups were located beyond the circle, and 

 if the flower-beds are continued, which we think desir- 

 able, we suggest that they be located near the ends of 

 the grass plats. 



Some hardy shrubs better suited to the park than the 

 tender ones that of late years have been grown there 

 are, weigelias, calycanthus, privet, bush-honeysuckle, 

 forsythias, snowberry and Japan snowball. 



A FINE PLACE TASTEFULLY PLANTED. 



From central New York another reader of American 

 Gardening sends us a diagram of the grounds shown in 

 figure 3, and the following letter : 



" I encfose a plan of my grounds, and entrust entirely to you the 

 selection of trees and shrubs for them, their arrangement for best 

 effects in colors of foliage, etc. The temperature here sometimes 

 drops to 20° below zero or lower, and the prevailing winds are 



