WATERING THE PARKS. 



37 



as boulevard trees in and near the Bois de Vincennes^ and 

 promise well. The Planera^ it is lioped, will replace tlie 

 elm in places wliere tliat is destroyed by tbe Scolytus j and 

 tbe Cercis looked very fresh and well about tbe middle of 

 September, and at tbe end of tbe very trying season of 1868. 



A plantation of about seven acres of Wellingtonias was 

 made bere about tbree years ago, and tbe plants are strong 

 and good. Were it not for tbe ver blanc tbis would even 

 now be a fine feature ; but unfortunately very few speci- 

 mens remain nninjured by tbis most terrible of pests. Some 

 of tbe trees bad formed good specimens, and sbowed wbat a 

 noble wood of Wellingtonias would bave been seen bere 

 were it not for tbis grub. Hares are ratber plentiful bere_, 

 and may be seen scampering over tbe open parts — quite an 

 "uncommon occurrence in a public park. 



To connect tbe Bois witb tbe promenades in tbe neigb- 

 bourbood;, tbe plains of Bercy and St. Mande, lying between 

 tbe old boundaries of tbe wood and tbe walls of tbe fortifica- 

 tions of Paris,, were bougbt up, so tbat tbe new promenade, 

 like tbe Bois de Boulogne, now begins at tbe very gates of 

 tbe city. Tbe pieces of water in tbe Bois de Vincennes, as 

 well as tbe pipes by wbicb tbe gardens are watered, are sup- 

 plied from tbe river Marne. Here, as in other parks and 

 gardens, the hottest and most arid weather merely makes 

 the grass and plants greener and healthier, in consequence 

 of the admirable arrangements for watering both turf, trees, 

 and flowers. 



Watering the Parks. 



The climate of Paris being dryer than that of London, 

 and the soil less conducive to the growth of grasses, the 

 verdure maintained in the more ornamental parts of the 

 Paris parks is naturally a source of some surprise to visi- 

 tors. It is difficult to give the reader, who has not seen it 

 himself, an idea of how perfectly the watering is done. 

 The contrast between the parks and gardens of London 

 and Paris is in this way by no means flattering to our way of 

 managing them. It will be better to quote one of our jour- 

 nals to represent our own side of the question. " We have re- 



