THE PUBLIC PARKS OF GLASGOW. 



43 



When acquired, this park was noted for its fine old trees. It is 

 a matter of painful regret to see these gradually dying out, and it 

 is not an easy matter to rejuvenate arboreal vegetation in a place 

 where the conditions of the surroundings militate so severely against 

 plant life. A considerable variety of deciduous trees have been 

 planted in this park, amongst which a large variety of hawthorns 

 may be instanced as an object-lesson in proving the value of that 

 family for planting in smoky towns. 



The Queen's Park. 



The success of the Kelvingrove Park caused the municipal autho- 

 rities to look southward for a park to meet the requirements of the 

 city which was extending in that direction. It is said that feeling 

 was somewhat keen on such a project, as the park was two miles 

 from the centre of the city and without the city boundaries, and 

 the proposal to purchase was only carried by the casting vote of 

 the Lord Provost. Men's minds, like the city itself, have expanded 

 considerably since 1857, when the eastern half of the estate of Camp- 

 hill was acquired, to form what is now the Queen's Park. This 

 also was laid out from plans by Sir Joseph Paxton. For over thirty 

 years the park was without the city boundaries, but with the passing 

 of the City Extension Act, in 1891, several smaller burghs created 

 by the overflow of the city were then amalgamated within the 

 municipal area along with this outlying park. In 1894 the western 

 half of the estate, with the mansion-house, was purchased and added 

 to Queen's Park, thus including what was the natural and dominating 

 feature of the landscape. In this latter purchase the Old Caledonian 

 or Pictish Camp, from which the estate derives its name — Camp- 

 hill — became the property of the city. When the park was laid 

 out in 1858-60 a large variety of trees and shrubs were planted, 

 and many have now attained fair dimensions. Unfortunately, 

 through some peculiar idea regarding treatment, the central leaders 

 of nearly all the trees were pruned off, with the result that few will 

 ever attain the dignity of fine-boled trees, and the majority will be 

 but glorified bushes. The park retains much of its old-world air, 

 and is considered to be one of the most delightful and most popular 

 places of resort within the city's boundaries. 



Alexandra Park. 



In 1869 certain city improvements were being carried out, amongst 

 which was the formation of a park for an expanding district to the 

 east of the city. The area at first was about 79 acres. In 1891 

 other 40 acres were purchased, but as the formation of a new street 

 and a railway divided up the property, only about twenty acres 

 were added to the park, the balance being conveyed to other Civic 

 Departments. Being in close proximity to iron and chemical works, 

 as well as to a huge extension of the city's gasworks, combined with 



