Park Department 
7 
The thousands of trees and shrnbs grown by these cities in 
their own nnrseries prompts me to be more persistent in try- 
ing to estabhsh a municipal nursery in Cincinnati. 
There were planted in the different parks during the past 
}'ear 6,013 trees and shrubs, and among them there were 
about twenty new varieties of trees that had not, up to that 
time, been introduced into our parks. This gives us a total 
of over one hundred varieties of trees. The total cost of the 
above-mentioned number of trees and shrubs placed on the 
track at the Baldwin switch was $1,387.64. Adding to this 
seventy-five cents apiece for planting brings the cost of trees 
and shrubs planted this year up to $4,507.75, which result 
shows one of the strongest arguments in favor of a municipal 
nursery, as the stock we obtained was not of the class we 
should like to have placed in the parks, but we are compelled 
to take just what nurserymen see fit to give us. 
An experiment was made during the past year in planting 
Kalmia lati folia in Burnet Woods and Eden Park. This shrub 
has never proven a success this far north, especially when 
planted in limestone soil. The results of this planting have 
been carefully noted, and thus far conditions are very gratify- 
ing. As this is the largest planting of Kalmia made in this 
part of the country, the experiment is watched very closely by 
horticulturists generally. If the same favorable results shown 
up to this time continue, we shall feel justified in a much more 
extensive planting of this evergreen shrub. 
Close observation during the past }'ear shows that through 
the establishment of playgrounds at each of the parks in as 
far as it is feasible, a great amount of good can be derived, 
not only from the recreation the children receive there, but 
from the fact that learning to play games keeps their minds 
occupied; and from reports I hear, whenever playgrounds are 
established even on a small scale, the children are much less 
trouble to the neighborhood. This being a fact, I am 
prompted to recommend that at least thirty per centum of the 
money provided for improvements in the parks should go ex- 
clusively for children's playgrounds. 
As the Park Department continues to grow we find that 
nurseries are becoming ina(lec(uate to supply the demands at 
