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THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA 
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| American Association of Park Superintendents \ 
OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
EMIL T. MISCHE, President, Portland, Ore. R. W. COTTERILL, Sec.-Treas., Seattle, Washington. 
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1916 CONVENTION DATE 
As the result of a mail vote taken recently from members 
of the Executive Committee, the second week in October has 
been selected for our annual convention in New Orleans, the 
actual dates to be determined after local arrangements have 
been completed, but October 10, 11 and 12 will no doubt be 
the exact dates. 
While in some respects it would have been well to have 
had our convention just following the S. A. F. convention, 
our experience of a few years ago at Kansas City still lingers 
in our memories, and an August convention in a city of the 
Middle West or South is likely to be uncomfortable, hence the 
committee was almost unanimous for a later date. 
Our members can now make their vacation plans, and we 
should have a bumper attendance, for the trip to the South 
is a new and attractive one to most all of us. 
Atlantic coast States will no doubt arrange for a steamship 
party; the Middle West members can reach New Orleans 
quickly and economically, and the Western contingent has 
on various occasions demonstrated that they have no regard 
for distances. 
The president will announce transportation and arrange- 
ment committees in our next issue. 
Now let everybody boost for our next convention at New 
Orleans, October 10, 11, 12. 
Atlanta's Park System 
ONE of the most pleasing signs of the progress in 
parks and park work in Atlanta, Ga., at the 
present time is the ever-increasing interest taken 
by our people in their parks and playgrounds. 
In 1910 the assessed valuation of all park lands and 
buildings was $788,418.96. In 1916 it had increased to 
the grand total of $1,856,025, consisting of 850 acres of 
land in the various sections of the city together with the 
numerous buildings and other places of park develop- 
ment. 
In the last few years plans have been drawn for the 
improvement of the larger parks and playgrounds, and 
these plans are being carried out in detail as fast as 
appropriations will permit. 
A system of drives is being laid out in both Grant and 
Piedmont parks, these being the two larger parks of the 
city. At this time in both parks we have completed nearly 
seven miles of oiled macadam roads, twenty-four feet 
wide with cement gutters along each side together with 
the necessary catch basins and drainage. If present plans 
are followed in a few years the entire road system in the 
parks will be complete. 
One of the greatest features of park work here is the 
recreation part. 
In 1915 two bathing parks were operated in the citv 
from the middle of May until September 1. During that 
time the pools were used by 97,400 people. Splendid 
order was maintained the entire time and the season 
passed without casualties of any kind. This year two 
new concrete pools are being built in the west and south 
section of the city and no doubt will be used and enjoyed 
to the fullest extent. 
Another feature are the tennis courts and the baseball 
fields. The park department maintains at the present 
time fifty-four tennis courts in various parks and all of 
which are in continual use from 5 a. m. until dark. 
The ten baseball grounds are also a source of delight 
to the younger generation as well as to the older ones at 
times, especially on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, 
at which times different amateur teams in the city draw 
large crowds of very enthusiastic fans. 
Two band concerts a week, one at Grant and one at 
Piedmont, also draw appreciative audiences to the parks 
on Sunday afternoons. 
The zoological collection at Grant Park, while not so 
large and extensive as some others, *till is a great at- 
traction to visitors during the entire year. During the 
spring the school children, accompanied by their teachers, 
visit the Zoo on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as 
well as the Cyclorama, a magnificent painting of the 
Battle of Atlanta, situated near the Zoo and also on part 
of the original battlefield. 
The greenhouses are also a point of interest. In addi- 
tion to raising bedding plants for different parks and 
schools, the florists maintain for exhibition purposes a 
splendid collection of ferns, palms and other decorative 
plants. A chrysanthemum show i^ usually held in the 
fall. 
In ( >ctober the association expects to hold one of the 
largest and best fairs in the Southern States. 
A forestry force has been established, whose duty is 
the care of the trees on the streets and parkways as well 
as in the various parks. Although handicapped by a 
small appropriation, this force has done an immense 
amount of good work in pruning and removing dead 
trees. 
This winter the force set out about three hundred and 
fifty new trees in places of old and dead ones. And from 
now on this part of the work will take on added im- 
portance. 
This spring a power sprayer was purchased and much 
good work was accomplished by it. 
During the summer months a very successful play- 
ground season was conducted. Eleven playgrounds for 
white children and two for colored were opened to the 
public on June 14 and ran for ten weeks. Teachers were 
in charge of each ground and taught the children various 
games and dances, as well as looked out for the care of 
the children. The average attendance was 13,448. 
Plans have been drawn for a new conservatory and 
greenhouses. The main building will be 50 x 150, with 
three smaller houses to the back. Work will probably be 
started this fall and pushed to completion next spring. 
There is a very decided awaking of the people upon 
the subject of park development, an awaking which will 
mean much to the parks and playgrounds of Atlanta. An 
evidence of this is the growing demand not only for the 
purchase and development of new land for park and play- 
ground purposes in all sections of the city, but also by 
the ever-increasing of what we already have. 
Certainly, we can work for no nobler purpose than to 
work for better lungs, stronger bodies and kinder hearts. 
