49 ) 
An examination of the cost of con- 
struction of the parks of the country 
will disclose a considerable expenditure 
for top soil or loam. An effort has 
been made to avoid this expense in 
West Side Park by means of scientific 
methods. Over the larger lawrts and 
planting areas was spread a thin cov- 
ering of stable manure, together with 
such quantity of top soil as was avail- 
able from the immediate surroundings. 
The top soil was of inferior quality 
and averaged less than three inches in 
depth as finally distributed. After 
plowing and harrowing, cow peas and 
Canada field peas were planted and 
later plowed under. By this process the 
soil was impregnated with nitrogen- 
making bacilli. The resulting lawns, 
sown with Kentucky and English rye 
grasses, promise^ to give good results. 
The saving by this process may be bet- 
ter understood when it is known that 
the usual allowance for covering one 
acre of ground with one foot of top 
soil is about $1,500, while the cost of 
the work at West Side Park was less 
than $500 per acre. 
Experience has shown that the com- 
plicated work involved in the grading 
and resurfacing, planting and seeding 
areas for park purposes cannot be done 
satisfactorily on a unit basis of con- 
tract. Actual attempts have been made 
by other, park commissioners to enter 
into specific contract for this phase of 
park construction, always with unfor- 
tunate results. Profiting by these ex- 
amples the commission was advised to 
place the matter in the hands of a repu- 
table contracting firm, the work to be 
done on what is known as force account 
or day labor basis. 
West Side Park as at present con- 
structed contains 36,500 linear feet of 
paths ; 10,550 linear feet of roads ; 58 
acres of open lawn and meadow ; 2J4 
acres of water; 22 acres planted area. 
West Hudson Park, in the township 
of Harrison, was the next tract taken. 
This comprises 40 acres. Aside from 
its attractive topography, the site is de- 
sirable for park purposes because of its 
accessibility to localities thickly popu- 
lated by the employees of the several 
large industrial establishments of Har- 
rison, Kearny and East Newark. This 
section, aptly termed the “Birmingham 
of America,” is constantly adding to the 
density of its population by reason of 
these large factories. 
The problem of the development of 
this park is, in some ways, complica- 
ted, though in others simple, in that few 
alterations are given. The ground, ir- 
regular in character, is easily converted 
r A RK' AN D CEMETERY. 
into picturesque natural surroundings. 
Provision should always be made for 
open and comparatively level areas for 
play and recreation, and four play- 
grounds have been provided. 
Beginning at Devon or Fifth Street, 
there is planned the main road en- 
trance to the park, as a continuation 
of the axis of Woodland Avenue. This 
single drive, thirty feet wide, will 
cross the lake on a bridge of sixty- 
feet span, and a rise of about ten 
feet, which, aside from its usefulness 
as a viaduct, serves as an attractive 
architectural feature, and provides a 
point of vantage from which the fre- 
quenters of the park may view the 
animated scene upon the lake. As- 
cending a flight of steps from Kearny 
avenue to a large gravelled area, with 
central shelter, similar to those found 
in the Parisian parks, and passing 
eastward, a broad path connects the 
westerly property with the main 
park beyond Devon Street. This sec- 
tion has been given a formal treat- 
ment. 
Intimately connected with this sec- 
tion, and treated in a similar formal 
manner, is the allied topographic 
unit contained in the northwesterly 
corner of the main body of the 
property. Owing to the steepness of 
the bank, it is planned to erect a mas- 
sive masonry retaining wall from 
which an outlook may be had over all 
the county to the eastward. At a 
round-point, in which this main path 
terminates before descending to the 
main naturalistic park below, an oc- 
tagonal gravel space is provided for 
The beautiful tints of autumn have 
come and gone and now the foliage 
of the season past has fallen away, 
leaving, as it were, but the skeletons 
of the trees. While the leaves were 
yet on, we were shut in — or out as 
the case may be — from the breadth of 
view that now is opened up. The 
dense canopy of the summer foliage 
had closed from sight whatever had 
been in its line and until the autumn 
and winter season’s return. We have 
lived much within whatever are own 
borders. Where these borders have 
been intentionally placed it is pre- 
sumed that they select and frame the 
vistas and obstruct such places as are 
unsightly, but where native growth 
forms these borders, we have still to 
handle it so as to make it accomplish 
the same purpose that planted bor- 
ders will. The winter season is the 
the location^ of benches, and as a 
gathering place for those who would 
be likely to use the park for short 
periods of time. Balancing this oc- 
tagonal round-point is another of 
similar character in which a band- 
stand is planned. 
North Hudson Park is the one site 
selected' for the park system that 
gives full opportunity for the creation 
of a picturesque natural park and is 
located at the township of North Ber- 
gen at the northern end of the coun- 
ty on top of the Palisades, overlook- 
ing the Hudson River and Riverside 
Drive, New York City, and contain- 
ing the northern terminus of the 
Boulevard. This tract contains much 
natural beauty within its 160.6 acres. 
No plans for this park have been pre- 
pared. 
Within the crowded limits of Ho- 
boken the most available site includ- 
ed a portion of the St. George Crick- 
et Club grounds and adjacent proper- 
ties, containing altogether 7.38 acres. 
From its size and surroundings its 
logical design would be mainly a play- 
ground, though, no plans have yet 
been prepared for its development. 
The total park area acquired is 423.6 
acres, one acre for every 1,152 people. 
A separate financial report accom- 
panying the report shows a total ex- 
penditure for the five years of $1,657,- 
472, and an expenditure for the fiscal 
year ended November 30, 1908, of 
$295,037. William J. Davis is pres- 
ident and Walter G. Muirheid secre- 
tary of the commission. The offices 
of the commission are in Jersey City. 
time to determine where these vistas 
are and how to develop them. In 
the distance we discover some dwell- 
ing that had of late left our little 
world, but which now returns to be- 
come a part of our larger community. 
Some river, lake, or wooded hill, a 
breadth of meadow or a quiet valley 
scene appears through the trees, as 
one by one the falling leaves give 
place to the open vista. 
What before has been hid to view 
is now seen through the open branch- 
es. A single tree, a group of trees 
or a portion of a larger stand, may 
be the obstruction. Such a part or 
all of these may now be removed un- 
til the vista is opened and the ob- 
jective point brought clearly into 
view. More than merely bringing 
some distant object into sight may be 
accomplished, for at the same time 
A TIME TO STUDY VISTAS 
