r 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
338 
SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS IN THE ROCHESTER PARKS 
It has been the policy of the Board 
of Park Commissioners of Rochester, 
N. Y., for a number of years past to 
call the attention of the people to im- 
portant floral and other features in 
the public parks through the press. 
The first important floral feature of 
the season is the display of bulbs such 
as hyacinths, tulips, narcissi, etc., 
which is usually about the first week 
in May. Some Sunday when they are 
about their best the attention of 
the peo])le is called to it and many 
thousands will go to see the different 
displays of bulbs in the parks. When 
the lilac collection is in full bloom 
the people are advised on the Sunday 
most opportune to see them and on 
Sunday, May lo, last, it was estimated 
that over .aO.OOO people \-isited the 
collection during the day, and that was 
perhaps conser\'ative ! 
The attention of the people is called 
in the same way to the displays of 
azaleas, rhododendrons, peonies and 
roses, and whilst these different fea- 
tures do not draw like the lilacs, there 
are many thousands of people visit 
them in a "special attraction” sense. 
The commissioners get up other at- 
tractions during the summer and win- 
ter seasons, such as water carnivals, 
miniature yacht races, musical festi- 
vals, skating carnivals, etc. The most 
important of these events is the wa- 
ter carnival in Genesee Valley Park. 
The trees and shrubs on the banks of 
the river are lighted up with 10,000 
Japanese lanterns, and hundreds of 
canoes, floats and launches are highly 
decorated, and at night it presents a 
scene of most extraordinary brilliancy 
which perhaps is not paralleled in any 
other park in the world. It was esti- 
mated at the last water carnival, July 
9, last, that 100,000 (one hundred thou- 
sand) people witnessed the spectacle 
and the arrangements were so per- 
fect that not a single accident oc- 
curred. 
The commissioners a few years 
;-ince organized a band of 50 trained 
musicians, under the leadership of a 
highly efficient bandmaster, which 
gives on the average about five con- 
certs per week throughout the park 
system during the summer season. 
This band play.s the very best compo- 
sitions of the musical world with fine 
skill, interspersed occasionally with 
those folk songs that "never die” of 
the leading nations of the world. This 
musical organization is very popular 
with the people. John Duxb.'lR, 
.A.sst. Supt. of Parks. 
Rochester, X. Y. 
RAILROAD GARDENERS TO MEET IN BOSTON 
The fourth annual meeting of the 
.'\merican Association of Railroad 
Gardeners will be called at Crawford 
Hotel, Boston, September .5th, at 
10:00 a. m. An interesting three days’ 
program has been arranged, and 
while the membership is limited to 
those connected with the gardening 
department of American railroads, the 
meetings are open, and the program 
is so broad as to be of interest to all 
the gardening fraternity. 
One feature of the work is to place 
competent men in vacancies and on 
new work, and it evil! be of advan- 
tage to any who desire to take up this 
class of gardening to get in touch 
with this organization. 
The organization is young, having 
Tw'o years ago, after planting my 
foliage plants, pansies, etc., about half 
of them were laid low by cutworms, 
and I replanted several times, los- 
ing some plants each time. 
The foliage plants that I set along 
the porches, got badly splashed wJth 
mud when it rained, and in order to 
keep them clean, I took the lawn 
mower, with the grass carrier on it, 
and cut grass on the lawn, and with 
that I mulched the ground in the 
beds, covering it to the depth of an 
inch or more. 
This kept the plants from getting 
covered with mud, and it had an- 
other effect. None of the plants 
been or.ganized only four or five years, 
but the membership now' represents 
nearly all American railroads that 
have an organized gardening depart- 
ment. It is the desire this year to 
enlist the rest, and an especially in- 
teresting program has been prepared. 
The officers of the association are: 
President, Geo. B. Moulder, Illinois 
Central. Chicago, 111.: vice-president, 
Patrick I'oy, Norfolk & Western, 
Roanoke, Va.; secretary-treasurer, J. 
S. Butterfield, .Mo. Pac. System, Lee’s 
Summit. Mo. Executive Committee: 
All Officers and John Gipner, Mich- 
igan Central, Niles, Mich.; J. E. Smith, 
Pennsylvania, Ridley Park, Pa.; C. .H. 
Tritschler, N. C. & St. L., Nashville, 
Tenn. 
were cut off by w'orms after the 
mulching. 
One year ago when I set out my 
plants I mulched them at once as 
above, and did not have one cut 
off. 
This year, I set out a large number 
of foliage plants, pansies, etc., and 
immediately mulched them as above, 
and I have not lost a plant. 
From this experience of three sea- 
sons, I conclude that mulching with 
green law'n grass, will protect the 
plants from the ravages of cut- 
worms. 
1 change, or renew, the grass every 
time I mow-' the lawn, or oftener; 
The object of the association as e.x- 
pressed in its constitution is as fol- 
lows: "Aside from the social features 
the objects of this association shall be 
to consider more thorough and sys- 
tematic extension of railroad garden- 
ing; to improve the appearance of all 
railroad wa}' lands, especially those 
adjacent to stations; to encourage 
the beautifying of grounds adjoining 
railroad property; to eliminate what- 
ever unnecessarily detracts from the 
beauty of the landscape as seen from 
the car window; to stimulate universal 
interest in presenting more attractive 
appearances to the traveling public 
and by so doing increase the x'alue of 
the railway property upon which we 
work.” 
C UT- WORMS 
How' long it w'ill hold the charm I 
do not know, but it is easily changed, 
as the mulching becomes dry and 
light, and clings well together, it can 
very easily be taken off w'ith a rake, 
or the fingers, and a new supply of 
grass spread. 
I continue this mulching until the 
plants are strong, and well growm. 
This mulchin.g then serves three pur- 
poses. It helps to keep the ground 
moist: keeps the plants clean, and 
free from mud. and seems to prevent 
the ravages of the Cutworms, three 
very important considerations. 
Wb-more, Neb. 
MULCHING TO PREVENT 
D. McCandless. 
