213 
PARK AND CEMRTERY 
VIEW IN THE BACK BAY FENS, BOSTON, SHOWING SLUGGISH STREAM AND TYPICAL VEGETATION OF 
THE MEADOW LANDS. 
low land a general aspect of upland scenery in con- 
nection with a marsh verdure of a fenny character. 
Grasses, sedges and various sorts of herbaceous plants 
were relied upon to very largely contribute to securing 
this effect. The narrowness of the brook and the 
interceptions by marsh vegetation and by the islands, 
prevent heavy winds or a damaging spray from reach- 
ing the plants on the base of the side slopes. 
A hood gate, located at the margin of Charles 
River, regulates the water elevation within the basin 
during normal periods. At times the salt water from 
the river enters, and causes the water, at least the 
upper stratum, to become brackish. Indicative of this 
circumstance are the plants growing on the flat low- 
land and on the base of the slopes. 
, , Emil Mische. 
(To be continued ) 
Proposed Metropolitan ParK System for CHicago. 
The Special Park Commission of Chicago, au- 
thorized by the City Council of that city in 1899 to 
suggest plans for a Aletropclitan Park System, has pre- 
sented an elaborate illustrated report to the Council, 
outlining a magnificent outer belt of suburban parks 
curving about the city on the west and joining the lake 
at the north and the south. 
The work of the Commission is purely advisory, 
but the report is of immense value to the city as a guide 
for its future park development, and is a complete 
compendium of Chicago park affairs, past, present, and 
to come. 
The city and surrounding suburbs are divided into 
four zones for park purposes, and recommendations 
are made for the future development of each zone. 
Zone one includes the densely populated part of the 
city lying within the present system of large parks. 
The recommendations here are chiefly for small parks 
and play grounds. A substantial beginning has been 
made by the South Park Commissioners who have pur- 
chased many new sites, developed a number of tbc 
parks and formulated plans for the development of 
others with the $3,000,000 bond issue recently granted 
by the Legislature. 
Zone two comprises the present finely developed sys- 
tem of large parks and connecting boulevards, and no 
recommendations are made for this area. 
Zone three is immediately beyond the present park 
system. Starting from the lake at the county line on 
the north it embraces a territory of 8,300 acres known 
as the Skokee Park as far south as Bowmanville. This 
tract and 1,000 acres of small parks farther south in 
the same belt are recommended for acquisition. Six- 
teen small parks, varying in area from 20 to 200 acres 
are included in this section. 
Zone four is the wide outer belt beyond this, com- 
pletely encircling the city, beginning at the county line 
and the lake on the north and ending at Calumet Lake 
on the south. It extends westward along the county 
line to the Desplaines river and along the valley of this 
stream to the drainage canal. The park recommended 
here is 25 miles long, varies from one-eighth of a mile 
