237 
PARK AND CEMETERY 
PicKin^ Flowers in the ParKs. 
A correspondent writes to know “what privilege it is cus- 
tomary to allow the park commissioners as to cutting and 
carrying away the blooms from the flower beds in the parks,” 
and the following expressions of opinion from a few repre- 
sentative park superintendents are offered in reply : 
Park commissioners have no exclusive rights in the parks 
of a city. They are custodians and caretakers of city proper- 
ty, and it is their business and duty to preserve all the attract- 
ive features of the parks for the public to enjoy. They 
have no rights that are exceptionally enjoyed by them, as 
park commissioners, and not enjoyed by the general public. 
If a park commissioner assumes the right to pick flowers 
from the beds in the parks, he might with equal propriety 
assume the right to dig up and transplant a shrub, a tree or 
confiscate any portable property, a spade, a hoe, a wheel- 
barrow, or any of the park belongings. A park commissioner, 
if he rightly understands and appreciates his position, as cus- 
todian and caretaker of the parks, would deny himself any 
right that the general public does not enjoy, and set a good 
example to the exceptional taxpayer, who picks an occasional 
flower to get even with the city. 
Albany, N. Y. Wm. S. Egerton, Supt. of Parks. 
* * * 
We have never made any difference in giving away slips 
or flowers of any description from our beds, between the 
park commissioners or any park official and the general 
public. We have made it a custom in the late fall, when 
frost comes, to give the public notice that flowers can be 
taken and anyone is privileged to take some, our park em- 
ployes seeing that no damage is done to park property while 
flowers are being distributed. 
Kansas City, Mo. W. H. Dunn, Supt. of Parks. 
=K ^ :|s 
It is not customary with us to give any privileges what- 
soever to our park commissioners in way of cutting and tak- 
ing away flowers from any of our parks. None of our com- 
missioners have ever expressed any desire to be granted 
such privileges. The fact that they are custodians of the 
people’s property does not in my opinion entitle them to 
any such privilege or compensation. In fact, they should 
not establish a bad example by wanting to take flowers or 
plants, which are intended for the enjoyment of all people 
alike. On the contrary, they should be the first to restrain 
themselves from making such use of the public’s property. I 
do not know what the custom is in other parks in that re- 
spect, but here in Hartford the commissioners do not make 
use of their official' position. 
Hartford, Conn. Theodore Wirth, Supt. of Parks. 
SH * * 
Our park officials are very particular to refrain from tak- 
ing any such liberty. It will lead to any amount of trouble 
if this thing is allowed. The flowers are public property to 
be enjoyed where they are planted by all classes of citizens. 
We, as commissioners, are but custodians of whatever grows 
in our parks and I consider it very poor taste for any official 
to assume that he has any right to pluck flowers for his per- 
sonal use. We go still further in this matter by declining 
to give any away to charitable organizations, for if we let the 
bars down, where will we be? We cannot show favoritism. 
One has as good right as another, so the only way is to keep 
the blooms on the plants for the public, for whom the parks 
are maintained, to enjoy. That is the way we look at it in 
Worcester. 
Worcester, Mass. James Draper, Secretary. 
I do not know of a single instance that park commission- 
ers take the liberty to cut blooms from the flower beds in 
the parks. Even if they do not receive a salary, they should 
not regard themselves as endowed with the privilege to do so, 
but rather give a good example to the people. A good super- 
intendent should have courage enough to prevent such a 
wrong and in so doing would not only deserve but certainly 
get the support of the general public. 
Reinhard Schuetze, Engr. of Park Commission. 
Denver, Colo. 
^ 
The ordinances of the Rochester park system strictly pro- 
hibit visitors and the public from picking flowers in the 
parks, and these rules, so far as we know, obtain in all park 
systems. Our park commissioners strictly obey this ordi^ 
nance, as well as all others, in letter and in spirit. 
John Dunbar, Asst. Supt. of Parks. 
Rochester, N. Y. 
^ ^ 
Annual rep'orts or extracts from theniy historical sketches^ 
descriptive circulars^ photographs of improvements or 
tinctive features are reguested for use in this department. 
/ 
J. Q. A. Ward, the New York sculptor, has presented the 
town of Urbana, 111., with a beautiful oak grove of eighteen 
acres on the outskirts of the town for a public park. The 
gift is in commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary 
of the county, which will be celebrated next summer. The 
only condition is that a substantial building be erected in the 
park for the preservation of the county’s relics. Mr. Ward 
will contribute several of his own works of sculpture. 
* * * 
The officials of the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Inter- 
Urban Railroad Company are negotiating with the department 
of forestry of the University of Iowa to plant trees along 
the right of way between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, both 
with the view of beautifying it and for practical utilit}'. Trees 
would be planted in such manner as to prevent washouts, to 
prevent erosion in the cuts, to prevent damage from ice at 
the bridges and to guard against snow drifts. 
* * * 
A tract of over loo acres of land has been donated to the 
people for free parks in five townships in Berrien County. 
Michigan, by Edward K. Warren, of Three Oaks. .\11 of 
the land borders on Lake Michigan. Mr. Warren claims 
that the shore land of Michigan is being bought by keepers 
of summer resorts and that soon the people will have no free 
breathing place. The land he gives is to be set aside for 
parks by the legislature for all time. A special bill has been 
introduced in the Michigan legislature to enable it to accept 
the land on the conditions named. The sale of liquor in any 
of the parks is prohibited for all time. 
* * * 
The work of restoring Forest Park, St. Louis, the site of 
