PARK AND CEMETERY 
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trees and bushes. They make reflections, add height 
and depth and variety and color and texture to the 
shores, and make a frame for the great level expanse ; 
and without a frame, any large, flat surface, like a 
lawn or river, remains tame and uninteresting unless 
it is wide enough to extend towards the horizon like 
a prairie or the sea. 
Now let us consider each picture separately. Take 
the Central Park one first. There is the curved sur- 
face disappearing behind the promontory plainly 
enough. The promontory is unsatisfactory, of an 
ugly, rounded-up and smoothed-off shape, with the 
smug look that a lawn running down to the water so 
often has. It ought to be covered entirely with foli- 
age. ' No problem in the design and construction of 
informal artificial water is more difficult than recon- 
ciling it with the other smooth surface of the grass. 
Foliage or lawn and foliage and water are almost 
sure to look well ; but water and lawn without other 
help need exceptional handling or exceptional condi- 
tions to pull together without a steersman. The 
heaped-up foliage on the right shore, with its play of 
light and shade and delicate texture, is an example 
of the most restful and sympathetic border a small 
piece of water can have, and contrasts well with the 
green pincushion opposite. The tops of the bushes 
in the foreground serve well to throw back the dis- 
tance and lessen the bare effect of the unbroken lake. 
The Chicago picture shows another admirable but 
different instance of the disappearing curve, only 
marred by the absurd little island with its weedy 
growth. To look well, this island should be much 
larger and farther to one side or the other, or should 
have merely been an extension of the mainland. The 
harmonious effect of the willows and rushes, seeming 
to belong so naturally to their places, shows how easy 
it is to make water look right if we plant things such 
as our minds naturally associate with it. 
In the Pelham Bay Park picture much of the charm 
is due to the rocks and rushes in the foreground, and 
the Bronx Park picture owes most to the overhang- 
ing hemlock boughs with the waterside path disap- 
pearing among themi. All these details give valuable 
hints to anyone composing or decorating water scenes. 
The man behind the camera that recorded these 
views showed the feeling of an artist, for he selected 
just such compositions as the man who makes artificial 
water should strive to create from as many points of 
view as possible. He has carefully avoided all those 
ugly, meandering lines of shored-up or walled-up 
banks that are so common in our parks, and the arti- 
ficial water looks just as natural as that of Long Island 
Sound in the Pelham Bay Park picture, or as that of 
the Bronx River in the picture taken in Bronx Park. 
The Boston Metropolitan ParK System.— 
(Concluded.) 
i Some of the distinctive features of Boston’s system 
may be briefly reviewed as follows : 
. The Common and Public Garden, large old trees, 
green turf, water and exotic gardening. 
Commonzvealth Ave., broad avenue and promenade, 
trees formally displayed, dignified residential buildings 
with eventually statuary, fountains, etc. 
Back Bay, scenery representing that of many tidal 
estuaries along the Massachusetts coast with a serpen- 
tine coursed brook flowing through its lowland. A 
combination of arboreous growth on its higher slopes. 
Knolls with a growth of shrubs suited to salt water sur- 
roundings. A picturesque display of herbaceous plants ; 
salt water meadowland. 
Rivenvay* ; foliage of a contrasting tone and texture 
from that used in the Back Bay. Verdure found natural- 
ly upon higher lands and in proximity to fresh water; 
groups of trees ; masses of shrubbery ; slashes of 
meadow scenery and open glades. 
Lei’crett Park* ; a chain of small ponds, fresh water 
with, a bushy-pasture growth ; evergreens suggesting 
more sophisticated associations. 
Jamaica Park* ; wide expanse of water ; picturesque 
promontory covered with white pine ; a beech grove ; 
waterside paths ; natural growth of mi.xed wood and 
shrubbery v/ith openings allowing views from various 
directions over the water ; water reflections. 
Arnold Arboretum ; high hills; boulders; open wood- 
lands and glades ; meadowland ; bold picturesque sky 
lines ; distant prospects to Boston Harbor and over -sur- 
rounding hamlets and country. 
Franklin Park ; charming woodland ; pastoral scen- 
ery ; open dales ; complete naturalness ; distant views to 
range of Blue Hills. 
Marine Park; beach; sea; panoramic view of the 
harbor and its numerous islands. 
Wood Island; trees; turf; cool breezes; view of 
harbor and its numerous islands. 
The above are among the distinctive landscape qual- 
ities of the system connected by dignified parkways 
which will later be lined with stately and umbrageous 
trees. The Park movement was and is intelligently and 
loyally supported by public opinion. 
In 1891 when Boston’s st'stem was under construc- 
tion an appeal was made to the Legislature for parks 
in the Metropolitan district for the benefit of its people. 
Among the movers in this cause were members of the 
Appalachian Mountain Club, the Trustees of Public 
Reservations, private citizens, and members of various 
public spirited societies all of whom provided for a com- 
