PARK AND CEMETERY 
95 
their location and character by the landscape gardener. The 
preparation of the ground for planting is of the first impor- 
tance to the trees. On it depends, largely, whether the plan- 
tation shall be a mass of healthy, vigorous foliage, or a collec- 
tion of stunted trees dragging out a starved existence. For 
the production of a health}- growth of deciduous trees an 
essential necessity is a sufficiency of good soil. 
No work of a park construction should take precedence 
over that of tree-planting, other than the work necessary to 
make the ground intended for plantations available. Bridges, 
buildings, roads and walks are of secondary importance in 
comparison. 
Assuming that the soil is good, preparation for planting 
should begin in the preceding summer, by ploughing and 
deeply subsoiling, ploughing the ground two or three times 
and reducing it to a good condition of mellowness. Spring 
planting is preferable in our northern latitudes. Fall-planted 
trees, unless put in early enough to have made roots to sus- 
tain them, are apt to dry out by evaporation during the long 
freezing months. A good method is to make selections and 
purchases in the fall, which can be heeled in over winter 
and protected from drying winds. Thus planting can be 
commenced much earlier, unhampered by the delays of spring 
shipments from nurseries. 
In passing, I might say, that no Park Department should 
be without its own nursery, where trees and shrubs can be 
obtained within its own grounds, and be dug under such 
conditions as obtain in a well-regulated organization. Well- 
dug trees, with plenty of roots, kept moist until planted, 
make fall or spring equally successful. 
In planting, plant thickly; ten to twelve feet apart is not 
too close. The ground then is more thickly shaded ; the 
trees, also, shelter each other. Thin out by transplanting, 
or even by cutting, whenever the branches interfere. Under 
no consideration permit injury to be done by overcrowding. 
This method has many advantages : it provides shade for the 
ground and for the trunks of the trees, which, thickly planted, 
protect each other from scorching winds; it permits of easy, 
and cheap cultivation of the ground, and is a convenient nur- 
sery from which finer trees can be secured each season than 
can be obtained in commercial nurseries. This plan also 
gives a greater variety from which to select the permanent 
trees. 
The contrary opinion is held by some, who advocate the 
planting of the trees in their intended permanent positions. 
The principal reason for which seems to be, that, from a 
fear of public outcry, the thinnings are not made, or that 
from negligence or ignorance the trees are allowed to over- 
crowd and spoil each other. The first objection may be 
met by transplanting instead of tbinning out. To the second 
it may be said, that ignorance or negligence cannot be guard- 
ed against by any method of planting. 
It is best to plant the intended permanent trees at a dis- 
tance of from thirty to fifty feet, according to their expected 
development. A second arrangement may be made nearly 
alternating, of some other kind of tree, and even a third 
combination may be made, again, alternating. The advantage 
of this plan is that any one of the three arrangements may 
be adopted, as may be deemed best, at thinning-time, for the 
permanent trees. 
The effect of large masses of trees of one species is much 
nrore dignified and impressive than a conglomeration of trees 
of different kinds ar.d habits of growth. The mass, or groups 
of varying size, may be allowed to merge into each other in 
irregular ragged outlines. 
It is not considered desirable to plant shrubs throughout 
new plantations; they interfere with the free use of the 
cultivator, which is a valuable adjunct to the diligent planter 
desiring vigorous, rapid growth. Cultivation should be main- 
tained for a period of three years or so, when shrubbery or 
ground cover may be introduced. Shrubbery should, how- 
ever, be planted on the borders of the plantation when made 
of such wood-bordering plants as shadbush, red bud, viburn- 
ums, cornels, etc. 
For planting in public parks our native trees and shrubs 
cannot be surpassed for appropriateness and beauty, and for 
this purpose their use alone is advocated. Nothing can be 
more inharmonious than the introduction, into park wood- 
lands and plantations, of exotic trees and shrubs, or of varie- 
gated sports and monstrosities. Rather let our parks be typi- 
cal of our native woods and glens, helped along Nature’s 
lines by the artistic hand. 
EcHoes from the Convention of ParK Superintendents. 
At the business meeting on the last day of the Washington 
Convention of the American Association of Park Superin- 
tendents, reported in our last issue, Mr. Pettigrew, on be- 
half of the committee appointed to act on the recommenda- 
tions made in the annual report of the president, reported 
proposed changes in the by-laws. It was resolved to amend 
them so as to provide for the holding of the annual conven- 
tions at dates between the ist and the isth of August. The 
place of holding the convention to be determined by the 
executive committee at each annual meeting. The b> -law 
relating to nomination of officers was amended so as to re- 
quire the nomination of two candidates for each office. It 
was unanimously reported by the executive committee that 
the next convention of the association be held at Toronto, 
August 6, 7 and 8, 1907. 
jjc >}c ^ 
A committee was appointed to follow out the suggestions 
made by Mr. G. A. Parker in his paper, as noted in our 
report last month. The president appointed J. W. Rogers, 
W. Frank Baker and Mr. Parker members of the committee. 
^ ^ 
A paper of especial interest and value was that of George 
H. Brown, superintendent of the parks of Washington. Fie 
gave a short history of the parks of the city and a synopsis 
of the work which he had accomplished. He said that the 
first step toward a park system was taken by A. J. Downing 
in 1851, but his plans were frustrated by his untimely death 
in 1852. Notwithstanding the fact that every effort was 
made to find the plans of Mr. Downing, they were never 
discovered. The paper by Mr. Brown was considered so 
valuable that he was unanimously requested to elaborate it 
and put it in shape to be issued as a bulletin by the associa- 
tion. This he consented to do, and it will be published in 
due time. * 
The changes in the by-laws were unanimously approved. 
They were all the result of a desire to improve the associa- 
tion. The nomination of two candidates for each office and 
a secret ballot should be the rule in every organization. This, 
with rotation in office, will insure the perpetuation of the 
association. 
“Woodman, spare that tree,” is apparently not a popular 
poem with park superintendents. Their preaching was mostly 
from the text, “Spare the axe and spoil the tree.” 
* * * 
Air. Duncan has made an excellent secretary and his ad- 
vancement to vice-presidency was a richly deserved compli- 
ment. 
