152 
PARK AND 
CEMETERY. 
more or less than some other cities, the important mat- 
ter is what we are actually doing for our own people. 
It is much better, it seems to me, to range up our parks 
measured by what they supply to the people who use 
them rather than acres and cost. 
The Census Bureau is already giving us what we can 
reasonably expect regarding park areas, yearly expenses, 
etc. Their work along these lines seems quite satisfactory, 
but that is measuring parks by the low standard of physi- 
cal relationship. What I would like to see in addition to 
what is now being done, would be to have them mea- 
sured by what they are giving, or arc prepared to fur- 
nish to the people and what use the people make of 
them. This information would be of much greater value 
than that of area and cost, and I believe it could be ob- 
tained after a few years of experience by the Census 
Bureau, or by some department of the government. 
There are difficulties to be overcome, but none of them 
unsurmountable. The data for such statements does not 
now exist. No special agent of the government can go 
from city to city and find this data already prepared ready 
for tabulation, for it does not exist in any record in any 
city and is not known by any person, but the facts, never- 
theless, do exist, and although unknown, are not un- 
knowable. They can be learned, but only by those per- 
sons who are well acquainted with municipal conditions, 
who can interpret what they find as they go from city 
to city, who can read, first hand, from the park area it- 
self, the story which it is telling to the people it serves. 
At present I believe it is only possible to obtain this 
knowledge, which is so much needed, by an actual ob- 
servation of actual conditions. It cannot be known by se- 
curing answers to any series of questions that can be de- 
vised or asked of any park employee, or person interested 
in parks, for however well they may know their own local 
condition, yet at best it is only local and general principles 
are not evolved from one example — for a man cannot be- 
come a good judge of cattle by milking one cow, so a man 
cannot learn all there is to be known about parks, if his 
interest is localized in the parks of his own city. To 
know parks he must go from city to city to see parks 
on parks, study them, interpret them, know them by 
heart and love them. 
This then is what I would like to have the national 
government do in addition to the statistics it is now 
sending out: To find some person with a practical park 
experience, who knows parks, and loves them, and who 
knows municipal affairs and the province of the different 
city functions, who knows the people and is in sympathy 
with that great majority of all cities — the common people, 
who knows trees and plants as a father knows his chil- 
dren, who can interpret lines, surfaces, forms and colors, 
and the influence they have on the human mind and heart, 
a man who is capable, if it was known, of understanding 
and appreciating all that parks may mean to a city; and 
when they have found such a man to send him forth to 
learn the lesson of the parks, and to write it out. 
Would they be justified in doing this? I think so, for 
already one-third of our people live under urban condi- 
tions, and every one of them so living is influenced by 
the correct solution of this problem, and what helps the 
people is surely no small matter. If the only question 
was the saving of dollars and cents, it would pay a 
thousand times over, for about twelve million dollars is 
now annually expended in park work, and this knowledge 
would enable that money to do twice as much good as it 
does now. The interest involved is, therefore, large 
enough to justify the work. 
Aimual reports or extracts from tkem^ historical sketches^ 
descriptive circulars^ photographs of vnproveynents or dis- 
tincthye features are requested for use in this department. 
B. P. Wagner, of Sidney, O., has been employed to 
plan a complete system of parks for Marion, O. Each 
park is to be developed on distinctive lines. The most 
important tract will be South Park, which will have a lake 
and other ornamental features of interest. The North 
Park will be a thickly wooded tract and will have two 
small lakes. The East Park will be chiefly designed as 
a city playground with grounds for all outdoor sports 
and a section reserved for small children. 
* * * 
The park board of Kansas City, Mo., has begun the 
experimental sprinkling of its macadam driveways with 
oil. Parts of Van Horn Boulevard, Meyer Boulevard and 
a section of roadway in Swope Park are being sprinkled, 
and the experiment it is said if successful will mean a 
saving of twenty-five per cent in cost of maintenance. 
Residuum oil is being used at a cost of 50 or 60 cents per 
gallon, or about 5 cents per square yard sprinkled. The 
oil is laid upon the macadam by the use of a regular 
sprmkling cart. Tw'o coats are to be applied at once. 
Not only is the experiment ex-pected to lay the dust but 
is also expected that its cohesive property will hold the 
crushed stone more firmly together. 
* * * 
The park department of Hartford, Conn., is making 
war on wild carrot. Superintendent Parker says that the 
plant is of very strong vitality. It is a biennial. The 
first year it devotes all its nourishment to the root and 
leaves above the ground a flat stumpy growth that the 
cutter does not affect. The second year it lives on the 
nourishment its roots have absorbed and develops a flower 
that turns into a great quanity of seed. This ends the 
life of the plant. The drain on the root the second year 
reduces it in size. The only way to properly exterminate 
the wild carrot is to pull out the plant. This should be 
done the second year when the root reduced in sizes does 
not fit its hole and is easily extracted, and also when the 
seed is in the milk. 
* * 
Delegate Otto has introduced an ordinance into the 
House of Delegates of St. Louis providing regulations for 
the planting of trees and shrubs in the city, and penalties 
for their destruction or injury. The ordinance was drawn 
up by City Forester Meyer. The ordinance provides that 
permits for planting, spraying or removing trees or 
shrubs shall be issued to such only as in the opinion of 
the City Forester are competent to perform the work. 
It also holds that where it is found necessary to trim 
trees for stringing wires the damage shall be paid by the 
companies who do the work. It also prohibits the use 
of climbing irons on trees, and prohibits the owners of 
horses and other animals from allowing the beasts to 
(Continued on page VII.) 
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