PARK AND C EM ET ERY. 
756 
unpleasant odor is so considered today. 
It is likely that artistically inharmonious 
surroundings have a more far-reaching 
effect upon the character of our citizens 
than the presence of unpleasant non- 
pestilential odors. It is only because 
cities do not feel the same keen com- 
petition to which manufacturing con- 
cerns are subjected that it is possible 
for them to survive under the condi- 
tions imposed by lack of appropriate 
plans, but that does not lessen the eco- 
nomic loss occasioned by such lack. 
We must of necessity come to the con- 
clusion that a city cannot grow to its 
most perfect stature without an offi- 
cially accepted plan having the hearty 
support of the people, since we cannot 
have a most effective city unless it is 
laid out in accordance with such a plan, 
nor is it possible to otherwise properly 
provide for its growth. 
ASKED AND ANSWERED 
An exchange of experience on practical matters by our readers. You 
are invited to contribute questions and answers to this department 
Practical Men for the Parks 
A correspondent requests information 
as to whether the Association of Park 
Superintendents ever undertook an in- 
vestigation to determine if practical 
men are employed to administer park 
affairs in the various cities of this 
country. 
As we understand it the association 
in question is one having as its object 
the betterment of the service, efficiency 
of administration and the advancement 
of any object which shall add to the 
utility of the public’s use of parks. 
Mutual discussion, observation by the 
association’s members are unquestion- 
ably helpful and this alone and in itself 
is sufficient warrant for the continua- 
tion of the association. But it also has 
its limitations beyond which it cannot 
with propriety and wisdom proceed. 
One of these limitations is just this 
side of stirring up a public clamor over 
the ills of a community’s affairs where- 
by an unfit, incompetent or even a mere 
“politician” holds an office of power. 
If such a circumstance holds in any 
community the fault is in the form of 
government or the state of public con- 
science in that locality. 
We receive just about what we de- 
serve and no community composed of 
a live, wholesome and honest citizen- 
ship will long tolerate its public affairs 
to degenerate into a trough at which the 
spoilsman feeds, nor even that positions 
of trust and responsibility be peddled 
out to incompetents. Correction of the 
intimated objections is to be found by 
the action of the people directly con- 
cerned rather than through an investi- 
gation by a society of one part of park 
officials. 
Contrasting parallel is found in the- 
experience of European cities where of- 
ficials are selected by the local council 
or the person corresponding to our 
mayor, on merit. One hears no re- 
proach on appointees to public park of- 
fices in Europe. Every incentive to in- 
troduce a system fostering appointments 
tending toward subversion of public in- 
terests is frowned upon by the citizen- 
ship. 
Chicago imported a conspicuously 
successful traction operator from Scot- 
land to devise a means of enabling the 
city to control and operate the city 
street car system. In substance his 
recommendations were against the un- 
dertaking, for this very same reason, 
namely : politics as we have it is bad 
business. If you want good business 
rid yourself of the sort of government 
we are so prone to call political, mean- 
ing thereby corrupt administration. In 
any case, the point of our correspondent 
is one of good government as a local 
issue rather than an evil to be connect- 
ed by concerted action of a body of men 
concerned with executive affairs of 
one branch of municipalities. 
Park Supt. 
Landscape Planting at Small Cost 
“How can the best artistic effects 
in landscape planting be obtained with 
the smallest investment?” — R. R., Mo. 
Of course this will depend entirely 
on local conditions where such mat- 
ters as natural topography, existing 
trees and shrubs, location of artificial 
features, condition of soil, and the 
character of surrounding objects 
would be taken into consideration in 
planning for an artistic effect. Gen- 
erally speaking, where natural effects 
are to be produced, the greatest 
amount of planting can be carried out 
for a given amount of money, by care- 
fully selecting the varieties and sizes 
of the material used. Oftentimes for 
instance in the formation of groups 
of trees, larger, more expensive indi- 
viduals may be used as a nucleus and 
the group finished off with smaller 
trees. Again where a picturesque 
character of planting is admissible, 
nursery trees which have been con- 
demned for street plantings and are 
somewhat ill-formed but nevertheless 
thrifty may be used in mass with no 
detrimental effect. In the formation 
of shrubbery plantings, the same pro- 
cedure may be carried out, resulting 
in a considerable saving of money, 
the edges of the planting being fin- 
ished by smaller stock which can be 
purchased at a very reasonable figure. 
Oftentimes, too, the most common 
and inexpensive trees, shrubs and 
perennials produce the best effects 
when properly used. The tendency to 
plant out a large variety of material 
and to select high class expensive 
stock oftentimes mars the success of 
the work and results in unnecessary 
expense. 
M. H. West, 
Chicago. Landscape Architect. 
Watering and Care of Street Trees 
Editor Park and Cemetery ; 
Answering a recent inquiry in the 
“Asked and Answered” department 
concerning the watering of street trees. 
One of the most effective methods of 
retaining the vigor and growth of ave- 
nue and street trees in a city is, with- 
out doubt, by the frequent working of 
the surface soil during the dry hot 
weather of the summer months. 
While thorough watering is also ef- 
fective, superficial watering, like light 
sprinkling of lawns, frequently does 
more harm than good. 
Those conversant with the advan- 
tages of soil cultivation for producing 
continued moisture, I believe prefer 
this system wherever practicable. 
It is the basis of the dry farming of 
the great arid regions of the west 
and in British Columbia, now resulting 
in transforming barren lands into vast 
areas of great productiveness in ordi- 
nary seasons. 
The large and constantly growing 
use of the street trees through the ac- 
tivities of the shade tree commissions 
now operating under the shade tree 
commission laws of a number of the 
States, make this treatment of street 
trees a question of increasing impor- 
tance. 
New Jersey was the first state to en- 
act a shade tree commission law in 1893 
and in that comparatively small state 
alone there are thousands of street 
trees planted every season. 
Many cities in other states where a 
similar law has been enacted are also 
making rapid progress in beautifying 
the public streets. 
Any discussion of this subject that 
will call forth e.xpert experience in the 
matter of treatment of the trees should 
be of some benefit and of public in- 
terest. 
New York. 
F. W. Kelsey. 
