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Q Selected Notes and Extracts. §, 
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Landscape Gardening at the World’s Fair. 
In commenting upon the architectural 
and landscape gardening features of the 
World’s Fair, Professor Bailey recently 
brought out several points of general ap- 
plication. 
One of the most charming features of 
the White City was the idea of bringing 
in the blue waters of Lake M ichigan, thus 
giving the three elements of a picture as 
the landscape artist sees it; architecture, 
vegetation and a water view. And the 
gondolier, with his sable craft, gave to the 
new Venice something of that indescrib- 
able charm which clings to the old. It 
was a stroke of genius. 
The wooded island was the grandest 
conception of the whole. After the surfeit 
of sight-seeing, here was a bit of nature, 
quiet and restful as she always is, yet so 
simple. Not all the rare and curious 
things in the Japanese garden, nor the 
florist's cannas so conspicuously displayed 
to public view; nor the multitude of other 
interesting sights necessarily carrying with 
them an air of artificiality and constraint; 
not all these could draw people from this 
little bit of wild-wood. Americans are 
nature lovers. Though they may be led 
to adopt unnatural methods of home 
adornment out of misconception, yet are 
they quick to see the difference between 
their own and Nature's way, and to ap- 
preciate a skillful reproduction of the 
perfect pattern. Therein lies the secret 
of the landscape gardening art. 
Another happy combination was the 
skillful way in which Hie terrace was em- 
ployed to carry out the architectural 
design. Too often the terrace is but a 
bank of earth, surrounding a house like 
the outworks of a fortification, and having 
no special adaptation to or connection 
with the architectural features of the 
building. As used by Mr. Olmsted it 
became a part of the building, and 
greatly heightened the imposing appear- 
ance of the perspective. This was brought 
about by placing the terrace close ko the 
building, and connected with it by a 
narrow railing along the crest of the es- 
carpment. The terrace thus appears as 
the foundation, and cannot be separated 
from the architectural design. Similar 
effects may often be produced by planting 
a row of h»dge-plants along the crest, 
sufficiently dwarf as not to obscure the 
base of the building while yet connecting 
it with the terrace. No intermediate 
planting is desirable, except close to the 
building, near such alcoves or recesses as 
offer a favorable opportunity for mass 
effect. To place a flower bed between 
the railing and the building spoils the 
picture. We have now two objects, the 
terrace and the building, wheie before 
was only one. Let the green sward have 
full sway. It is better than a legion of 
cannas or geraniums for a place like this. 
But aside from these points of special 
interest, the nature-lover found many 
gems of landscape gardening art scattered 
judiciously through the White City. Mar- 
velous was the luxurious vegetation which 
two years had developed. Harmonious 
was the blending of colors with environ- 
ment. We do small justice to the mag- 
nitude of the undertaking till we catch a 
glimpse of the means and methods. How 
many thousand cars of prairie soil it took 
to build this garden one would not venture 
to assert. The swamps and glades were 
robbed of their choicest treasures. Tribute 
was laid the country over and was col- 
lected. From every section came some 
quota to swell the heterogeneous mass, 
which in the hands of the expert, resolved 
into most admirable disposition and 
adaptation. There were imperfections, 
it is true, but as a whole, it was a master- 
piece. 
Throughout the talk Prof. Bailey paid 
admiring tribute to the genius of Frederick 
L. Olmsted, w T hose keen foresight and 
sound judgment, resulted in this har- 
monious setting for the mighty structures. 
— S. IV. Fletcher, Ithaca, N. Y. 
* * * 
Shaded Highways. 
Trees add beauty and comfort to every 
country road. 
During these hot summer days is when 
the traveler on a dusty, treeless highway, 
sighs for some boundless contiguity of 
shade, or at least for good roads bordered 
by trees whose sheltering boughs would 
offer some protection against the rays of 
the celestial scorcher, the sun. 
Trees add more than beauty to a coun- 
try highway, although that feature alone 
should be sufficient incentive to insure 
their presence; but they are comforting, 
as well, and their shade helps to retain a 
degree of moisture that retards the making 
of dust. 
The usual highway should be made 
beautiful and comfortable as well. Every 
negligent highway commissioner should 
be compelled to ride a wheel along a 
sun-blistered road, or, better yet, be har- 
nessed to a load, as is the poor dumb 
horse. This would bring him to a realiza- 
tion of the fa'ct that a little shade along 
the road is a good and gracious thing. 
Make the highway beautiful. — Fred Law- 
rence in Rural Californian. 
* * * 
A correspondent in the New England 
Florist, from Chicopee, Mass., says: Many 
of the beautiful shade trees seem to be 
suffering, and some have already died 
from some cause. Many persons lay it to 
the gas, which they claim has escaped 
from the gas mams and poisoned the 
roots, while others think that it is due to 
the gypsy moth and the elm tree beetle. 
Although it is probable that in some cases 
the gas is responsible for some of the 
trees, in other places where there are 
no gas mains or pipes, trees are dying. 
Nearly all of the elm tiees have suffered 
from the elm tree beetle, and around the 
roots of the trees large piles of worms may 
be seen. In many cases tarred paper has 
been tacked around the trunk of the 
trees, but this seems to be of little value. 
It has been suggested by many of the 
prominent citizens of both villages, that 
the city take a hand in stopping the nui- 
sance and killing the bugs and beetles as 
other cities in this vicinity are doing. In 
Springfield the city has purchased a tree 
sprayer, and in this way the trees are 
being saved. If Chicopee should not 
wish to purchase one of these, it has been 
suggested that it rent one, or hire one by 
the day, with men who are experienced in 
the use of the machine. 
* * * 
Propagating Conifers. 
Of all ornamental trees and shrubs, 
possibly there are none easier to propa- 
gate from cuttings than most varieties of 
conifers. What I rind to be the best 
system of propagation, is to insert cut- 
tings (taken with a heel of the wood) in 
sand any time from the end of October 
to the first of January. They can be 
placed in a cool house or pit, and by the 
end of March they will be found to be 
calloused, and with a slight increase ot 
temperature they will soon throw ouf 
roots. They can be potted into two and 
three inch pots. Some lime in May they 
can be planted in nursery rows, in good 
garden soil, outside, and transplanted 
every year afterward until they attain the 
proper size for the object in view. — Robert 
Williamson, in The National Nursery- 
man. 
* * * 
The Crimson Rambler rose at Rea 
Brothers Norwood, Mass., had 235 
bunches, each bunch averaging 50 blooms, 
making a total of 1 1 ,750 blooms in the 
plant. 
* * * 
The trees in Somerville, Mass., are dy- 
ing from the effects of the arc lights, says 
the Somerville Journal, and it recom- 
mends putting a heavy and larger shade 
over the lights, so that the trees will have 
a chance to sleep. 
