PARK AND CEMETERY. 
153 
AND CONTRIBUTIONS 
J. J. LEVISON, Brooklyn, N.Y., Sec.-Treas. 
OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS 
H. S. RICHARDS, Chicago, President 
RECENT WORK IN ASSOCIATION 
(Continued J 
PARKS. 
The Forestry Department of this city is 
under the control of the Park Commis- 
sioners. 
During the past two years we have re- 
built a building for housing spraying ap- 
paratus, tools and supplies and the general 
work shop. This is on a part of the land 
devoted to the nursery, which was started 
two years ago with about six thousand 
trees, ranging from seedlings to trees ready 
for street purposes ; since which time we 
have increased the number to about thirty- 
seven thousand, which includes some con- 
ifers for park planting. The nursery has 
been a place of interest to many people and 
has already shown a net profit on the ex- 
penditure. I am in hopes to develop this 
feature of the work on a larger scale in the 
near future by growing shrubs and orna- 
mental evergreens as well. 
We have completed an inventory of the 
trees on the public streets on which side- 
walks have been constructed and have 
made an extensive card system for each 
tree. This includes 17,182 trees. This 
record gives the species of the tree, size of 
trunk, distance from nearest tree or inter- 
vening street, distance from curb line or 
line of property, condition of top, trunk 
and location, and each tree is numbered. 
This has already proven of great advan- 
tage in many ways. We have also made a 
thorough canvass of all these street trees, 
trimming out the dead and live wood, 
covering the cavities either with tin or ce- 
ment, bolting, chaining, etc. This has been 
done on 7,733 trees and will be continued 
until they are all finished. 
We are also investigating the condition 
of trees on all private property, sealing up 
every cavity in our fight against the gypsy 
moth invasion. 
This, beside our usual work in the care 
of guards and special work on the trees 
will give you a little idea of what the 
work consists of here. 
Harold J. Neale, 
Worcester, Mass. City Forester. 
In response to your request I am send- 
ing you a few clippings from the local 
press in regard to a new park that has re- 
cently been donated to the city. 
The parks of Houston have been under 
my direction for only one year but we 
have made many needed improvements in 
that time and at a much lower expendi- 
ture than for the previous year. 
A separate park report has never been 
printed but this year we hope to have one 
printed so that other cities may see what 
we are doing in Houston. 
Not including the new park Houston 
has sixteen parks, but only five are im- 
proved and ten unimproved. One other 
is now being improved. 
I will try and furnish you some infor- 
mation from time to time for our column 
in Park and Cemetery. 
C. L. Brock, 
Superintendent of Parks. 
Houston, Texas. 
Following is an account of the plans for 
developing the new park, given in the lo- 
cal press : 
“Within the large area of 285 acres there 
will be every feature that will characterize 
the park as a public institution for the 
good of all the people. The predominant 
theme will be playgrounds, plenty of room 
for everybody and cool and shady places 
for rest and recreation. Amusements for 
young and old will not be overlooked and 
they will be of great variety. 
“There will be baseball and football 
fields, tennis grounds, golf links, croquet 
grounds, bowling greens and an athletic 
field. Open air swimming pools will be 
constructed containing shower baths, dress- 
ing rooms and modern conveniences of all 
sorts. There 'will be a wading pool and 
general playgrounds for children of all 
sizes. Many other outdoor games will be 
provided for. Among the most beautiful 
features of the park are the large number 
of beautiful shade trees and the sinuous 
Brays bayou which winds through the heart 
of the property. This will be widened and 
worked into a beautiful waterway and will 
be utilized for the purpose of drainage, 
fishing and for canoeing and other aquatic 
sports. 
“All of these plans are now being elabo- 
rated by John W. Maxcy, to whom Mr. 
Hermann has outlined the general plan of 
development. The main entrance to the 
park will be on Main street, adjoining the 
grounc^ of the Rice Institute. This will 
be made into a beautiful boulevard, 248 
feet in width, to be known as George Her- 
mann parkway. It will be laid out accord- 
ing to present plans, with a central esplan- 
ade consisting of a series of separate plots, 
each one following a distinct idea in de- 
velopment. These central plots will con- 
tain winding walks of shell with aisles of 
shade trees, flowers and shrubbery. 
“This entrance will be accessible by au- 
tomobiles and carriages from Main street. 
It will present an imposing aspect to ap- 
proaching visitors to the park for an orna- 
mental gateway will be constructed. In its 
center will be a monument, probably of 
bronze, which everyone will recognize as 
a reproduction of the generous spirited and 
liberal minded donor, George H. Her- 
mann. 
“By far the majority of visitors to the 
park will enter from the car line, one block 
to the west of Main street, and here an- 
other ornamental entrance way will be 
constructed. This entrance way will lead 
into the park proper. Branching out from 
the entrance way in several directions will 
be winding boulevards, dividing the park 
into sections and opening up a continuous 
change of beautiful vistas. Footpaths run- 
ning at random, on either side of which 
will be constructed attractive gardens will 
be laid out for the pedestrians. Among 
other features will be a nut grove. 
“Besides this main entrance there will be 
other entrances to the park, which have 
not yet been definitely decided upon. One 
of these, however, will be a continuation 
of Montrose boulevard, running southerly 
and opening into the park and the Rice In- 
stitute grounds. These are only a few of 
the ideas that have been outlined and 
which John Maxcy is in the process of de- 
veloping in conformity with the wishes 
of Mr. Hermann. 
“Adjoining the park property at the 
northwest corner is a 10-acre tract of land. 
This is the site of the proposed hospital, 
for which purpose Mr. Hermann has set 
it aside just as he is now giving to the 
city of Houston the beautiful park prop- 
erty. This is another feature which has 
been near to the heart of Mr. Hermann, 
but which from his modest nature he is 
unwilling to discuss just at present, other 
than that the city shall have it.’’ 
* * * 
My work in Columbia is the develop- 
ment of the grounds of the State Univer- 
sity in conjunction with the maintenance 
of other present properties. 
Recently, this institution has begun a 
rapid expansion, having acquired new city 
properties and erected extensive buildings. 
We are developing in quadrangular sys- 
tem the old campus comprising the old 
Academic and Engineering quadrangles 
and we have just begun a new Science 
quadrangle on which five $100,000 build- 
ings have been built. It is our plan next 
to build a new Agriculture quadrangle 
and one for the departments of Education 
and Domestic Science. Our Medical De- 
partments will be largely extended. 
