PARK AND CEMETERY. 
262 
OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS 
JAMES B. SHEA, Boston, Mass., President 
HP 
AND CONTRIBUTIONS 
J. J. LEVISON, Brooklyn, N.Y., Sec.-Treas. 
THE ASSOCIATION QUESTION BOX 
Eradicating Forest Tent Caterpillar. 
“During the last season we had a plague 
of caterpillars infesting our trees and they 
deposited their eggs around the branches, 
covered with a blackish gelatinous sub- 
stance. I suppose it is the brown-tail 
moth.” 
Answered by J. J. Levison, secretary : 
“An examination of the specimen illus- 
trated shows it to be the egg mass of the 
forest tent caterpillar, an insect which has 
EGG MASS OF FOREST TENT CATER- 
PILLAR ON A TWIG. 
been somewhat more numerous than usual 
during the last two or three years. On 
small trees, probably the most satisfactory 
method would be to cut the twigs bearing 
the egg masses and burn them or possibly 
remove them by hand. Should there be 
numerous egg masses, and especially if the 
trees are large, there is nothing better than 
an early and thorough spraying with ar- 
senate of lead, using at least two pounds 
to fifty gallons of water, and make the ap- 
plication as soon as the caterpillars begin 
work, which is about as early as the leaves 
begin to appear in the spring.” 
Concessions in Parks. 
Can the association members (particu- 
larv those in cities of less than 100,000 in- 
habitants) furnish me with information on 
the method of conducting refreshment con- 
cessions ? 
Our system, which dates back for a num- 
ber of years and which is in operation in 
our two largest parks, is as follows : 
The concessionaire acts as custodian of our build- 
ing, which comprises large dance hall, dining 
rooms, public toilet rooms, rest rooms, etc. The 
board furnishes electric light, water, coal, brooms, 
floor wax, and living rooms free, pays a “music 
fee’’ of $2.50 for every dance held (this is sup- 
posed to be in payment for the use of the conces- 
sionaire’s piano), and .$20 per month for janitor 
service, etc. 
In return, the board issues all permits for 
dances and collects for them (average .$10 per 
dance), and requires the building to be open from 
7 a. m. to 11 p. m. daily, and that the custodian 
be prepared to serve light refreshments during 
those hours. 
The point of the query is this : During 
the beginnings' of our park system the 
parks were isolated and there was a neces- 
sity for offering inducements to secure a 
competent custodian. The parks have 
gained in popularity, the city has grown, 
and the park pavilions show a tendency to 
develop into country clubs instead of re- 
freshment pavilions. The net operating 
loss to our board nearly equals the receipts, 
and, in my judgment, the use of the build- 
ings as public rest rooms, comfort stations, 
etc., is not greatly increased. 
The loss in money is not the matter 
which worries us. We expect to pay out 
money for the public good. Are we doing 
h, is the problem. 
Would like to hear from others on their 
systems and experience. 
J. F. Macpherson, 
General Superintendent, 
Pleasure Driveway and Park District. 
Springfield, 111. 
Replying to the question relative to 
granting of privileges by park departments, 
I beg to submit the following answer to be 
published in Park and Cemetery : 
The privileges in the Park Department, 
Brooklyn, are advertised for ten days in the 
City Record and awarded to the highest 
bidder, generally for a term of four years. 
These priviliges consist of boating, skating, 
purveying, operation of carousel and goat 
carriages and operation of swan boats. The 
Department of Parks furnishes light, heat 
and all necessary repairs to buildings. The 
purveyor agrees to keep buildings' in a 
clean, healthy and attractive condition and 
defrays all the expenses of so maintaining 
the same. In addition the purveyor fur- 
nishes a surety bond to indemnify the city 
against all loss resulting from any acci- 
dents which may happen on the premises. 
The advertising of these privileges does 
away with favoritism in giving out these 
concessions and the city not only secures a 
greater amount of revenue, but also secures 
responsible purveyors. Very truly yours, 
Leo Umanoff, 
Chief Clerk, Park Department. 
Brooklyn, N. Y. 
Antiseptic Dressing For Tree Wounds. 
“What is a good waterproof and antisep- 
tic dressing for wounds on trees where 
Ladies and Gentlemen: To discuss 
fully the question which your president 
has propounded would take more time 
than this association could give to it. I 
started to prepare a statement which 
branches have been cut off or decayed cav- 
ities cleaned out? To what extent is it 
practical to practice tree surgery on park 
and street trees?” 
Answer by J. J. Levison, secretary : “Coal 
tar is the best dressing for wounds. In 
park and street tree work, tree surgery 
should only be applied to trees of hardy 
species and such as are in good enough 
condition to justify such expensive treat- 
ment. For trees of poor species or so dis- 
eased that the saving of the tree is prob- 
lematical, the axe is the most practical 
treatment.” 
Park Draftsman Wanted. 
We are looking for a first-class park 
draftsman, one familiar with landscape 
architecture and gardening; necessarily he 
must be more or less familiar with en- 
gineering drawings, as well as those of the 
architect of buildings. We should be more 
than indebted if .you could put us in touch 
with someone you could thoroughly recom- 
mend as head draftsman for our general 
park system. We believe there is a splen- 
did opening for the right man, as our city 
is fast developing its 2,000 acres- of parks. 
Wm. Hodgkinson, 
Secy. Board of Park Commissioners. 
Cincinnati, O. 
Answers to the following questions are 
invited from our members: 
Excess Condemnation Law. 
I want to get a copy of a bill from, some 
state where they have the Excess Con- 
demnation Law. If you have none, please 
let me know where I could get one. I un- 
derstand several states have such a law, 
and I hope you can supply me or inform 
me where I can get it. L. H. Ellis, 
Park Engineer. 
Kansas City, Kan. 
Power Lawn Mowers. 
“I am investigating the matter of power 
lawn mowers and would like to know 
which make of machine is the best? Cost 
of operation? Advantage over horse ma- 
chines?” — E. L. H. 
would give it in detail and show it in all 
its bearings, but I found that it was tak- 
ing some fifty or sixty pages of matter, 
that the contents were a good deal like a 
book of mathematics to be demonstrated, 
MAKING THE PARKS SELF-SUPPORTING 
Address delivered before the Eighth Annual Convention of the American 
Civic Association, Baltimore, November 19 - 21 , 1912 , by George A. Parker, 
Superintendent of Parks, Hartford, Conn. 
