PARK AND CC/ACTCRY 
565 
PARK NOTES. 
The yearly cost of maintaining the parks under the control 
of the London County Council is nearly $500,000. 
* * » 
Another national park, ten miles square, has been purchas- 
ed under treaty with the Shoshone and Arapahoe Indians, from 
their reservation in Wyoming. The tract is located on the head 
waters of the Big Horn river in the Owl mountains. It is a 
rough but picturesque region and contains a famous hot spring. 
The Indians are to be paid $60,000 in five annual installments. 
* * » 
It is quite possible to arrange flowers in a garden so that a 
clock is unnecessary in order to tell the time. In the days of 
Pliny, forty six flowers were known to open and shut at certain 
hours of the day and this number has been increased since then. 
I'or instance, dandelions open promptly, often to the minute, at 
5:30 in the morning and close at 8:30 at night. The common 
hawkweed opens at 8 in the morning and may be depended on 
to shut at a few minutes to 2. The yellow goats-beard shuts 
precisely at noon, sidereal time. The white lily opens at 7 a. m. 
and closes at 5 p. m. 
The formal gardening so much in vogue in the principal 
Chicago parks is in large measure to give way this season to the 
natural idea. Visitors to the park flower gardens this year will 
lo)k in vain for the “Gates Ajar,” the “Liberty Bell,” the 
“Canoe” and other such evidences of mechanical gardening, and 
in their place will find masses of flowering and foliage plants 
arrayed to harmonize and display their characteristic features 
and beauty. To numbers of people formal gardening has its 
fascination, but gardening arrayed on the lines of nature’s wond- 
rous methods has a permanent value, improving with time. 
* ■» * 
It is gratifying to note that the subject of forestry is rapidly 
attracting the attention it demands and which is accorded to it 
by other civilized nations. It is considered a most important part 
of the course of study at the schools of agriculture, St. Anthony 
Park, Minnesota, under Prof. S. B. Green. Its study familiarizes 
the students with the habits and value of our common native 
trees as well as those introduced for special economic reasons. 
The characteristics of the trees are studied, their adaptability to 
circumstances and locations, their habits of growth, hardiness, 
and value for specific purposes and the methods of distinguish- 
ing and propagating them. These and other considerations per- 
taining to the conditions and requirements of various locations, 
are investigated, as well as keeping up the supply for useful purpos- 
es. The students are required to study the trees themselves in the 
nursery, the forest plantation and on the grounds of the experi- 
ment station, and also to make several excursions to nurseries and 
plantings in the vicinity of the school. 
* » * 
The government reservations of public lands as public parks 
already comprise a large acreage, but as the result of such 
reservations are obviously for good and have been generally ap- 
proved, the government should go further and properly police, 
protect and where beneficial, improve them. The large areas so 
far established with the acreage are as follows: In Wyoming: 
Yellowstone I’ark Reservation, 1,239,400 acres. In Colorado: 
White River Plateau Reservation, i ,198,080 acres; Plum Creek 
Timber Reservation, 179,200 acres; Pike’s Peak Timber Reser- 
vation, 184.320 acres; South Platte Forest Reservation, 683,520 
acres; Battlement Mesa Reservation, 858,240 acres. In New 
Mexico: Pecos River Forest Reservation, 31 1,040 acres. In Ore- 
gon: Bull Run Timber Reservation, 142,080. In Alaska: Afognak 
Forest and Fish Reserve. In California: San Gabriel Timber 
Reserve, 555)520' acres; Sierra Forest Reserve, 4,096,000 acres; 
San Bernardino Forest Reservation, 737,280 acres; Trabuco 
Canyon Forest Reservation, 49,920 acres. In Arizona: Grand 
Canyon Forest Reserve, 1,851,520 acres. In Washington: Pacific 
Forest Reserve, 967,680 acres. Oregon: Cascade Range Reserve, 
4,492,800 acres; Ashland Forest Reserve, 343,073 acres. 
* » * 
Quincy, 111 . , is just waking up to the importance of a well 
planned park system; but it has taken some ten years to get the 
system fairly inaugurated. Mr. E. J. Parker, president of the 
Quincy Boulevard and Park Association has just presented his 
report to the annual meeting; According to this document the 
city has done comparatively little towards the developement of 
its 70 acres of park proper, and the work accomplished has been 
mainly that of the association above named, a fact highly credit- 
able to the forethought and public spirit of certain of its citizens. 
The area of its parks, including the public squares is 70.06, acres; 
the amount due on deferred payments and expended by the as- 
sociation is in all $50,017.50. The total receipts by the associat- 
ion from all sources is $16,517.92, of which the town of Quincy 
takes credit for $9,824,09. The only special tax for park was 
a one mill tax amounting to $4,888 80. For a town of 40,000 
inhabitants this is not a liberal showing as far as the city is con- 
cerned. borne very valuable suggestions are made in Mr. Par- 
ker’s report which it would be well for his fellow citizens to 
entertain. 
* * * 
The State Board of Forestry Commissioners of New Hamp- 
shire, have begun the actual work of preserving the forests of the 
White Mountain region for the use of the public as a forest pre- 
serve in the ownership and under the care of the state. The law 
under which the commission acts is under section 4 of the Forest- 
ry law of 1893, which provided that “whenever any person shall 
supply the necessary funds therefore, so that no cost or expense 
shall accrue to the state, the Forestery Commission is authorized 
to buy any tract of land and devote the same to the purpose of 
a public park.” If they cannot come to an agreement on price 
with the owners, the land can be condemned under the law of 
eminent domain. The persons furnishing the money to buy 
such lands may lay out roads and paths, and otherwise improve 
it under the directions of the Forestry Commission, but it shall 
be at all times open to public use. The work will begin in the 
very heart of the White Mountains and be extended to other 
points as fast as practicable. Several large contributions have 
been received, but the general cooperation of the public is desir- 
ed and no contributions need be with held. 
* -X « 
Omaha is enjoying some litigation over Prospect Hill Cem- 
etery. This, the old cemetery of Omaha, situated about two 
miles from the post office, contains some 16 acres and occu- 
pies a beautiful hill overlooking the town and the Missouri river. 
It was owned by Byron Reed who also owned the adjoining 
property on three sides. In 1885 the city had surrounded, the 
tract and gone two miles beyond. At this time Mr. Reed con- 
cluded that it would have to be removed, and together with other 
business men incorporated the Forest Lawn Cemetery Associat- 
ion, purchasing a large acreage adjoining the city limits, and 
deeded all his interest in Prospect Hill Cemetery to this associat- 
ion, conditional upon its use for one year until the new tract was 
ready. What there was left vacant of Prospect Hill was to go 
to the city of Omaha, for park purposes, he intending to turn the 
whole place into a park eventually. But Byron Reed died and 
the Prospect Hill lot owners formed an association to continue 
the cemetery and extend it for revenue. The adjacent property 
owners objected and have succeeded in securing an injunction 
which has been sustained in both the County and District Courts. 
