PARK AND CEMETERY. 
it3 
PUBLIC VALUE OF A BOTANIC GARUEN. 
A visitor appeared among the shrubs in the 
Arnold Arboretum a recent local holiday, to im- 
prove the opportunity, he said, to study the plants. 
He had a home in an ouilying suburb wliich he 
was improving, and he took much pleasure in 
studying the shrubs and their fitness for his place. 
Botanical sequence he neither knew nothing of nor 
cared for, but the appearance of the shrubs as they 
are, he very much enjoyed. He made it a practice 
to come here two or three times a year to see what 
plants there might be and what were profitable for 
his use. The unusual beauty of Boston suburbs as 
compared with those of other cities he ascribed to 
the personal interest which many householders feel 
in their plants and their anxiety to know them 
themselves. 
Could anything more eloquent be said as to the 
utility to the pubfic of a botanic garden where or- 
namental trees and shrubs are to be found. This 
man’s case is by no means unusual, and many will 
be seen doing the same as he, an illustration of the 
way in which any improvement in general surround- 
ings is brought about. It is the personal know- 
ledge and interest of everyone, not the favored few 
that accomplishes it, where everyone lends a hand 
and takes a personal pride in his home and street. 
Such a state of things, however, is not brought 
about without an inspiration. A city in a beauti- 
ful region, becomes in time beautiful. In an ugly 
region, unless there is some saving grace, it re- 
mains ugly. Nursery localities are famous for their 
neat yards and well cared for shrubs. A beautiful 
park gives a tone to the whole vicinity. The eyes 
are the only means of gathering knowledge and na- 
ture or art must give the required inspiration. In 
Boston where suburban beauty has reached so high 
a plane, the surrounding country is most attractive, 
the people natural botanists, and the means provided 
by art for acquaintance with plants unusual. 
Perhaps of all artificial sources of information, 
the botanic garden is most useful. This need not 
be so highly developed as the Arnold Arboretum 
where the public may stay a day, or the student 
for years where trees and shrubs from all over the 
world are tested and studied, acclimatized if possi- 
ble and given over for distt ibution, and which is 
the centre of both science and art in woody plants. 
The best example of what may be done is the col- 
lection of ornamental shrubs which the devotion of 
Mr. John Dunbar has given to Rocliester in High- 
land Park. Here are most of the shrubs useful to 
cultivation in that region, arranged with some idea 
of botanical sequence, but with the more important 
thought of making the place attractive and to show 
the capacity of the plant for beauty in its proper 
place. The expense has not been great, the ground 
occupied has not been large and every inch is still 
of as much value as a pleasure ground. I have 
heard the trained gardener sigh for such a place in 
which to study. If he requires it, certainly the 
masses do, and they show their appreciation. Every 
large town might have such a collection in some 
form from which it would hardly be a loser. 
A. Phelps Wyman. 
TREE PLANTING IN SEPTEMBER. 
With the approach of September the foliage of 
trees has so far accomplished its work that the loss 
of it at that time has been found to be of no serious 
loss to a tree. Taking advantage of this knowledge 
planters at the present time often start extensive 
work in the early days of September. They have 
two reasons for this, one is that it expedites work, 
the other, that trees so planted invariably live, 
which is not the case with those set at other times. 
There are some who prefer to wait a while before 
planting deciduous trees, but even these persons 
believe in the planting of evergreens. Indeed the 
close of Augiust, should it be a fairly wet time, is 
thought to be a favorable time for evergreen plant- 
ing. Had I a lot of both kinds to plant I would 
start evergreens in August, looking to the taking in 
hand of the deciduous stock later in September. 
By the close of July evergreens have completed 
their growth, and to be successful in their removal 
requires but the preservation of as much root as 
possible and the giving of them an abundance of 
water. It is almost impossible to foretell weather, 
other-wise if a cool, wet time in summer could be 
selected it doubly ensures the work. When an 
evergreen is set in its new position it should receive 
a deluge of water, first half filling the hole with 
soil. This almost liquifies the soil carrying it in 
and around all the roots, the weight of water set- 
ting it heavily about the roots so that when the 
water soaks away the whole ball is compact. It is 
this compact settling which is essential to the well 
doing of transplanted trees. There must be enough 
fine soil for the water to carry it ryider and around 
the roots. What a great compacter of soil lots of 
water is, is well illustrated by laboring men on city 
streets. Often it is necessary to dig a trench to lay 
gas or water pipe and after the pipe is laid the soil 
has to be all replaced in the trench. Watch the 
laborers pour water on the mass as it is thrown in! 
They will pour enough that the whole mass is as 
solid as before they dug it out, and pavements are 
relaid on the top with no danger of sinkage. Take 
a ball with the tree if possible, water it well, and 
almost at once it will make new roots and re-estab- 
lish itself. 
