PARK AND CEMEl^RY. 
1 16 
would prove very attractive. Its fragrance, glauca 
leaves and silvery fruit, cannot fail to draw atten- 
tion. 
A few vrere planted in the west years ago, and 
then people waited to see what it would do, and 
now it is being pushed forward and ever after it 
must hold a prominent place. Among deciduous 
trees, it is what the silver spruce and fir are among 
the evergreens. C. S. Harrison. 
OUT-DOOR ART IN SCHOOL AND COLLEGE 
GROUNDS.* 
Prof. Beal opened his paper with a sketch of the 
condition of affairs pertaining to the subject as related 
to the State Agricultural College, Lansing, Mich., for 
the past fifteen years; or more properly speaking since 
any attention was given to such work as a duty of the 
institution. Prof. Beal then continues: 
“With this example fresh in mind, I am firmly im- 
pressed with the idea that for lack of stability in man- 
agement and in money very much cannot be expected 
of a college campus, as a model. It would be well in 
most cases, after adopting a good plan if two or more 
members of some firm of experience could at least be 
employed to advise the man im charge, in case changes 
of much importance were contemplated. 
In these days colleges and universities grow so rap- 
idly, that with few exceptions, no one can be relied on 
to predict what changes will be imperative during the 
next decade — to say nothing of later periods. More land 
will be added, buildings are to be enlarged, and many 
new ones erected, involving numercms changes in drives 
and paths, removal of choice trees and planting others. 
In too many cases, a college president or some mem- 
ber of the trustees who delights to be called ‘a practi- 
cal man,’ has some plans to be 'arried out. Many a 
Yankee thinks he can do well anything he undertakes, 
because he has been successful in securing some high 
position and in accumulating some money. 
At a large and well-known university in a distant 
state there never was any attention given to graceful 
curves for beauty, but everything went in straight lines 
and straight rows and by couples. In time, the trees be- 
came much crowded and in places began to tower up 
forest like. What was to be done, remove a portion of 
them and let the rest spread themselves, instead of grow- 
ing tall and slim? Oh no! One of the practical men 
among the trustees knew a thing or two on this subject 
and finally he was permitted and encouraged by the 
others to have the ends of the branches of many trees 
all cut severely back, remarking that they will look 
bad for a while, but in time they will be delightful to 
behold. The stubs called forth the animadversions of 
saint and sinner, scholar and day laborer alike for a 
few years till they became accustomed to the change, 
and nature had enobled the trees to make some amends. 
The results you all can see in your minds’ eye. The 
graceful elms, the stately ash, the ovoid maple, the 
*Extracts from a paper read at the Detroit Convention of the Ameri- 
can Park and Out-door Art Association. By Prof. W. J, Beal, Lansing, 
Mich. 
open-topped birch, the sturdy oak the conical evergreens 
were all reduced, as in a vise to the same rounded 
form.” 
After further touching upon the methods in vogue 
at the Agricultural College, the writer continued : 
“The college campus consists of a number of acres of 
gently rolling land, where portions of the virgin forest 
were preserved, and numerous other sorts planted. 
Trees are now thick enough and large enough for illus- 
trations. 
Besides the students, great numbers of visitors see 
this campus each year, and there is no question that 
with alt its imperfections, this natural and artificial 
mixture of trees and shrubs is exerting considerable in- 
fluence for good on most who see it. I enumerate some 
of the evidences: If records had been kept, many pages 
of favorable remarks by visitors and students could be 
given. The university of Michigan had given little 
attention to planting. Within a few years two of the 
professors of botany have each visited the college twice 
for the purpose of taking notes regarding the botanic 
garden. They saw the advantage of a garden for sys- 
tematic botany and for pharmacy. By these visits they 
caught some inspiration and made a beginning on their 
home campus, the Agricultural College donating several 
hundred sorts of plants. 
A professor of one of the State Normal Schools also 
looked the ground over, and was pleased — especially 
pleased with clean labeled patches of over one-hundred 
kinds of weeds. He exclaimed, “How instructive! We 
must have something o^ this sort.” I sent the Normal 
school some stock gratis. Later, they admitted they 
yet have much to learn, but are going to try harder than 
ever to keep a good supply. 
Late last autumn another Normal School whose 
president was a former pupil of mine, wished to have a 
level piece of five acres of virgin forest looked over and 
prescription made for its care before it was spoiled. 
This was done and accepted in good faith, though it 
conflicted with their views which was to clean out all 
shrubbery, trim up the trees, get grsss in and make it 
park-like. 
This summer, I chanced to meet in our garden, the 
superintendent of schools of Owosso. He wanted a few 
hints on making selections and grouping bedding plants 
or their school yards consisting of four or five acres. 
A long conversation ensued. “Your bedding plants I 
suppose you want mainly for pupils to see?” “Yes,” I 
continued, “Such plants are nice in suitable places, if 
well arranged, but they are costly. They are worth see- 
ing for about three months of the year, and that comes 
during your long vacation. For the rest of the year you 
have bare spots of ground and the next spring, alt must 
be done over again. Why not make free use of shrub- 
bery, taking especial pains to introduce all natives to 
the state that promise well? Add a few trees in variety 
and some perennials, especially those that are of good 
size, hardy and worthy of study.” 
The superintendent acquiesced in the suggestions 
made and wanted me to visit the school grounds and 
help him. 
