140 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
HORTICULTURAL HALL, PHILADELPHIA. 
Horticultural Hall, Philadelphia, is one of the 
few buildings left standing at the close of the 
Centennial Plxposition in 1876. Standing as it 
does on an eminence overlooking a long stretch of 
the Schuylkill river, of easy access from the built 
up portion of the city and containing under its 
VIEW IN INTERIOR OF HORTICULTURAL HALL, 
FAIRMOUNT LARK, PHILADELRHIA. 
spacious roof some exceedingly fine tropical plants, 
it is a favorite place in the winter season for those 
who delight to be among green trees and shrubs- 
I say trees, for there are veritable trees within its 
enclosure, seaforthias, araucarias, arundos, cam- 
phor tree, cupressus and others are over fifty feet 
in height. These are giants for indoor growth, and 
intermingled with these specimens, are those of 
lesser growth, from tall shrubs to dwarfs of but a 
foot or so in height. 
There are wings on each side of the building, 
reached by avenues, as shown in the illustrations. 
Tlien at about twenty feet from the ground is a 
gallery running entirely around the building, reach- 
ed by a stairway at each end, the steps leading to 
it at one end sliovvdng in one of the pictures. The 
wings are used for different purposes. The one on 
t'-ie eastern side is devoted to ferns, chiefly; the one 
on the western, to economic plants, while that at 
the southern end is for the display of plants in 
flower. Special shows are held there in the spring. 
Azaleas', acacias, Indian rhododendron and other 
spring fl nvering plants are there. In late fall, 
clirysanthemums are the great feature, and that 
show more than any other seems to have the 
support of the public. 
There are other houses detached from the build- 
ing as well as many ranges of frames, mainly used 
for the productio.i of budding plants for use in the 
sum.ner display surrounding the hall, illustrations 
of which have been given in previous issues. This 
display is a wonderful attraction to the public, 
almost from the time of planting till frost comes. 
There is a general desire for more of this style of 
display in other parts of the park, but the officials 
say care of the thousand and more acres of the park 
make such a hole in the appropriations that the 
means for artificial gardening are not at hand. 
Well, the park as it is, is a great boon to the 
people. It is easily reached from the centre of the 
city, and to every one who goes there to see the 
flower gardening, there is a dozen go to wander 
under the shade of the fine old trees and sit under 
their stretching branches. And it is these people 
who should be first considered. They are nearly 
altogether working people or their families, through 
the week day it is the wife and children of some 
hard working man. On Sunday the husband him- 
self is along, and how infinitely better it is for all 
to be there than to be panting for fresh air in the 
confines of the city! 
Fairmount Park is eminently a peoples Park. 
There is abundance of room and shade, and thous- 
ANoTHER VIEW IN HORTICULTURAL HALL, 
FAIRMOUNT PARK, PHILADELPHIA. 
ands on thousands of folks find room for themselves 
within its leafy bounds Its boundary starts on the 
Wissahickon creek, at the northern boundary of the 
city, and extends through hill and dale to Fairmount 
Water Works on the Schuylkill, at the Green street 
entrance, besides this immense park, Philadelphia 
has numerous small ones within its built up portion. 
Joseph Meehan. 
