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PARK AND CEMETERY. 
would be something of what the word parks means. 
A park is a plot of ground, separated from other 
grounds, and all other puposes, except to preserve, de- 
velope and exhibit natural scenery so that such beautiful 
scenes may give rest and strength, peace and pleasure, 
to all who may come to it. I would use the same class- 
ification for parks as is used for the beautiful. The 
Grand, the Beautiful, and the Picturesque, each having 
an active and passive form and sub-divided. Most sea- 
side and mountain parks belong to the grand, made so 
by their elevation and proximity to the ocean. Nearly 
all inland parks belong to the Beautiful; do not know of 
a purely picturesque park, and I doubt if one would be 
desirable even if possible, for the very nature of the 
picturesque, sparkling, sprightliness, is such that while 
every park should possess it in some degree, yet to have 
a park entirely so is of doubtful desirability. 
And for my own use, I have divided public grounds 
outside of parks, into parkings, playgrounds, ornamental 
grounds and so on, and this method of classification 
however rude it may be, is of great help in my work. 
That there can be terms and definitions much clearer, 
more definite and comprehensive than what are now 
used I believe all will agree, and that such terms would 
make park reports, park work and park progress much 
more satisfactory I am sure. Such words and terms can- 
not be forged at will, they must grow. Their growth 
should be watched by some one who will give guidance 
and record them as found, and if you agree with me in 
this, I would suggest that a Committee be appointed to 
watch out for the appearance of words and terms which 
seem to them desirable, and to present them for consid- 
eration at our annual meeting, and submit them to be 
published in the annual report. 
It would take too much time to say all I would in 
regard to park Accounts, certainly it is that Park 
Boards differ widely in their method of keeping them, 
and render them of but little importance when used for 
comparison. When the United States Railroad Com- 
missioners came into existence, they found the different 
railroads keeping accounts so as to make them of but 
little value for tabulating. They had only the power to 
suggest a common method of keeping accounts, and 
which has been adopted. I believe if this society would 
present a form of accounts applicable to park work, 
it would be generally adopted, and I would suggest this 
matter also be left to a Committee, and if you will allow 
me one more suggestion, it would be that a statistician be 
appointed whose duty would be to prepare a table each 
year to be published in the annual report of the progress 
of park work for the year. I believe every one of us 
would find such a table of great value. 
The south of France is the flower garden of Europe. 
Flower farming is extensive in the Var Valley, and covers 
about 115,000 English acres, over 3,000 tons of flowers 
annually. I.avender is an English production, and is 
cultivated about Hertford, Surrey and several other dis- 
tricts. Its name, “lavandula,” from “lavare,” to wash, 
indicates its use, which was perfuming the baths of 
wealthy people. 
The Toad. 
Great and beneficial results are often accomp- 
lished through very humble agencies. Darwin 
established the claim of the earthworm to the 
gratitude of the tiller of the soil, and modern science 
is revealing thousands of hitherto unseen and un- 
known agencies working in the interests of man. 
Science now establishes what a few have long 
maintained, namely, that the almost universally’’ 
despised toad is a faithful and efficient servant of 
the farmer. 
From the earliest times, the toad has been 
associated in the popular mind with a host of vague 
and ludicrous fancies as to its venomous qualities, 
its medical virtues, or, most commonly, the hidden 
toadstone of priceless value. To these venerable 
creations of the imagination hav'e been added others 
equally absured, such as that touching toads will 
produce warts on the hands; that killing toads will 
produce bloody milk in cows; that a toad’s breath 
will cause convulsions in children; that a toad in an 
open well will insure an unfailing supply of water, 
or in a cellar will bring prosperity to the household, 
etc. 
The Massachusetts Hatch Station which has 
conducted an investigation of the habits and food 
of the American toad announces that a careful 
examination of the stomachs of a large number of 
toads showed that 98 per cent, of its food was 
animal matter, worms, insects, etc. “Eleven per 
cent, of the toad’s food is composed of insects and 
spiders beneficial or indirectly helpful to man; 80 
per cent, of insects and other animals directly 
injurious to cultivated crops in other ways 
obnoxious to man.” Properly speaking, the toad 
is a nocturnal animal, feeding as a rule continuously 
throughout the night. It eats only livings and mov- 
ing insects, caterpillars, etc. 
It is estimated that a single toad destroys in a 
year insects and grubs which, had they lived, 
might have damaged crops to the extent of about 
$20, and earning capacity of 10 per cent, per annum 
on $200. The greatest common enemy of the toad 
is the unbiquitous small boy. Seventeen toads 
dead and more or less mutilated were once ob- 
served at Malden, Mass., lying on the shores of a 
pool. This was the result of a couple of hours’ 
amusement on the part of two juveniles. Such 
boys should be — no, not killed — taken in hand by 
their parents or guardians and made to realize 
that in destroying toads they are destroying 
valuable property. The toad is a humble servant 
of man and is also a faithful friend, presenting a 
record which will compare favorably with that of 
almost any insectivorous bird . — California Fruit 
Grower. 
