PARK AND CEMETERY, 
199 
THE PARK SYSTEM OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND. 
By the courtesy of the parks committee of the 
city of Manchester, England, through its general 
superintendent Mr. R. Lamb, we are enabled to 
present to our readers the following interesting de- 
tails and illustrations of the parks of Manchester, a 
city of over half a million inhabitants, and known 
throughout the world by its vast commercial and 
manufacturing enterprises. 
The methods of control and management are 
worthy of study, in view of the possibilities of 
thereby secur- 
ing efficient ser- 
vice, honest ad- 
minis t r a t i o n, 
and proper care 
of the park 
properties for 
the public bene- 
fit. 
. The park 
and recreation 
grounds of the 
city are under 
the control of 
the City Coun- 
cil, and their 
management is 
deputed to a 
committee o f 
about twenty- 
four members, 
consisting o f 
Aldermen and 
Councillors 
called the parks 
and cemeteries 
committee, 
which meet 
once in every 
two weeks for 
the purpose of 
transacting the 
general b u s i - 
ness of the 
parks and cem- 
eteries. In or- 
der to better 
facilitate the control and administration of the 
parks, the general committee is divided into thir- 
teen or fourteen sub-committees of from eight to 
ten members, each sub committee being allocated 
to one park. The sub-committees meet once a 
month for the transa .tion of business in connection 
w'ith their respective parks, and in due course re- 
port to the general committee for its approval or 
otherwise. 
The recreation grounds are managed by two 
sub-committees, the city being divided into two di- 
visions, north and south, and the committees report 
the result of their deliberations to the general com- 
mittee as in the case of the parks sub-committees. 
The parks committee employs about 250 men 
on revenue and capital accounts, over w'hich is 
placed a general superintendent who is responsible 
to the committee for the efficiency, condition and 
good government of the parks department. 
As regards the disposition of the men: At each 
park a staff of 
men is appoint- 
e d in accor- 
dance with the 
extent and 
character of the 
park, and over 
these a resident 
head gardener 
i s appointed 
who is responsi- 
ble to the gen- 
eral superinten- 
dent for the or- 
der and condi- 
tion of the park 
under his 
charge. 
A c h a r ac- 
teristic illustra- 
tion of each of 
the four follow- 
ing parks is 
given: 
Queens park 
is 30 acres in 
extent, and its 
character is al- 
most wholly or- 
n a m e n t a 1 . 
There are three 
small grass 
plots reserved 
for children as 
a playground, 
and the remain- 
ing portion of 
the park is devoted to flower garden, grass lawns, 
ornamental shrubberies, w'oodland and w’ater, a 
considerable portion being taken up with the mu- 
seum and picture gallery. There are also gymnasia 
fitted up for males and females respectively. Pro- 
vision is also made for bowling. Something like 
100,000 flowering plants are planted out in the 
flower beds every spring, and the whole area is 
well laid out with asphalt walks. No provision is 
THE M.\NCHESTER parks, ENGLAND. BOC.CART HOLE CLOUGH. — 
VIEW IN OLIVER CLOUGH. 
