252 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
There is considerable lake area and a brook mean- 
dering through the valleys, crossed by foot and 
road bridges, adds much of interest to the grounds. 
Park .iccessories are provided, including boating, and 
a casino and other buildings contribute to thepublic 
comfort. 
The most remarkable feature connected with 
the Mansfield park system is its cost and the meth- 
ods adopted to secure the means for completing the 
project. Compared with the expenditures of larger 
cities the cost appears absolutely insignificant. 
The amount expended by the commissioners 
from the date of their organization April 30, 1887, 
until the end of 1898 is $35,998.88. From 1887 
to 1889 the city’s finances were in such condition 
that while possessing the lands, there was nothing 
for improvement purposes; so the commissioners 
took the unusual step of borrowing the necessary 
money on their own notes, and pushed the work 
with energy on the means thus obtained. This was 
made good by act of legislature from the water 
work’s fund in 1889. The commissioners were still 
hampered until 1894, when the legislature passed 
an act authorizing a levy to be made annually. 
This amounts to about $1,350 a year, a small sum, 
but the results obtained area source of great pride, 
and well may be, to those whose active interest has 
been so determined. 
• 
AN AVENUE OF CASTOR OIL PLANTS. {Kicinus.) 
The grounds of John T. Morris, Chestnut Hill, 
Philadelphia, are known as one of the most beau- 
tiful of the many handsome ones of that vicinity. 
The mansion stands on an eminence from which 
can be viewed the country for miles around, far as the 
eye can reach. The grounds are extensive, consist- 
ing of hill and dale, and along their boundary on 
the one side, flows the Wissachickon creek, its banks 
heavily wooded with a natural growth of trees and 
shrubs. The hills and valleys offer unusual facili- 
ties for the growing of a great variety of trees, 
shrubs and plants, and Mr. Morris being a rare lover 
of plants, and having in his gardener, Frank Gould, 
a first class gardener, one is prepared to see much 
of horticultural merit on the place, and a visitor is 
never disappointed. 
I wish now to mention what was to me an 
unique arrangement I saw there last summer, in 
the shape of an extended avenue of the common 
Castor Oil plant. On one side of the estate, near 
the boundary the vegetable garden exists. The 
idea was conceived to connect the two portions of 
the pleasure grounds, by forming an avenue of 
castor oil plants between them, extending through 
the vegetable garden along its extreme edge, shut- 
ting out from view the vegetable portion entirely." 
This was successfully accomplished, and in a most 
pleasing way, by setting put three rows of the cas- 
tor oil plants, one on the outside line and two on 
the in.side, the plants alternating in the row. What 
the avenue was just before the advent of frost is well 
shown in the illustration herewith presented. It 
was successful in everyway and was, certainly, one, 
of the most unique plantings I had ever seen. 
Although the total length of the avenue was. • 
356 feet, no one entering it had the least idea of 
such a thing, as by skillful planting, the end was 
supposed to be in view many times when it was 
but a turn in the avenue. One such turn is shown 
in the illustration. 
Mr. Gould fells me there are two or three 
varieties of castor oil plant, one of smaller growth 
AN AVENUH OF CASTOR Oil, PR-VNTS. 
than the type, and another with bronzy purplish 
leaves. He saves seeds from them, keeping each 
kind separate, and can thus plant his avenue to 
better advantage. For instance the dwarf one forms 
the inside row, on the side two rows are set, and 
the purple leaved one is alternated with the com- 
mon green one. This purple leaved one is grown 
under the name of Gibsonii in European collections. 
Mr. Gould gave me details of his work in form- 
ing this avenue, irom which I gather that he sows 
the seed about the middle of March, in boxes in the 
greenhouse. The plants are potted up when large 
enough, and when spring has advanced a little, 
say about the first of May, they are placed in a 
