140 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
THE WORK OF OUR ASSOCIATION* 
The tendency of the lira's is toward concentraiion; 
capital and labor, workers in the trades and arts, pro- 
fesdonal and scientific men, all follow the drift of the 
prevailing inclination to meet together for the inter- 
change and discussion of ideas and theories, or to recoi d, 
for mutual advantage, the results of experience, thought, 
and experiment in their various lines. 
The Association of New England Park Superinten- 
dents now entering its third year has been organiz.-d f ir 
a definite purpose; that of raising the standard of 
excellence in park work. This probably has not been 
sufficiently realized by us, and, beyond the memeries of 
t vo or three pleasant meetings, not much of lasting 
importance has been done for the welfare of the Associa- 
tion or its object. Let us lay off this lethargy and bestir 
ourselves. The field is large, work lies in every hand; 
let it be taken up with persistence and determination. 
Abuses are creeping into the management of parks; let 
them be attacked and overthrown. We may not be 
able to obliterate all evils with which parks and park 
departments are afflicted, yet we may effect a partial re- 
generation; even partial success will repay whetv taken 
in connection with the opportunity our meetings give 
for becoming acquainted with brother craftsmen in their 
own fields of labor. 
Ill particularizing the work of this Association, I 
would call attention to an evil which it should be the 
object of the Association to attack vigorously; that of 
the overcorwding of trees in park woodlands and plan- 
tations. This results mostly from a fear of public 
criticism, or rather, I may say abuse, leveled at the 
trained superintendent who cuts down a tree. Many 
people who are perfectly rational on most subjects, and 
whs would accept without question the opinion of the 
doctor or engineer in matters pertaining to his special 
profession, are ready to criticise any attempt on the 
part of the forester to better the condition of growing 
trees. And to this abuse may be attributed, in a great 
measure, the lamentable lack of fine tree growth in the 
public parks throughout the country. This calamity, 
however, is not confined to the parks; every street and 
every square calls out for reform in respect to the care 
of its trees. And this reminds me that the planting and 
care of street trees may be a matter of legitimate 
interest to this .Society. Progressive communities are 
beginning to recognize the fact that nothing adds more 
beauty to the streets than fine trees, and are placihg 
them under the care of the Park Departmen’s, or other 
authorized officers, for protection and development. 
The laws governing these transfers are varied and not, 
so far as one can hear, ent rely satisfactory. 
It would seem that a law simply giving full and in- 
di.sputable authority over the trees to a competent body 
would be the most effective measure. 
Another farm of the desecration of public parks, which 
should be a subject for our consideration and discussion. 
*Pap;r Rsid at Ths Third ,^nnual Mjatlngof New England Association of 
Park Superinteniants, Worcester. Mass.. July nth and 12th. igoo. By John A. 
Pettigrew, Supt. Parks. Boston, Mass. 
is im|iroper planting. Some years ago I saw in a public 
square, in the centre of a smoky city, planletl, in all the 
awful grolesqueness of an old craze, with geraniums, 
echeverias, alternantheras, and other plants of like char- 
acter; the blackness of death covering the whole. A 
few days ago, I again saw this square planted in a 
similar way — no change, no awakening. In the same 
city I saw beds of fancy conifers set in the bays of a 
beautiful natural foliage line along one of the parkways. 
It seems as though the landscape gardener, in an aimless 
way, had seizetl each open space, saying, here is room 
for a bed, 1 will make < ne; utterly spoiling the fore- 
ground and the predominating natural features by the 
forced intrusion of trees and shrubs of variegated foliage, 
or of beds of crimson rambler roses and other plants 
properly belonging to the garden. 
In another prominent city I found lines of shade 
trees newly planted along curving drives throughout a 
park of several hundred acres. It is to be hoped that 
good taste will prevail and cause the removal of these 
trees before they attain to any size, or the temptation to 
flank them with stone curbs and sidewalks may be too 
strong to be resisted. Another instance, and I have 
done: In the most beautiful park in the Empire City, 
I found an island planted with scarlet geraniums, where 
they disputed possession with a few trees and shrubs. 
Surely, here is a field for work and work which will 
repay in the elevation of our profession. 
Much can be done by this Association in preserving 
public parks from desecration by those who have schemes 
for turning a penny by the introduction of various de- 
vices, ranging from observation towers or merry-go- 
rounds, to peanut stands. The petitioners for such 
concessions usually pose as philanthopists and in this 
guise are well calculated to deceive. 
Another evil against which the weight of this Society’s 
influence shou’d be thrown, is that of the introduction 
of politics into park management. This abuse is steadily 
growing and is a dangerous one. Positions of importance 
in connection with the welfare of parks are being ab- 
sorbed by men who have no fitness for the work, and 
whose qualifications are only valuable in ward politics. 
Under the politicians’ creed ‘-To the victor belong the 
spoils,” tenure of office is insecure and offers no induce- 
ment to young men to educate themselves for park wc ik. 
Many other lines of action may suggest themselves 
as the work progresses; for the present, those above 
noted will perhaps suffice. 
As a means of communication and a medium for the 
expression of the ideas and experiences of the members 
of this Association, I would suggest the circulation, 
monthly, of a recording bulletin, passing from member 
to member for contributions, or for perusal, and return- 
ing in reverse order to the Secretary. It is quite 
possible that many contributions could be culled from 
the bulletin which would be valuable from an educa- 
tional point of view, and would be readily published by 
horticultural journals and city newspapers. The bulle- 
tin would serve to draw the members into closer fellow- 
ship and acquaintance, and help to heighten their 
interest in the work of the Association. 
