384 
PARK AND CEME^TERY 
original plan of the designer perverted to the discredit of 
the city that once adopted it. And how is this to be pre- 
vented when supervised by indifferent commissioners and 
impractical superintendents? The caretaker must be in thor- 
ough sympathy with the plans of the designer and to be so, 
he must be an artist himself. Parks are a necessity for the 
cultivation and preserving of a love for Nature. They are 
seats of learning for the average city-bred being, and their 
influence is plainly visible in shaded streets and pretty home 
surroundings. Parks are practical schools of horticulture, 
and the bone and sinew of municipal art out of doors. They 
are necessary for the self-preservation of those who by free 
will or through forced circumstances have made their homes 
in a large city. 
And with all these facts — plain undeniable facts — they will 
be permitted to fall into decay and rot through political mis- 
management, a shameful spot upon the fair name of any city. 
Political supervision tends to destroy the beauty of our parks, 
promotes the carrying out of inartistic and useless improve- 
ments, depreciates real estate values, encourages immoral life 
and squanders public money; and they do not create for the 
city what originally was intended — a beautiful park, a lasting 
monument of nature and art, a practical demonstration of 
culture and refinement, to which the municipality may point 
with pride and honor. 
That there do exist men with political ambition well quali- 
fied for the trusteeship of our parks, is not denied, but these 
are above party politics and able to resist the detrimental 
influence of the dominant ward-boss. It has been said that 
there are visible and invisible park boards — perhaps the in- 
visible are the most dangerous. 
Germany can perhaps be taken as a model in park man- 
agement as it justly is in forestry. There every city or town 
has its gardener or garden-director, classed in rank with 
other heads of departments of municipal affairs. 
How would it look if an advertisement appeared in one 
of our horticultural papers calling for a park superintendent 
for a certain city? This is of usual occurrence in Germany. 
An examination is held of the applicants, and the highest 
marked succeeds. The diploma of a college of horticulture, 
together with years of practical work in the different branches 
of gardening, are necessary qualifications for such positions. 
Unquestionably our schools of horticulture and landscape 
architecture should provide eligible men for the management 
of our parks, and a “Committee of Municipal Art,” recom- 
mended by representative art associations and societies of 
architects, and civil engineers, named by the mayor, should 
appoint a commissioner of public parks. 
The United States Department of Forestry has in its few 
years of existence shown the value of trained men in its 
service — let us hope that the municipalities will follow its 
steps. James Jensen. 
WASHINGTON SCHOOL COLORADO SPRINGS, COL. FIRST PRIZE SCHOOL GROUNDS. 
Prizes for Home and tSchool Grounds, Colorado Springes, Col. 
The El Paso Horticultural Society held its annual 
flower show at North Park, Colorado Springs, Colo., 
Aug. 20 and 21. Over 1,400 entries were made, as 
against 600 for last year, showing a marked growth 
of interest which has been stimulated by donations of 
seeds to the school children. Upon receipt of the 
seeds they pledged either to exhibit the product of 
their efforts or write a letter to the manager, Mr. F. 
F. Horn, stating why they failed to do so. 
Several large tents were well filled with flowers 
and fruits that would do justice to any exhibit of its 
kind, for whatever can be made to grow in this state 
at all is grown to perfection by the scientific use of 
water. What gardener could not grow flowers, fruit, 
or vegetables on rich soil in a land of sunshine where 
water is supplied or withheld at will? 
Mr. Harry C. Harris, president of the society, de- 
serves great credit for the splendid services he is ren- 
dering the society. It requires no prophet to foretell 
the inestimable results which he and his associates are 
securing, not only for Colorado Springs, but this whole 
Rocky Mountain district. 
Mrs. S. B. Walker’s exhibit of pressed native wild 
flowers was especially interesting and instructive to 
