478 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
Tlie ParKs of San Die^o, Cal. 
As long ago as 1870, when city lands in San Diego, 
Cal., were generously sold at anywhere from seven to 
twenty-six cents an acre, and a “lot” comprised one 
hundred and sixty acres, a few far-seeing public spir- 
ited citizens took steps to have an area set aside for a 
public park. As rapidly as city surveys proceeded 
and desirable sections were blocked out these were 
offered at public sale on request to the Board of 
Trustees of the city by any one desiring to buy. 
Rapid inroads were thus made, and the portion of the 
city lands convenient to San Diego Bay soon became 
private property. The city comprises the original 
Mexican pueblo lands, amounting to 32,000 acres. 
This area skirts the land-locked bay which affords the 
best harbor in California, and extends for twentv miles 
northward along the coast, taking in the famed caves 
of La Jolla and the only station of Torrey Pines known 
to scientists. The park tract is in the city proper, 
readily accessible, and in its heretofore natural and 
unimproved condition has been appreciated and en- 
joyed by a large proportion of citizens and highly 
praised by visitors from other parts of the world. 
The topography of the park comprises mesas, can- 
yons and canyadas, or table-lands, hill-tops approached 
from their crests, and depressions and ravines in these 
hillsides, besides the valleys or bottom-lands of the 
canyons. Altogether, the contour of the park lands 
is unique, as are many of the landscape features in- 
volved in the making of the park. In Eastern cities 
the first consideration in park-making is to throw up 
an artificial hillside around the boundaries of the park, 
and shut out, by means of tree and shrub plantations, 
all outside view. There the object to be attained is 
to escape from outlying conditions of congested popu- 
lation, noisy traffic and other phases of urban life, and 
to enter at once upon a bit of beautiful landscape 
which shall afford something of the peace and quiet, 
the rest and refreshment of the country itself. 
Here in San Diego a different condition exists. The 
large, nearly square park tract is on high ground, the 
uncrowded city of 20,000 inhabitants settled comfort- 
ably nearby. The park territory, with all the effects 
of great level stretches, magnificent hillsides such as 
no landscape artist has ever yet set down on any city 
plan as his design or as the achievement of Nature, 
with an interesting collection of native plants which 
has won praise from visiting scientists and gives un- 
failing pleasure to those who can follow the plants 
in their yearly life histories, — these phases of the park 
as it comes from its undisturbed and undespoiled 
world-life into the care and keeping of man are a 
part of the splendid natural foundation which it is 
now proposed to improve by means of the best pro- 
fessional and civic knowledge, skill and reverent treat- 
ment. 
Mr. Parsons was here in December for his first 
studies of the grounds preparatory to making the plan. 
Of the practical treatment of the surface Mr. Par- 
sons said there is less artificial work to be done here 
than in any park he has ever known. The only sec- 
tion needing much grading is at one corner where 
man has disturbed the natural contour. If this had 
been unmolested there would be almost no leveling 
needed. The rugged, picturesque sides of the can- 
yons, with their varied and manifold curvings, de- 
pressions and exposures, have a grandeur and im- 
pressiveness beyond that of any work of art, while 
the broad and far-reaching tablelands are specially es- 
teemed for their interesting flora and the sweeping 
view of the outlying country they afford. 
The mid-winter carpeting of the soil is delightful. 
Fresh green moss is now supplanting the dry, silvery 
sheets of last year’s growth, which have persisted 
throughout the year, the varied tints of silver and 
green intermingling with charming effect. The beau- 
tiful tracer}^ of alfilaria, Erodium, cicutarium, covers 
acres of the park. In shaded nooks on the sides of 
the canyons and in the valleys ferns and other moist- 
ure-loving plants nestle and thrive. Among the small- 
er flowers which now give color to patches of the sur- 
face are dainty white forget-me-nots, delicate stretches 
of pepper-grass with richly colored foliage that lends 
a new tone to the landscape, and the smallest and most 
beautiful of all, known by its Mexican name Golo- 
naria ; hundreds of tiny white blossoms form a deli- 
cate piece of lace-work close to the soil. This delight- 
ful little plant is Euphorbia albomarginata, a near rela- 
tive of the flaming Poinsettia of our gardens now in 
bloom out of doors, single flower heads and encom- 
passing bracts of the latter measuring fifteen to 
eighteen inches across. 
Among many other native plants now in flower are 
Rhus integrifolia, whose dense clusters of tight little 
buds have held out their promise of opening for two 
months past. Chilicothe, Megarrhiza macrocarpa, 
stretches out at great length in vine habit, the sterile 
plants bearing sparsely white flowered racemes, and 
the fertile plants showing single blossoms in the axils, 
and, so early in the season, the immense cucumber- 
like spined fruits. Dodecatheon Clevelandii or shoot- 
ing star grows thickly on the mesas and hillsides in 
places, the reversed petals being of the pink and white 
varieties. The yellow-flowered wild caper, Isomeris 
arborea, and the pink-purple Four-o’clock, Mirabilis 
Californica, are all abundant. The only trees on the 
park tract are perhaps five hundred Peppers, Eu- 
calypts. Cypresses, Pines, Palms and Grevilleas. 
