PREFACE. 
r | "'HIS little book has been published by the Board of 
Park Commissioners of the City of Wichita for the 
purpose of helping the people of Wichita and Central 
Kansas in the beautifying of their home grounds by the 
planting of trees, shrubs and flowers. 
There are really but a limited number of trees and 
plants which are entirely adapted to conditions existing 
here, the hot dry periods during our summer months 
are especially adverse for the kinds of trees and shrubs 
which thrive so well in the North and East, and the ex¬ 
treme and sudden changes of temperature in the winter 
are fatal to those which do so well a short distance south 
of here. 
There is little horticultural literature available which 
applies specifically to local conditions. 
In the improvement of the public parks in the City of 
Wichita the Board of Park Commissioners lias used 
numbers of different kinds of shrubs in various kinds of 
soils and under many different conditions. In the opera¬ 
tion of the Forestry Department the Board has directed 
the planting of shade trees in every part of the City. In 
the Municipal Nursery and Park Greenhouse thousands 
of ornamental plants and shrubs have been propagated. 
The results of these experiences have determined 
certain kinds of trees and ornamental plants which do 
well here, and the conditions under which they grow best. 
To disseminate such information and make it available 
to as many people as possible is the aim of this publi¬ 
cation. 
