House and Garden 
LAKE AND FLOWER BEDS IN WEST SIDE PARK 
of creating a public board, which, at least theoreti¬ 
cally, may he criticized as contrary to the principles 
and prerogatives of our whole system of govern¬ 
ment. Not only were results found to have been 
unsatisfactory in numerous instances of elective 
park commissioners, but conversely in other in¬ 
stances — notably such examples as that of the South 
Park system of Chicago, where the entire control 
of all park matters from the inception has been 
vested in a commission appointed by the courts — 
the practical workings were found to have been 
satisfactory. 
How Should Park Com¬ 
missioners BE Selected ? 
To those who believe that 
any other than the elective 
plan of creating public boards 
for the expenditure of pub¬ 
lic funds is objectionable and 
un-American, it is due to say 
that such a plan would have 
been adopted in drawing up 
the Essex County Park act of 
1895, had not the investiga¬ 
tions then made compelled 
the conviction concurred in 
by Messrs. Emery and Coult, 
the able counsel of the first 
commission, that the ap¬ 
pointive system was prefer¬ 
able here. Having deter¬ 
mined that point, the question arose as to where 
the authority for making the appointments 
should rest. Should the Governor be charged 
with that office ? This would mean, or might 
mean, possible interference in what was strictly 
a county affair; it would open up the field of 
possibilities for the exercise of political or party 
“influence;” and it would be open to the still 
further objection of a board for the county 
being named by the authority of an official outside 
the county, chosen by and representing the State 
at large. 
GARDEN WORK IN JULY 
By Ernest Hemming 
^ IPENESS of the vegetation indicates the 
summer is at its height and most plants, 
especially among trees and shrubs, have really made 
their growth for the year. Erom now on their 
functions will be devoted to the ripening of their 
wood and fruit. The latter is obvious to everyone, 
but the ripening of the wood and formation of buds 
for another season does not receive so much atten¬ 
tion, yet a knowledge of it is very necessary to the 
successful gardener. Examine the axil of every 
leaf and you will see a bud forming. These buds 
are the beginning of the growth of next year and 
when they are properly developed contain within 
their small compass all the essentials of a plant. 
This knowledge is taken advantage of in the 
operation of budding, which operation is usually 
done this month, as soon as the buds are in condition 
and consists of inserting a bud taken from one 
plant under the bark of another of close relation¬ 
ship, such as a garden rose on a wild briar or a 
named variety of peach on a seedling grown from 
the stone. 
The operation is very simple and any one can 
accomplish it after once seeing it done. The really 
wonderful part about it is the fact that so small a 
part of a plant will remain true to itself. Take for 
instance a wild rose and insert a bud taken from 
a General jacqueminot upon it. If it growls that 
shoot will bear General jacqueminot roses while 
the rest of the plant will remain the wild briar. 
A little thought on the bud question will convince 
anyone how important the proper development 
bears on the crop of next year, so do not neglect 
plants after they have just given their harvest of 
fruit or flowers. 
As pointed out in a previous number the growth 
that the early flowering shrubs have just made 
will bear the flowers next spring, so that a judicious 
48 
