The National Nurseryman. 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK. 
“ It is part of a good nursery business that there should be a trial ground ”— Bailey. 
Vol. X. ROCHESTER. N. Y., MAY. 1902. No. 5. 
MILWAUKEE. 
Meeting Place for the Twenty-sixth Annual Convention of the 
American Association of Nurserymen Next Month—Its 
Commercial Importance—The Park System—Public 
Buildings Valued at Millions of Dollars — 
An Army of Employees. 
Milwaukee, the convention city of the American Association 
of Nurserymen for 1902 , is a wonderful combination of all the 
qualities and elements that go to make a city great and beauti¬ 
ful. Endowed by nature with the choicest of situations, Mil¬ 
waukee has from time immemorial been the delight of people 
of every class as a home center—from the red man who 
camped on the bluffs overlooking the blue waters of Lake 
Michigan to the man of affairs of the twentieth century who 
looks out upon the same beautiful vista, but from palatial 
residences erected on the same bluffs. 
To the handiwork of nature in giving Milwaukee its proud 
distinction as one of the most beautiful cities of the United 
States has been added the push and enterprise of all its citi¬ 
zens, collectively and individually, in establishing for it a repu¬ 
tation as a manufacturing and jobbing center, which excels 
most other cities of its class in point of population. From 
Milwaukee goes to all parts of the world the product of scores 
upon scores of factories. 
The city is naturally divided into three great divisions 
formed by the Milwaukee river and its tributaries, the Menomi¬ 
nee and Kinnickinnic. All are navigable for the largest 
craft and afford miles of dockage of inestimable value to the 
manufacturing industries, which are not confined to at.y one 
limited or circumscribed portion of the city. Tapping all 
these manufacturing districts are divisions of the great systems 
of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, Chicago & North¬ 
western and Wisconsin Central railroad companies, which 
operate thousands of miles of railroad and connect with all 
other great systems of the United States. 
Milwaukee is but eighty-five miles north of Chicago and is 
reached from that city by two direct lines of railroad, over 
which are operated trains at intervals of from two to three 
hours. In addition to the exceptional railroad facilities, there 
are lake transportation companies operating palatial steam¬ 
boats which make daily trips between both cities, and points 
across the lake. 
In every particular of modern improvement Milwaukee 
stands foremost among American cities. Its architecture is of 
pleasing and substantial character. Countless magnificent 
residences adorn beautiful streets in all parts of the city. 
Millions of dollars have been expended by the federal, munici¬ 
pal and county governments within the past few years in 
public improvements, as illustrated by the handsome new 
postoffice building, the new city hall, the new public library 
and museum building, the exposition building and many 
others. Private enterprise has kept pace with the public 
purse in the erection of many imposing office buildings, 
palatial hotels and thousands of residences that for uniform 
beauty and evidence of affluence combined with culture have 
contributed to make Milwaukee famous as a home owning 
community. To a remarkable degree are the working classes 
home owners. Statistics have demonstrated that Milwaukee 
leads in this respect, owing largely to the great number of in¬ 
dustries which give steady employment at good compensation 
to a great army of employees. In 1901 fully 66,000 men were 
employed in Milwaukee factories, receiving $ 32 , 000,000 in 
wages. 
The park system, in which visitors to the convention of the 
American Association of Nurserymen will be particularly 
interested, is one of the most perfect and beautiful in the 
United States, representing the work of but eleven years of 
well directed energy on the part of a park commission, created 
by the Wisconsin legislature. Prior to 1890 there had been no 
such commission, and the only parks in the city were various 
small tracts of ground in a number of the wards which were 
cared for out of ward funds. With the creation of a park 
commission and the purchase of many acres of land in various 
desirable sections of the city, to be used exclusively for park 
purposes, began the great task which in so short a time has 
given to the people of Milwaukee a system of parks, large and 
small, harmonizing completely in their decoration with refer¬ 
ence to each other, and with connecting boulevards which is 
claimed to compare with those which in other cities have been 
maintained for half a century. 
By a wise provision of the commission, every section of the 
city of three hundred thousand inhabitants has been benefited 
by having in its midst one or more extensive parks beautifully 
adorned and furnishing picturesque breathing spots for recrea¬ 
tion and pleasure of the masses. 
There are seven large parks with a total area of more than 
five hundred acres. In addition to these larger parks are miles 
of connecting boulevards and countless other smaller beauty 
spots. 
The park which probably is the best known to the inhabi¬ 
tants and a]so throughout the country is Lake Park, which, as 
its name implies, is located on the shores of Lake Michigan. 
It cousists of 124 acres with a lake frontage of about 6,000 
feet which, with the Waterworks Park and its connecting 
boulevards, gives a total frontage on the bluff overlooking the 
lake of nearly one mile and a half The bluff has an elevation 
of 100 feet overlooking the Bay of Milwaukee, and is cut by 
several ravines spanned by bridges of particular architectural 
beauty. Down through these ravines course winding walks 
which afford easy access to the beach. The ravine in the 
north end of the park is a natural forest and has been per¬ 
mitted to remain practically undisturbed, while the touches of 
