The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-14
JUNE H. l8n-QUADRUplM

OF elegant designs IN Dutternut wood trimmed with
oiack walnut, and fitted with English plate glass.
alto9eiher presenting al agreeable and interesting
appearance, winch s Unsurpassed by any exhibition
OF IKE charactey ana extent and Commensurate
Win tne WISHES OF the enerr rising trustees FOR
some time the Meteorological Bureau OF the DEPART
mont an important branch OF our work, Under the
ch4se OF Professor Draper has been located III TINS
/ building. His Interesting report Is annexed.
Several OF the rooms IN this part OF The building
have been also appropriated Ior the use o. the Gu
ratois OF me Museum, with every convenience
necessary Tor prenn~,rng, adapting and arians,ng
specimens. for exhibition. At The soptherly end Is
an 0llce Tor the use oil the trustees OF the Mu-euh
OF Natural History; also one Tor The cher landscape
gardener, together with oiices Tor the use OF the
Commissioners Yhe basement door has been Intel
Tor the purposes OF The police. including "A general
, onlcc tor transaCtng the business OF the bureau.
GEOLOGICAL GARDEN.
II vas stated IN the reports oil The late Commits
! sopers tia. they had establishes geological gar
1 den ~ Manhat,slh square. by reference 10 topo-
graea, survey attached ason1 wal c be
! IN extent, most OF L ROCKY some parts projecting
twenty i've Or thirty ieeL above grade, ana some
lying twenty-five or thirty feet below. II contains Two
pom is OF water. the result OF The surface drainaAe
OF the surrounding land. There is no sewer upon
the island west OF the Central Park from winch
| these ponds can be drained. The only con-
nected with the ground Is al Seyentysevenh street.
cipai pond. How it could ever be used for the pnr.
pose OF geological garden II IA not easy TO under
stand. the first necessity for such garden is
ample drainage for The refuse Of animals anu con-
cusion Is inevitable that spot Incapable OF beng
properly drained must necessarily constitute an iin-
|
the expectation that such an institution would soon
be considered necessity IN the PARK, II was deemed
advisable ultimately 10 locate the geological garden
III the meadow north OF the upper reservoir.
Although this situation was considered the most
appropriate for that purpose, IL was not finally de-
termlned upon until proper survey OF IL was made
10 ascertain the character OF It's SOIL ANA It's facilities
attached hereto shows that the new locality COM
bnes all requisites ana that TO perfect geological
| garden IN Manhattan square would have been not
| only unwise but Inappropriate
There IL a public impression that geological
| garden was planned by the late Board which Is
error. but 1t Is proper 10 say that there to he
found among the effects OF the late department two
papers on the subject each purportlng to be studies
! for such an institution. One OF them appears To
have been made 10y the landscape architects OF that
regime, but found TO be mpractlcable. The other
| was prepared 10y the late Mr. Pllat the chief gar.
| dener unter the original Central Park Commission
ana OF this department. Both OF those studies
were obviously immature. and, as the Engineer-in-
Chief has stated, were always regarded as lncapa.
| bic or being carried INTO effect, and no action
| ever had IN respect 10 either beyond Determining
| their impracticabiilty.
OBSERVATORY.
There IS also pubic impression that there
designed and developed plan for observatory in
| the Central Park. This also Is erroneous. When
| the late landscape architects were called on for a
| statement OF the structures under their atro
IN course OF prog.e : they sent only an Immature
aud imperfect pencil sketch of u building Tor an
observatory,
CONSERVATORY
There is another erroneous impression regarding
the conservatory. It's foundations were being
! structed when this department. assumed Office
Until after the present Board went into ONCE
u
Cectral Park. The plan suggested by, the late
| Board was one drawn up by their landscape
dec az sra, ne n enpese ana um"er inc
| Island, who desired to use the proposed building
Tor the purpose OF cultvatng flowers therein TO be
sold as bouquets IL was To be TWO story BUILDING
! OF about iorty leet in height which could not be
called IN any sense conservatory, or such
as the pubic hai reason 10 expect, or which would
be adapted TO eXhlnitlon on the Central PARK. The
plan proposed by TINS department Is one watch VIII
result IN structure of very different character
! from the former IL calls Tor building about
375 feet in length orty-ive feel height in It's
ror and in some parts 100 feet In width. The central
| building Is to be d paraileiogram, terminating al
| each end III rotundas or circles, ana TO contain u
! conservatory for tropical and exotic plants Two
rorundas AT The end VIII be Tor flowers ana plants or
all kinds. The artificial lake AZ the west OF the Con-
seryatory will form AN attractive feature in conpec-
/ ton with the espanadc by which 1t VIII be reached.
Ii should be remarked that this department Is not
responsible FOR The site OF this conservatory and lake,
that IL would have selected locality
agreat expense had not been all eady incurred III the
foundations ana in the artificial lake adjacent. This
seemed 10 render II necessary To carry out the plan
at this very point and 10 adapt the building TO eX
listing necessities. One objection to the locality IS
j that II vii, always be damp DO matter how perfect
tie means Of heating the proposed building may be-
BESIDES, the morning sun viii not have access TO II
would have been necessary If it had been properly
,s y = 2H S sss g y; inc TO
time avoid the damp and cold OF the locality,
an additional door or story must he constructed he
meath the building, to run Its enire length, and
about sixteen feet IN height. This can be apropri-
| ated To genealogical and horticultural exhibitions.
| The additional height VIII add to the beauty and
! lmpressveness of tue building.
THE GREEN FIELDS. TREES AND sHRuBBgRf OF
| THE PARK.
! Mr. PLAT, the first chief landscape gardener, had
| been engaged upon the Park MANY years. though
not absolutely in control o. the gardening depart
| mcnt, because (as he complained 10 this depart
ment he had been restricted TO following orders.
| without reference to his own fancy He was man
goou h large experehcc OF nice TASTE
! summon TO his assistance the best talent he could
procure. lie did So anu the Central PARK for the
| Nfst w n al a nj
| corps OF capable and efficient gardeners, who
still continued-a corps unequalled for skill and ell
cheney. They considered 1t unnecessary for the natu.
raj adOrnmcnt OF the Park that the wooded portion
| should remain covered with an underground OF cat
briers and tangled weeds, to the exclusion OF vstas
| OF lawn and scenery that trees and bushes
the drives should remain close together as to pre-
clude the circulation OF air. and shut out what would
otherwise he beautiful views Of landscape or that
the walks OF the PARK should ever remain without
| respects the Park could he materially improved;
and also thai lower branches OF trees which oD-
structed pedestrians, could be removed with pro.
| prlety: and that proper system OF pruning and
| trimming would prove advantageous TO trees and
snrubDery. A visitor TO the Park should be able NJ
all seas0nable times III his walks through II, to rest
| himself under shade To accomplish this large
trees have been tansplanted rom spots where they
are not needed to places al Intervals along the sides
OF the drives and Walks. This necessarily n dini.
| cult task, requiring time. IL demands care and
! Judgment The selection OF the tree Is important.
| II should be OF shape and KIND adapted peculiarly
for removal IL Is desirable that the tree should not
be removed except upon reasonable certainty that
| IL will thrive IN its new location. Trees OF the char
required for this purpose difficult 10 obtain.
They need careful treatment In transpanting. This
! system viii be continued win the care and caution
! already exercised. until all the roads and walks
| upon the parks are amply furnished with shade
| trees.
BoTHousEs, OR PRorAGATING HOUSES.
Tile prOpagating houses OF the Park previous 10
1870 were TWO In number. small IN SIZE and IN every
| respect Inadequate. Indeed the care Of MOWERS III
the park seemed almost 10 have been forbidden, SO
| few TO be found. The principal dollhouse OF
the PARK Tor what Is yet called .be Conscrvat0ry'
| AT the side OF Mount st. Vincent contained q value
less collection scarcely worthy OF being kept under
| glass. II IL we're desirable TO add mowers 10 the
beauties OF our parks u became necessary 10 enter
| Immediately upon the construction OF propagalng
houses ana hotno1ses of the proper character. The
numbeg ~ propagatng houses has been recently in
crcasel But II Is proposed al an early day TO con-
| strlct the most approved plan u series OF sucu
houses place OF those at present. eXisting Ill con
! neciion with gu intermediate Conservatory, OF u
size and character sufficient Tor the purpose OF Gull
4 L LII > L. - l