The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-11-12
The Decay Of the Central Park.


Twonty-six years ago when the plans OF the
Central Park were under consideration by
the first Board of Commissioners, consisting
OF the Mayor and the Street Commissioner,
an Advisory Board was constituted to deter
mine Gil the plans and method Of treatment
OF the new Park The members OF this Board
were WASHINGTON IRVING, GEORGE BAN
CROFT, O. A. DANA, and several other we'll
known gentlemen, and one Of the results of
their deliberations most important for the
future usefulness and beauty OF the Central
Park, was that the Park should be construct
cd on the natural method, as distinguished
from what was called the artificial; that
particularly in the arrangement of trees and
shrubs the harmonies OF light and shade and
color should DO studied and adapted to the
character OF the ground so that no dis
cordant contrasts should offend tho eye.
In the light of our present knowledge, this
was the only proper course to pursue; but at
that date there were many advisors who had
not been educated to clear conception of
the true function Of great park in this city,
and their arguments and majority Of the
plans that were presented and exhibited
showed that the Central Park escaped great
danger when, in the next year, the design
on which the Park was subsequently
constructed was adopted, and tho de-
signers appointed to superintcnd the
work. They found the area divided by the
Croton reservoirs into two parts, the south
erly one adapted, by its broad plateaus, easy
slopes, and comparatively level surface to
the production of effects Of rural beauty and
simplicity, while the north Park, by reason
of its steep rocky heights and rugged valleys
and watercourses, was more adapted to a
wild and picturesque treatment. They had
to look far into the future, because the con-
struction OF park depends so much on the
growth and changes in the trees and shrub
berry, and requires constant vigilance
and continuous labor from year to
year, in. the planting and management
OF the vegetation In the early years, and in
the pruning thinning out, and replanting in
the later years. when tho growth OF plants
begins to afford the effect that was originally
intended. Under their advice, and occa-
sionally under their control this work was
prosecuted with some intermisslons. notably
that OF 1870 and 1871, during the SWEENEY adj
ministration, until the beginning of 1879,
when the Commissioners then controlling
the department resolved that the services of
professional experts in landscape gardening
were no longer required and the Park was
left to take care Of ITSELF suffering more or
less in the hands of the several successive
Superintendent, none of them, however,
treating the Park and its plantations with
any very definite purpose until in
August 1881, when Mr.. WALES nom-
mated the present Superintendent, Mr..
InNEG In Cnppaal n tho Office
How the only Republican Commissioner was
induced to nominate u Democrat to such
lucrative Office is mystery only partly
solved by the suggestion that he was prac-
tised upon by the members OF the Board rep
sentng the other faction, who had influenced
Mr.. WALES through the agency of two OF his
personal friends, one of whom was the COM
patriot OF the candidate. However, Mr.
JONES was duly appointed, with only one
dissenticnt voice, that of q Commissioner
who thought it pertinent to have some
inquiry made as to Mr. JoNE3's qualiiica-
tions for the position in which it was designed
to place him.
The new Superintendent almost imme
dately began with a method OF treatment
Of the Park plantations that, so far from
lacking definite purpose, had the very
| decided intention Of undoing In great meas
| ure the work that had been done at heavy
cost all over the Park. Ills ideas OF land
scape gardening We're radically different
| from those of the designers OF the Park, and
generally We're Numerically opposed to
them. He did not approve of the natural
| growth OF shrubs, nor of the appearance
Of natural growth, but trimmed them up
in the lower branches so that the bare
| stems could be seen, "crculation of air +"
more freely admitted, and room given for the
lawn mower to be passed well under the
| plants. He did not assent to the feature in
| the design that has received so much com
mendation from other wcll-informcd sources,
| viz, the wild, picturesque treatment Of the
north Park, but cndeayorcd to inject into
| that rugged region the smooth, door yard
| style. This work he describes as " clearing
out undGrbrush, cutting dead wood, and
pruning shrubs and trees, relieving them
| from suckers and all OTHER dotriments to
their growth and vigor;' and he states that
it has been continue. and will be carried
on with all the facilities and with all the
| energy that circumstances will allow.
| This statement of what he was doing
with the plantations would not create alarm
| was more or less necessary on the Park.
| But the word, clearing out mad a meaning
in his mind that was far hey ond the conccp-
ton of those to whom they were addressed.
He did not intend that certain supcrnuous
growths or imperfect and unsghlly shrubs
should be removed, but that whole acres Of
valuable plants should be complrtclygrubbcd
ont trees Of beauty ond value donudcd
Of their lower branches, and shrubbcry
| trimmed out OF all natural shape AMI har-
mony. Illustrations "f this kind Of w"'h
may be found in all parts Of the Park, one
conspicuous example is To be seen along the
walk that runs from Mount St Vincent north
wardly toward the Harlem mere, and then
| turns sharply and runs southwest along the
mere to tho lIuddlcatone Bridgo. On both
sides o! tins walk the shlubb@ry had been
somewhat closely planted with here SEi