The morning call., 1892-04-01
GOLDEN GATE PARK.
Many improvements for the
Spring Season.
4 Handsome Floral Display-Numerous Nov
elites in tie Conservatory's Many
Departments.

Since the beginning Of the spring season
much work is daily being done in Golden
Gate Park, and Superintendent McLaren
has $50 men distributed all over the grounds,
laying out new flower beds. cutting grass.
mending roads, trimming trees, and gen.
orally improving every nook and corner
The greatest activity, however. prevails
at the site where the new lake is being
built, there being forty teams and sixty
men employed In pudding the lake basin.
while sixteen four horse teams are busy
grading the lake extension on the north
side of Strawberry Hill. 1t is expected that
by June the lake proper will be completed
and ready for public use.
The carpenters are making good progress
with the building which is in course of con-
struction to inclose- the big merry-go- round
in the children's playground. 1t will be an
ornamental structure when completed, and
already looks quite imposing.
The new boulevard, which extends for
two and half miles from the southwest
corner of the park to Lake MERGED, is now
all graded and ready 10 be macadamiZed.
This driveway Is 100 feet wide, ana will be
splendid carriage-road when the South
Side Improvement Club, which has guaran-
teed that it will lay the macadam, finishes
that part of the work.
After the passage of the new nppropria-
ton by the Board of Supervisors in June, it
is proposed to make an effort toward the
securing OF enough money for the erection
OF new pumping works, which are much
needed, the present machinery Of that kind
being entirely inadequate. and works of
much larger capacity must soon be provided
for.
THE CONSERVATORY.
One Of the most attractive places in the
park at this time of the year is the con-
M &c Of nm
thronged with delighted visitors.
Superintendent Munro has large num-
Der OF novel and rare plants under his care,
which lie takes great delight and pride to
point out.
In the propagatiug-room which can prop
erly lie called the botanical laboratory and
which is not accessible to the general public,
Mr. Munro shows 10 the privileged visitor a
large variety OF caladiums in every con-
ceivable color and shade, some fine pine
apple plants, one of which Will bear fruit
for the first time this year, ard a collection
OF orchids IN all stages of propagation, from
the tinlest plant to the one of large size and
flower bearing.
The Hawaiian ferns recently imported
from Honolulu are beginning to become
quite an attraction. When they arrived
they were only ugly looking black stumps,
resembling driftwO0d more than anything
else, but many of them now have leafy
crowns of handsome and striking aD-
pcdldHCe
NEW STOCK OF LILIES.
The big pond has been thoroughly cleaned
| and stocked with new lilies. In a few weeks
hundreds of goldfishes will be turned loose
TO dispOrt themselves in that handsome res
erv0ir.
The hot orIstove room. as it Is variously
called, contains also many new features.
The shelves are pleasing sight with their
load OF variegated specimens from the field
Of Flora
There are nearly all the coIors OF the rain
bow to be found here, and some of the flow
ers are OF the oldest shape imaginable.
The blood-red, almost triangular, blossom
OF the anthurlum stands side by side with
the lilac bells Of the denGrobium while
the pure white flowers of the phalinopsis
and the cattleya harmeniZe pieasipgly with
the beautiful pink OF the GloXnia superba.
Mr.. Munro. whose greatest happiness lies
In the discovery OF some new botanical
variety, is constantly experimenting in that
direction. He has recently succeeded in
raising some cyprlpediums Qady slippe-s) Of
shape and color never heretofore grown.
The eamellias have nearly all faded away.
They are q winter flower only, but in the
division set aside for them some very fine
aZalas are on exhibition, together with
some other flowers we'll worth seeing.
Yesterday being sunny and mild besides
it being band day, there were a great msny
people in the park, ana there we're bat few
vacant seats around the music-Stand, while
the drives and pI0menades were largely
patroniZed.