Evening star., 1895-04-27
signed extensive park improvements in this
them into execution Lafayette Park and

| signed extensive park improvements in this
city. but his death prevented his putting
them into execution. Lafayette Park and
the Smithsonian grounds, however, were
| improved under his personal supervision,
and his plans for the improvement of other
parks were adopted and put into effect by
others after his death, which occurred in
| 1852. From that year up to 1867. when the
! care of the public grounds was transferred
to the chief Of engineers of the army, no
| improvements OF any Importance were
made, except IN the case of the grounds
around the Agricultural Department.
Since 1867 the parks and reservations
have been improved under the direction of
the chief of engineers. with the limited ap-
propriations made by Congress for that
purpose. How we'll the task has been ac-
ccmplished and how judiciously the avail
able funds have been used are well shown
in the present admirable condition of our
park system, which is the subject of gen.
eral commentator from the park commits
sionerS Of other cities. The cost of main
tenance and improvement of the parks. it
is asserted, is less per acre than in any
ether city. TIL, appropriations for the
parks, however, are not at all commen-
surate, it is said. with their Importance.
The Season of Beauty.
The parks are now rapidly assuming
tfeir verdure, and their attractions will
Continue to increase until the advent Of
the winters frosts. From now on, through
the summer and fall. they will afford pleas
use and Instruction to thousands of our
people, who visit them in their successive
seaso Of beauty.
Mr.. George H. Brown, the public gar
derer, is Col. Wilson's chief assistant in
the care and maintenance of the public
parks, and, like him. he has a deep per-
SCral interest in their welfare. A Star re-
porter spent a pleasant hour with him at
the propagating gardens, south OF the
Washington monument and west of the
bureau Of engraving and printing, yester-
day, and learned many interesting things
stout the parks that are not generally
known. In the course of conversation Mr.
Brown said that tho parks are not at their
best in the early spring time, inasmuch as
the roads, walks, lawns, trees and shrubs
are then in a measure all out Of Sorts
This is because the successive frosts and
thawS of the winter months have thrown
up the gravel roads and walks, and made
them soft and hardly fit for travel. The
grass also grows very unevenly in the
spring. The harder varieties first make
their appearance in tufts over the lawn,
after which the more tender and better
varieties gradually make their appearance,
but do not reach perfection until the ad-
vent of warm weather. The moving first
with scythes and then with lawn mowers,
cCrIectS all this unevenness and thereafter
the lawns are smooth and harmonious.
The trees and shrubs in the parks are Of
many varieties and natives of different cli-
mates. and therefore are Of varying degrees
Of hardihood. During severe winter like
the one just closed they are more or less
injured, giving the gardeners much work
in trimming out their dead branches and
shaping many Of them for new seasons
growth. All this preliminary work Is
usually accomplished by the 1st Of May, by
which time the roads and walks have also