Evening star., 1900-09-29
WOMAN LANDSCAPE GARDENER.
Until Recently She Was Employed In
Lincoln Park. Chicago.
From the New York Tribune

From the New York Tribune.
Mrs. A. f. McCrea, who was appointed
| landscape gardener of Lincoln Park Chi.
| cago last February. has just been retired
for reasons of economy by the city govern,
ment.
When Mrs. McCreas husband died nine
years ago, she took up the business Of landI
scape architect, and because of her ability
| and perseverance she obtained a large
| number of public contracts. She lad out
the grounds for the Hospital for the In.
sane at Newberry, Mich, and designed the
landscape effects for the Soldiers Home at
Grand Rapids, Mich. She has also super.
intended the laying out of the parks at st.
Paul, Mimi, and Milwaukee, Wis, and in
other cities.
happened to undertake an occupation so
unusual for woman she said:
Il have been educated in landscape gar
dening all my life-practcally fed on it,
cannot remember the time when as a young
girl | was not on the flower committee for
church and phlanthropic work. / used to
wander back after the older ones had ar.
ranged the flowers and pull them all apart.
1t hurt me to see them cramped together
In stiff, uncompromisinS bouquets. | had
an exceptional opportunity to learn the de-
tails of the business through many years
close companionShip and association with
my husband in his laborS l remember I
often asked him at first how he could tell
the name of tree when the leaves had
fallen and the branches We're bare He ex-
planned to me that constant handling of the
trees in bare state had familiariZed him
with the species, and that l would learn
just as easily. My knowledge was never
gained by study. 1t was acquired naturally
and imperceptibly. My husband was i'll for
several years before his death, and tho
routine work was gradually assumed by
me until it seemed to come quite as a mat
-
course, to get accustomed to the business
end of the trade. For instance, / gradually
learned that people were much reader TO
buy tree and pay a good price for il IL
you called it a "Sambuscus Aurea" than if
you named 1t plain golden elder" But
tact came with the rest of the knowledge,
and soon found that l could sell bill of
goods against any man in the profession.
L never studied drawing, except in a desul-
tory way at school But / have received as
high as $50 for rough sketches of plans.
IN landscape architecture the first thing
to be considered is the individuality of the
place to be ornamented, for nature never
makes two little pieces of territory exactly
alike. A house should never be built with
out the cooperation of landscape archi.
tect with the building architect, for 1t
usually happens that when the landscape
gardener is finally called in to put the fin
ishing touches to the grounds the discovery
is made that the house has been placed i'm
the worst possible position that could have
been decided upon. Having considered the
individuality of the place, the thing to be
remembered is that the unsightly places
must be hidden and the beautiful spots ac-
centuated. Before choosing the shrubs and
trees to be used In the ornamentation of
the premises the nature of the soil must be
studied. The background must first be put
in place, and after that is done the fragile
flowers may be added. | never try to inn
prove upon nature, for she herself makes
the prettiest patterns stiff. stereotyped
piece of work is my horror NV one main
OBJECT studied
l consider that the quality of the plants
should be studied rather than the quantity.
Il wonder that more women do not go
into the business. 1t is inspiring, 1t is
natural. Women naturally more arts.
tic than men, and / can see in this work
the greatest field for the future"