The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-07-01
BEAUTIFUL
LANDSCAPE
PAN-AMERICAN PRESENTS AN
INVITING APPEARANCE.
Hundreds of Thousands of Hardy
Trees, Bushes, Plants, Bulbs,
Aquatics and semiaquatics-Hun-
dreds of Beds of Flowers.

Mr.. Rudolph Ulrich, at the head Of
the landscape work of the Pen-Ameri-
can Exposition, thus describes what
has been accomplished. lie writes:
AS the case at the Worlds Col
umbian exposition is Chicago and other
expositions. the Landscape Depart
ment, consisting of three departments
Landscape, Roads and Miscellaneous
Departments-usually begins with the
preliminary work; so were in the same
manner preparations made under the
direction OF the Director Of Works for
the work at the n-Amercan FIX
position grounds on Sept. 26 1899.
When seen from q general point Of
view. the site selected is on ideal one.
considering that the main front adion-
ing Delaware Park, from which n mag
ni1cient entrance Of convenient access
Is offered. and Furthermore. that the
whole tract and the surrounding lands
were entirely free OF undesira BILE build
Ing and other objects. The grounds
to he occupied by the Exposition con-
| tain 2O6 acres, with an addition of Del
| aware Park of 10Sia acres. representing
| a total area of 3l4R acres.
The lcrger portion of the land having
been used for farming purposes before
seemed to favor cultivation. but when
working the SOIL chiefly heavy. stiff
| clay was found, which has required a
great deal more labor than expected.
The first work to be done after an
! inclosure with a tight board fence 49,
| 656 fect-oNer three miles-long had
| been made was to clear the land of all
! INSTRUCTIONS, as fences. buildings. etc.
Then followed plowing and scraping off
| and piling up the top soil. especially
from such places where the large build
| ings. waterways lakes and roads were
| to he located. In this manner about
10000 yards of good rich soil were
stored up for cultivation purposes.
the excavations of waterways. ex-
| tending one and a half miles, including
| fountain basins and East and West
| lakes and covering an area of about
| 221s acres, was begun at once, and this
work carried through the whole
winter and following summer remov-
| ing about 9000O cubic yards of soil
| the greater part of the soil gained
therefrom being used for the embank-
ments alongside the canal and for di-
vers improvements in connection with
| the landscape features. as. for instance,
the forming of islands, basins, terraces
| and bringing other parts of the
grounds on elevations required for To-
cations OF buildings and approaches
and establishing grades, as shown on
the block plan designed by Messrs.
| Carrerc e. Hastings, architects Of New
York.
As the main buildings represent
rartly the old Catholic and partly
French Renaissance style. so the plan
of the grounds is tremendously ar
ranged and chiefly expresses the for
NAL and gradually expands into the
natural style when approaching the
park.
LANDSCAPE EFFECTS.
Considerable planting was done dur
ing the fall and winter of 1899; espec-
tally with the object of hiding the
fence from the inside view many thous-
and trees and bushes were planted for
producing a green inclosure, essential
to creating additional landscape ef-
fects. The planting In general proved
to be very successful especially ol
large trees from 40 to so feet high; alsc
the planting of 20 to 25 acres Of lawns
During the whole summer and fall OF
1900 the principal work consisted o'
grading of roads, walks, of which about
six miles were laid out: completing
waterways and improving the sol
wherever plantations We're to be made
Of special improvement we may
mention those around the Service
building and Floral Gardens. Besides
these was laid out an extensive nursery
in the extreme southern portion of tbs
grounds. with additions of six large
gre enhouses and several hundred cole
frames for the reception of plants re
ceived from the various countries anc
, for the purpose of cultivating decora
tive plants required for the adornmen
of the grounds. Large shipments
were received from Europe and from
. California and other parts of TIM
country and are in a high state o
cultivation.
Nearly 2G0 beds to be planted by eX
hibitors. were laid out; besides eXten
, sive preparations were made for I'm
, provements immediately conn-,.e'
with the surroundings OF buildings
, percolas, waterways, fountains ant
, basins. and several hundred thousanc
, hardy trees, bushes, plants, bulbs
? acouatic and scmiaquatics were plant
ed with surprising success.
, To realize a rich affluent and riotur
esoue aspect and to establish to con
, siderable extent a broad and apparent
ly natural scenery great pains wer
taken in properly handling and enrich
; ing the soil. A system of irrigation
was adopted by laying $3.50 feet o
pipe wherever irrigation would b