The Topeka state journal., 1902-03-04

/ pacity with bedding plants to be used
| in the various city parks. Twenty-Five
! hot bed sashes will be put into service
soon. About four acres has been fenced
/ off for a nursery and well manured and
/ titled where trees, shrubs and peren-
| mails are being grown for future per-
| manent planting in all of the city parks
Over LOCO collected trees and shrubs
were planted last season in Gage park
| in accordance with the plans for border
and group planting Because of the un-
precedented heat and drought of last
summer the necessary attempt to trans
plant many of the trees to bring them
into harmony with the general plan,
which ordinarily would have been en-
tireIy successful was attended with
GENERAL REMARKS.
The exceptional season of 1901 was
very hard on all the planting in the
different parks, resulting in a loss of
about 30 per cent. Imported eastern
stock is at a great disadvantage be-
cause of different soil and climate An
extensive nursery is therefore very
important where stock can be pro-
duced from seeds and cuttings at a
nominal cost, and nursery stock which
can be obtained at very low figures, can
be properly cared for. till large enough
for permanent planting.
While the Board feels that it has done
all that could have been expected under
the trying conditions of last year, and
in view of the unavoidable expense and
loss of time incident to getting surveys
and plans and preparing for any effec-
tive park work, and of the limited funds
at its disposal to be applied to so many
tracts. several of which really require
heavy construction outlay, it is very Ear
from satisfied with the present status
and prospects
Five thousand dollars per annum is
scarcely a sufficient maintenance al
loWance, and it is folly to attempt to
put into proper shape the three large
tracts which require the most extensive
Il aJflT,T 1cF1t
sum- even if development and nainten-
ance of the four other smaller tracts
required nothing.
1t will be seen that about s.. 600 OF the
approp ria ton for 1902 has necessarily
been expended practically on last years
work because the weather in January
and February has not been favorable
for much effort. 1t leaves about $1,000
for this years work, and after the sup
erintendent's salary and the necessary
general expenses which are not incident
to any particular tract are paid, there
will be about s1,700 to distribute over
several parks and be supervised at ar
expense of $1,000 No wise man. indeed
no foolish man even, would conduct MS
private business in this way.
Parks more than any other public i'm
provement require time for the develop
ment of nature after all the artificial
construction has been completed, before
the public can enter into their full en-
joyrnent- and therefor 1T is prominently
proper that the necessary construction
work and full planting should be done
at once. and out of a liberal bond issue,
in order that too many years shall not
eIapse before the public shall have
something to enjoy. If this generation
does the work and gets little present
enjoyment surely 1t is but right that
the next generation should pay for re-
new the bonds, out of which they get
the full enjoyment OF a completed park
system with but a light annual main
tenanee charge.
When a man builds house. or a mill,
or when a community builds a bTiIge. 4
sewer, a city building, or paves its
streets the full enjoyment is entered
upon Immediately upon completion, yet