Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-08-23
SAYS SOIL OF FAMOUS
PARK IS PLAYED OUT
NEW YORK COMMISSIONER IS IN
A ouANDARY
Must Resell Central Park or See Nese-
taton Die, and Municipality
Declines to Pay for
Work

NEW YORK, Aug. 22.-From time to
time attention has been called TO the
deterioration of New Yorks chief re-
creation ground, Central park, put lit
tie has been done to better conditions.
According to the park superintendent,
unless philanthropists come forward
with the necessary funds or the city
puts up the money the land Will be-
come SO impoverished that trees and
turf will give way to stunted shruppery
and sand wastes.
Henry snith, park commissioners has
come to a realization OF this state OF
affairs after thorough study Oh tile
ravages that time has made IN the pro-
ducing quality of the soil. In VAIN
however. has he asked for money from
the city, for two reasons: First, tine
city is too short of money to give MN ~
the funds and, second, there Is point
ical opposition to such an outlay even
in the event that the public purse coulo
be stretched to make 1t.
1t would take about $l,oOOOOO 10 re-
soil the park properly Already INT I,l
ground is something IL nine gii ~
sand and gravel and every new plant
ins of trees or flowers necessitates
special preparation, as in the recent
case of rhododendrons given py Mrs.
T3,,sseu Sage. The trees are dying 1ast.
This is not a statement based on guess
work. but upon the testimony OF eX-
perts who have made careful oDserVa-
lions. 49,, art,,
When he city created the, par.h
about three-quarters OF a century asO,
a loud wall went up from .pohIlclans
that the place would develop INTO a
Measure ground for the rich ana not
a resort for the poor. OF course, tne
fallaev of that theory has been proved
10 a great extent, but the effect OF the
initial arguments against spending
money on the park has not disappeared
altogether. The commissioner, IKE nus
predecessors. recognizes the olIncul.y
of getting adequate appropl 10 LIS,
even though the municipal treasury
were full, Instead of depleted.
Trouble Seventy Years Old
For more than seventy years, then,
there has been trouble in obtaining
fine funds needed to keep the park In
shane. Practically nothing has been
spent for resoiling. That the soil Is no
longer capable of nourishing the roilage
is apparent to any one familiar with
the scientific aspects of the question.
In virgin forest the ground is fertilized
by the leaves that fall from the trees,
but in Central park, where all the
leaves are hauled off the grass as
soon as they fall, there has been, OF
course, no such continual reinvlgorat--
ing of the earth. Each year the soil
has grown weaker until it now mas
almost none of its original virtues for
supporting growing things.
The soil of Manhattan island is large
ly sand, and has never been adapted
to cultivation without considerable
and continued artificial improvement
and the condition which has been
reached in Central park Is indicated
by a recent analysis Of average earth,
which showed 92.01 per cent sand and
only 2S3 per cent humus. In contrast
to this may be set an analysis of land
in New Jersey, which showed 70 per
cent humus.
1t is the percentage of humus tha
makes land good or bad for cultivation
BY hGmus is meant decayed vegetable
matter, and although the rs per cent
alluded to In the New Jersey analysis