The San Francisco call., 1910-11-16
McLaren Inspects the
Parks of South Side
Finds 10000 Trees Out of
1900 Fourishing at Balboa

grasses which bind and hold the sand
in place. What nature has done for
us would have cost more than half
million Of dollars"
PLAYGROUND FOR CHILDREN
At the junction of the Great High
way and Sloat boulevard a playground
for children has been installed. with
swings, iron horses and rings. In
time a concrete convenience station
will be established at this point.
In Balboa park, at San Jose and
Ocean View avenues. the superintend-
ent made a special investigation as to
the report that the trees planted there
had ''withered away" He found that
of the 1900 trees of different varieties
planted there within year and a half,
all but those Of the redwood variety.
set In rocky soil on the line of Phelan
avenue, at the western end Of the park.
were thriving. The caretaker reported
that of the whole number less than
1900 have not taken root.
TREES TO BE REPLACED
These" said the superintendent.
will be replaced by trees that will
grow in any soil. The eastern side OF
the park. which was under lease to
vegetable gardeners by the city and
only came under %he direct control OF
the commissioners three months ago,
will, during the winter. be plowed and
set to grass and made as beaut1ful
plot as is the southeastern corner But
all this takes time and labor and, like
the trees planted here. will not grow
in a night"
TREES OF HOLLY PARK
At Holly park, east of Mission street,
nues. which up to two years ago was
a refugee camp. there is a young for
est of trees to 10 feet in height.
On the north end q gang OF men was
clearing away the trees in order TO
establish on the side a grass plot 21O
feet square. which will be used as
ball field by junior players. Eleven
thousand dollars was set aside recently
for the Improvement of this park. and
when it is finished IL will have for the
public in addition to the baseball
grounds. two Fairgrounds for chill
dren. tennis court. a swimming tank
and fountain in the center. The
elevation of this park enables those
who visit it to view the city in four
different directions.
WORK AT BERNAL PARK
At Bernal park, on the Bernal hills.
at Folsom and Army streets and run
out the ground preparatory to building
a concrete coping 420 feet long on
two sides and 30 feet on the other
two The trees there are in good con-
dftfon and the ground is grassed from
end to end.
Tt is intended to make a pathway
six feet wide across the park opposite
Treat avenue for the accommodation
of those who wish to cross from the
north side without having to tramp
over wet grass.
Garfield square, between Twenty
fifth and Twenty sixth streets. Treat
avenue and Harrison street. IL was
found. needed only a few minor i'm
provements and these were ordered
At Franklin square, in Bryant street
between Sixteenth and Seventeenth.
which up to year and a half ago was
a rock pile 90 feet above grade and
covered with refugee shacks, has been
graded, sloped, and IS men were pre-
pairing the sides so that a curb Of
concrete four feet high might be built
around it. The surface will be
reached by broad concrete stairs Many
trees have been planted and are -four
ishing In due time this park will be
laid out in walks and grass plots.
At Mission square force of men
under the direction of the board Of
public works, is grading Nineteenth
street and laying out sidewalks.
Many trees have been planted In
Duboce square, which is magnificent
green spot OF the Western addition.
The idea of establishing a playground
at this point has been abandoned
Superintendent McLaren received a
bag of acorns Monday from the
George Washington and Martha Wash
ington oak trees in a grove in Louisi-
ana near New Orleans, with a request
that they be planted in the parks of
ha