Evening star., 1911-08-24
INCREASED BEAUTY
OF CAPITAL PARKS
Changes Made Under Direc.
ton of Col. Cosby to Secure
Better Effects.

| Many improvements have been made to
| the parks and park spaces in the District
| with the general idea Of giving better
landscape effects. Details Of the work
are contained in a special report made
by Col. Cosby, the officer in charge Of
public buildings and grounds, to Gen.
Bixby, chief of engineers Of the army.
He says that all the parks were main
tanned in good condition during the past
year and that gratifying progress was
made in constructing cement coping
around the reservations and placing
posts Of the same material at the en-
frances of the walks. The regular
work consisted of planting and caring
for flower beds. pruning trees and shrubs.
trimming hedges, moving and raking
lawns, sodding or seeding bare places,
removing dead trees and cleaning the
roads and walks
Special efforts were made for the i'm
provement of Lincoln Park and the
small triangular reservations east and
west of Scott Circle.
A new landscape design was developed
in Lincoln Park. In the area west OF
the statue of Lincoln q broad entrance
mall now leads directly to the statue on
the axis of East Capitol street, replacing
the previous circuitous walk system. The
former circular flower beds have given
place to a large perennial flower garden
which borders the mall on both sides. and
in turn is inclosed by thick plantation
Of large Towering shrubs.
Flower Beds Sodded Over.
In Scott Circle the four flower beds
were sodded over, and in their stead
five-foot bed constructed around the circle
just inside the coping. This has been
planted with ivy and edged with box. The
general design Of reservation g. at the
intersection of Rhode Island and Massa-
chusetts avenues and 18th street, has
been changed entirely in order to give
more pleasing landscape setting to the
statue of Daniel webster. An evergreen
background of hemlock was planted and
the two large privet bushes at the back
of the statue were transplanted on either
side, to frame the statue. Two long BEDS
Of rhododendrOns were constructed TO
carry out the same effect. Several over
grown shrubs in front OF the statue were
removed and that area was planted with
five-foot border of English ivy, edged
with dwarf box. A large pattern flower
bed in the form of a shield was placed
phalt walks in the park also were
changed to give a broader effect to the
foreground of the statue.
A rearrangement of the small reserva-
ton at the east of Scott Circle, containing
the statue Of Hahnemann, included the
removal of two large privet bushes from
the southwest corner of the park. One
of these bushes was replanted on the
north side of the Hahnemann statue and
the other on the south side. 1t Is ex-
planned that this work was done In ac-
cordance with a new landscape plan
which proposes a unity in the design OF
the group of reservations at this point.
Reservation No. 126. at the intersection
of Virginia and Potomac avenues, be-
tween 9th and 18th streets southeast. was
developed into a public playground. The
Playground Association constructed
wading pool, comfort station, sand boxes,
swings, etc, and government officials con-
structed a cinder running track, 2OO rect
long and % feet wide and large floral
circle in the center OF the reservation.
Twelve small evergreen specimens were
planted In the circle and it was inclosed
with a hedge. The lawns were improved
and drinking fountain was erected at
The east end Of the reservation.