The Wilmington morning star., 1940-03-24
PUBLIC IS URGED
TO VISIT LAKE
Continued from Page One)

to make it a beautiful show spot
and one which will be a riot of color
within the next two weeks when
the bushes are in full bloom.
"This is the peoples project M
for which they have provided the
small amount of money we have
spent, and it is our hope they will
cooperate in the fullest in helping
us protect it against fire and de.
struction.
Last year." he said, I'VE planned
to develop part of the drive as funds
were raised and I would urge the
people to compare that part where
we have worked and where we have
not. The area from the Fourth
street entrance to the first bridge
has been developed intensively and
as we secure more funds We will
take in another area for develop
ment. We are satisfied that if the
people respond to u forthcoming
campaign for funds as we'll as they
responded last year we will have
sufficient funds to extend the de-.
velopment at least half way around
the lake drive. We have our or
ganization set up now and it is just
a matter of keeping the work going.
All the work which has been
done at the lake drive proper has
been done in recent weeks. None of
it was done until after Christmas.
Besides the visible work which is
shown in that area which has been
developed, we have secured protec-
ton for the drive, we have man.
aged its upkeep, we have been able
to put a stop to the practice Of
dumping old automobiles on land
bordering the drive. Those auto
mobiles which have been dumped
there we plan to have moved as
soon as possible.
eff we are able to develop the en-
tire lakeside drive, with that and
the famous Orton gardens and Air
lie, Wilmington will have a show
PA%NS VI ~ OOooC oo oOSO11O
to none in the south.
THE plants which we have put
out will begin to grow rapidly now,'
he said, land two years from now
we will be able to remove every
other bush and replant it some.
where else along the lake drive, ex.
tending our Identification program
at a minimum of cost.
II especially hope" he said, "that
those who contributed the funds for
this Identification work will visit
the section during the next two
weeks to see what has been done
with the $500 which was received
for this years work.
II feel we have been able to dc
a pretty good job. We started late
and found the entire area had
grown up after being neglected fol-
two or three years. The county
gave us the service of c%onvicts and
the city gave us two men and a
truck which have proved invaluable.
We began by cutting down the
bushes and weeds, a job which took
most of the fall. Then the winter
was too cold for further work and
consequently practically everything
which has been accomplished has
been done this spring. The county
gave us a ditching gang. We let
the water down two feet and put
the gang on the edge, where they
threw up a clean, even bank from
the Fourth street entrance one
third of the way around the lake,
eliminating the boys and marches
and making it possible, in the fu-
ture, to cover these banks with
azaleas.
"All of this work has been done
under the direction of Churchill
Bragaw, botanist, of Orion planta-
ton, who has given most freely of
his time and efforts.
"One thing I hope the visitors
will notice. AS they walk down the
steps to the Island which will
eventually be a place of unusual
beauty, they will notice that to the
left of the stone steps nothing has
been planted. It is planned to plant
native wild plants here, such as the
pitcher plant, the Venus fly trap
and other native plants, and will
make this place one of particular
interest to flower lovers from over
the state"