Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIII.djvu/118

108 largest of 1,350. Of the latter, one only, Tower Grove park, containing 277 acres, is yet at all adapted to use. A parkway 120 ft. wide and 12 m. long is under construction. Cincinnati has a little over 400 acres of public recreation ground, 207 being in Eden park, which lies on undulating ground commanding fine distant views, and 168 in Burnett wood, which has a similar surface with a fine growth of indigenous trees. There will be about 3 m. of pleasure road in each. Cincinnati possesses in Spring Grove cemetery the best example in the world, probably, of landscape gardening applied to a burial place; and her parks are likely to be improved with the same taste and skill. San Francisco holds 1,100 acres of land for recrea a tion grounds, of which over 1,000 acres is in one body, called the Golden Gate park. This borders on the ocean, and is very bleak and partly covered with drift sand; no trees grow upon it except in an extremely dwarfed and distorted form, and turf can only be maintained by profuse artificial watering; but wherever shelter, fertility, and sufficient root moisture can be secured, a low, southern, almost subtropical vegetation may be maintained throughout the year, of striking luxuriance and beauty. Experiments in arresting the sand and forming a screen of foliage on the shore have been made with promising success. If steadily, boldly, and generously pursued, with a cautious humoring of the design to the unique natural conditions, and skilful adaptation of available means, a pleasure ground not at all park-like, but strikingly original and highly attractive, may be expected. Nearly 7 m. of carriage road has already been formed on the ground, and it is much used. A parkway stretching 3 m. along the shore is provided for, the reservation for it ranging from 200 to 400 ft. in breadth. For other information concerning the parks mentioned above, see the articles on the cities where they are situated; and for accounts of the so-called national parks see (territory), and.