City of Seattle Records

2 order to kill out the growth, leaving the ground work for the last. It should also be reported, that the native woods, trees and shrubs, selected and retained as neucleus to the future ornamentation of the Park, was by nature very favorable, so that even now, inits most raw condition, the landscape development is quite effective and bids results still more attractive in genuine Park scenery. On the day, previous to the departure of your superintendent, he received a communication (in French) from Monseur De Villmoran, stating that he not only had secured official recognition for the City of Seattle for special exchanges of rare plants and seeds from his own, the French governmental gardens and the Arnold Arboretum, Mass. but had also secured the same from the Royal Kyew Gardens of England. It is therefore, with no little satisfaction, reported to your Honorable Board, that through his trip to Mount Rainier entailed a large personal expense, and was devoted to the producing of as large results, as so limited time, upon as large as area of territory permitted, especially where there still remained large areas of snow and consequent immature vegetation, the collection consists of a large and quite complete assortment of specimens in leaf and bloom which are now under treatment for preservation and can not be distribute beside some 40 kinds of choice varieties with mature seeds. It is urged, that the City of Seattle should make as large and complete a collection of her native tree - shrub - and - plant - seeds, as can be made possible for the contribution to these noted government institutions shall be of sufficient amount to deserve valuable recognition abroad.

To that end, interested Citizens might be invited, to cooperate and assist to swell the list by collecting such seeds and specimen of plants, that may be convenient to their reach and entirely out of ours, while the department is authorized to recognise such contributions by desirable exchanges with them. It is not foreign to the mission of the City's Park Commission to be informed of some of the facts, relative to the United States Reservation, created and designated as the "Pacific Coast Park Reserve", embracing an area 10 miles square about Mount Rainier. The natural beauty of the Preservation is indeed wonderful. It's numerous streams, cascades, torrents and waterfalls, amid solid walls of rugged rocks and verdure, have no equal anywhere. The symetrical and charming beauty of the characteristic trees, crowning and dressing the tops of ridges, hills, and mounts, with their varied undergrowths constitute unequaled natural groves, clusters and groups. These trees, by reason of their altitude have made very slow and very short annual growths, and thus have become extremely dense and compact in their foliage and twiggs. Their resinous nature as also the miniture moss forming upon them, make then extremely inflammable, this fact has induced some of Tacoma's visiting Citizens as reported be settlers and guides to set fire to them, merely to enjoy a momentary rocket conflagration and thus, many ao incalculable forest gem has been killed, and the beautiful Park scenery of Paradise Valley irreparable marred and injured, while others have ruthlesslly cut down live trees for their campfire wood. In a short time, if such vandalism is not prempterily stpooed, one of the if not the most beautiful natural park in the United States will have been ruined beyond reparation. It is also time that this over