e。
  Clearing　The　Land
  The　task　of　clearing　the　land　was　finished　in　a　few　months。　In　addition　to　the　government　reserve；　the　Exposition　had　seventy…six　city　blocks。　They　represented　two　hundred　parcels　of　land；　with　175　owners；　and　contained　four　hundred　dwellings；　barns　and　improvements。　Most　of　the　buildings　were　torn　down。　A　few　were　used　elsewhere。　Precautions　were　taken　to　re…enforce　with　piles　the　foundations　of　the　buildings　and　of　the　heavy　exhibits。
  The　director　of　works　became　responsible　for　the　purchase　of　all　the　lumber　to　be　used　in　building。　It　was　bought　wholesale；　shipped　from　the　sawmills　and　delivered　to　the　sites。　So　there　was　a　big　saving　here；　through　the　buying　in　bulk　and　through　reduced　cost　in　handling　and　hauling。　The　first　contracts　given　out　were　for　the　construction　of　the　palaces。　An　estimate　was　made　of　the　exact　number　of　feet　available　for　exhibits　and　charts　were　prepared　to　keep　a　close　record　on　the　progress　of　the　work。　Incidentally；　other　means　of　watching　progress　consisted　of　the　amounts　paid　out　each　month。　During　the　earlier　months　the　expenditures　went　on　at　the　rate　of　a　million　a　month。　Every　three　weeks　a　contract　for　a　building　would　be　given　out。　The　same　contractors　figured　on　each　building。　From　the　start　it　was　understood　that　the　work　should　be　done　by　union　men。　The　chief　exceptions　were　the　Chinese　and　the　Japanese。　The　exhibitors　had　the　privilege　of　bringing　their　own　men。　In　all　about　five　thousand　men　were　employed；　working　either　eight　or　nine　hours　a　day。　During　the　progress　of　the　work　there　were　few　labor　troubles。
  One　wise　feature　of　the　planning　lay　in　the　economy　of　space。　It　succeeded　in　reaching　a　compactness　that　made　for　convenience　without　leading　to　overcrowding。　Great　as　this　Exposition　was　to　be；　in　its　range　worthy　to　be　included　among　the　expositions　of　the　first　class；　it　should　not　weary　the　visitors　by　making　them　walk　long　distances　from　point　to　point。　In　spite　of　its　magnitude；　it　should　have　a　kind　of　intimacy。
  Choice　of　Material
  There　were　certain　dangers　that　the　builders　of　the　Exposition　had　to　face。　One　of　the　most　serious　was　that　buildings　erected　for　temporary　use　only　might　look　tawdry。　It　was；　of　course；　impracticable　to　use　stone。　The　cost　would　have　been　prohibitive；　and　plaster　might　have　made　the　gorgeous　palaces　hardly　more　than　cheap　mockeries。
  Under　the　circumstances　it　was　felt　that　some　new　material　must　be　devised　to　meet　the　requirements。　Already　Paul　E。　Denneville　had　been　successful　in　working　with　material　made　in　imitation　of　Travertine　marble；　used　in　many　of　the　ancient　buildings　of　Rome；　very　beautiful　in　texture　and　peculiarly　suited　to　the　kind　of　building　that　needed　color。　He　it　was　who　had　used　the　material　in　the　Pennsylvania　Station；　New　York；　in　the　upper　part　of　the　walls。　After　a　good　deal　of　experimenting　Denneville　had　found　that　for　his　purpose　gypsum　rock　was　most　serviceable。　On　being　ground　and　colored　it　could　be　used　as　a　plaster　and　made　to　seem　in　texture　so　close　to　Travertine　marble　as　to　be　almost　indistinguishable。　The　results　perfectly　justified　his　faith。　As　the　palaces　rose　from　the　ground；　making　a　magnificent　walled　city；　they　looked　solid　and　they　looked　old　and　they　had　distinct　character。　Moreover；　through　having　the　color　in　the　texture；　they　would　not　show　broken　and　ragged　surfaces。
  The　Color　Scheme
  For　the　color…effects　it　was　felt　that　just　the　right　man　must　be　found　or　the　result　would　be　disastrous。　The　choice　fell　on　Jules　Guerin；　long　accepted　as　one　of　the　finest　colorists　among　the　painters　of　his　time。　He　followed　the　guidance　of　the　natural　conditions　surrounding　the　Exposition；　the　hues　of　the　sky　and　the　bay；　of　the　mountains；　varying　from　deep　green　to　tawny　yellow；　and　of　the　morning　and　evening　light。　And　he　worked；　too；　with　an　eye　on　those　effects　of　illumination　that　should　make　the　scene　fairyland　by　night；　utilizing　even　the　tones　of　the　fog。
  The　Planting
  There　was　no　difficulty　in　finding　a　man　best　suited　to　plan　the　garden　that　was　to　serve　as　the　Exposition's　setting。　For　many　years　John　McLaren　had　been　known　as　one　of　the　most　distinguished　horticulturists　in　this　part　of　the　world。　As　superintendent　of　Golden　Gate　Park　he　had　given　fine　service。　Moreover；　he　was　familiar　with　the　conditions　and　understood　the　resources　and　the　possibilities。　Of　course　a　California　exposition　had　to　maintain　California's　reputation　for　natural　beauty。　It　must　be　placed　in　on　ideal　garden；　representing　the　marvelous　endowment　of　the　State　in　trees　and　shrubs　and　plants　and　flowers　and　showing　what　the　climate　could　do　even　with　alien　growths。
  The　first　step　that　McLaren　took　was　to　consult　the　architects。　They　explained　to　him　the　court　plan　that　they　had　agreed　on　and　they　gave　him　the　dimensions　of　their　buildings。　Against　walls　sixty　feet　high　he　planned　to　place　trees　that　should　reach　nearly　to　the　top。　For　his　purpose　he　found　four　kinds　of　trees　most　serviceable：　the　eucalyptus；　the　cypress；　the　acacia　and　the　spruce。　In　his　search　for　what　he　wanted　he　did　not　confine　himself　to　California。　A　good　many　trees　he　brought　down　from　Oregon。　Some　of　his　best　specimens　of　Italian　cypress　he　secured　in　Santa　Barbara；　in　Monterey　and　in　San　Jose。　He　also　drew　largely　on　Golden　Gate　Park　and　on　the　Presidio。　In　all　he　used　about　thirty　thousand　trees；　more　than　two…thirds　eucalyptus　and　acacia。
  Preparing　the　Landscape
  Two　years　before　the　Exposition　was　to　open　McLaren　built　six　greenhouses　in　the　Presidia　and　a　huge　lath　house。　There　he　assembled　his　shrubs；　his　plants；　and　his　bulbs。　In　all　he　must　have　used　nearly　a　million　bulbs。　From　Holland　he　imported　seventy　thousand　rhododendrons。　　From　Japan　he　brought　two　thousand　azaleas。　In　Brazil　he　secured　some　wonderful　specimens　of　the　cineraria。　He　even　sent　to　Africa　for　the　agrapanthus；　that　grew　close　to　the　Nile。　Among　native　flowers　he　collected　six　thousand　pansies；　ten　thousand　veronicas　and　five　thousand　junipers；　to　mention　only；　a　few　among　the　multitude　a　flowers　that　he　intended　to　use　for　decoration。　The　grounds　he　had　carefully　mapped　and　he　studied　the　landscape　and　the　shape　and　color　of　the　buildings　section；　by　section。
  The　planting　of　trees　consumed　many　months。　The　best　effects　McLaren　found　he　could　get　by　massing。　He　was　particularly　successful　with　the　magnificent　Fine　Arts　Palace；　both　in　his　groupings　and　in　his　use　of　individual　trees。　About　the　lagoon　he　did　some　particularly　attractive　planting；　utilizing　the　water　for　reflection。　There　was　a　twisted　cypress　that　he　placed　alone　against　the　colonnade　with　a　skill　that　showed　the　insight　and　the　feeling　of　an；　artist。　On；　the　water　side；　the　Marina；　he　used　the　trees　to　break　the　bareness　of　the　long　esplanade。　And　here　and　there　on　the　grounds；　for　pure　decoration；　he　reached　some　of　his　finest　effects　with　the　eucalyptus；　for　which　he　evidently　had　a　particular　regard。　As　no　California　Exposition　would　be　complete　without　palm　trees；　provision　was　made　for　the　decorative　use　of　palms　along　of　the　main　walks。
  About　two　weeks　before　the　opening；　the　first　planting　of　the　gardens　was　completed；　the　first　of　the　three　crops　to　be　displayed　during　the　Exposition。　The　flowers　included　most　of　the　spring　flowers　grown　here　in　California　or　capable　of　thriving　in　the　California　spring　climate。　In　June　they　were　to　be　re…placed　with　geraniums；　begonias；　asters；　gilly…flowers；　foxglove；　hollyhocks；　lilies　and　rhododendrons。　The　autumn　display；　would　include　cosmos　and　chrysanthemums　and　marguerites。
  The　Hedge
  As　the　work　proceeded；　W。　B。　Faville；　the　architect；　of　Bliss　and　Faville；　made　a　suggestion　for　the　building　of　a　fence　that　should　look　as　if　it　were　moss…covered　with　age。　The　result　was　that　developing　the　suggestion　McLaren　devised　a　new　kind　of　hedge　likely　to　be　used　the　world　over。　It　was　made　of　boxes；　six　feet　long　and　two　feet　wide；　containing；　a　two…inch　layer　of　earth；　held　in　place　by　a　wire　netting；　and　planted　with　South　African　dew　plant；　dense；　green　and　hardy　and　thriving　in　this　climate。　Those　boxes；　when　piled　to　a　height　of　several　feet；　made　a　rustic　wall　of　great　beauty；　Moreover；　they　could　be　continuously　irrigated　by　a　one…inch　perforated　line　of　pipe。　In　certain　lights　the　water　trickling　through　the　leaves　shimmered　like　gems。　In　summer　the　plant　would　produce　masses　of　small　purple　flowers。
  McLaren　found　his　experiment　so　successful　that　he　decided　to　build　a　hedge　twenty　feet　high；　extending　more　than　a　thousand　feet。　He　also　used　the　hedge　extensively　in　the　landscape　design　for　the　Palace　of　Fine　Arts。
  The　Sculptors
  The　department　of　sculpture　was　placed　under　the　direction　of　one　of　the　most　distinguished　sculptors　in　the　country。　Karl　Bitter；　of　New　York；　whose　death　from　an　automobile　accident　took　place　a　few　weeks　after　the　Exposition　opened。　He　gathered　around　him　an　extraordinary　array　of　co…operators；　including　many　of　the　most　brilliant　names　in　the　world　of　art；　with　A。　Stirling　Calder　as　the　acting　chief；　the　man　on　the　ground。　Though　he　did　not　contribute　any　work　of　his　own；　he　was　active　in　developing