PARK AND CEMETERY. 
410 
San Francisco; they allow simply a tab- 
let level with the grass. In new sections 
at F'orest Home, Milwaukee, Wis., Mr. 
Currie said all corner posts must be 
set level with the ground and have V- 
sunk letters. If markers are set this 
way they must also have V-sunk letters. 
They are durable and not open to the 
objections made against raised letters. 
“What per cent do the leading ceme- 
teries allow on endowments?” elicited a 
variety of replies ranging from no guar- 
antee to 3 per cent, 4 per cent and in 
some instances 6 per cent. 
The subject of “selling lots on time 
and the security therefor” was consid- 
ered in executive session. 
Thursday morning special electric 
cars conveyed the guests through the 
residential section and by a circuitous 
route to Forest Hill Cemetery, where 
under the shade of spreading trees on 
the lawn near the entrance a business 
session was held. 
“Proper Cemetery Advertising” was 
discussed by John R. Gaudin, secretary 
and treasurer Elmwood Cemetery, Bir- 
mingham, Ala. He divided advertising 
into two classes, verbal and written, and 
thought some good results might be ob- 
tained by the former, but it fails in not 
reaching the masses. The best v'a>’ to 
reach the people, he said, was by illus- 
trated advertisements in the daily pa- 
pers. Forty-eight different features or 
advantages were suggested that could 
be referred to in advertising a modern 
cemetery that would be of interest to 
the public. In addition to daily paper 
advertising Mr. Gaudin said his cemetery 
had used booklets, folders, souvenir post 
cards, circular letters and street car ads. 
with good results. Fie emphasized the 
importance of keeping the advantages 
of the cemetery in the minds of the 
people. Mr. Gaudin said the sales at 
his cemetery had been doubled as a re- 
sult of advertising and he exhibited sam- 
ples of different advertisements that 
had been used to advantage, which he 
placed at the disposal of those who 
wished to see them. 
Mr. Homer Reed, president of Forest 
Hill Cemetery, expressed his apprecia- 
tion of the work of the Association of 
American Cemetery Superintendents and 
extended the members a cordial wel- 
come. 'T think for ten years we have 
sent a representative to your meetings 
and your association will always have 
the support, moral and financial, of 
Forest Hill as long as I have anything 
to do with it.” 
Forest Hill comprises 320 acres of 
gently undulating prairie land southeast 
of the city. In the ten years that have 
passed since it was first established, the 
work of the landscape gardener has 
transformed the grounds and with the 
assistance of nature in the rapid devel- 
opment of trees and shrubs has given 
a beautiful park-like appearance. Three 
thousand interments have been made, 
over $.50,000 e.xpended in permanent im- 
provements and many fine monuments 
erected, among them being a handsome 
shaft to the Confederate dead. Sid J. 
Hare was superintendent here for sev- 
eral years and illustrations showing 
“before and after” improvements made 
under his direction have been seen in 
this journal. The present superintend- 
ent is H. S. Cook and Geo. E. Kessler 
is landscape architect. After a tour of 
inspection, some going by conveyance 
and others on foot, cars were taken for 
Swope Park, where a western barbecue 
was served and a joint session held with 
the Missouri Valley Horticultural So- 
ciety. Superintendent llyer gave per- 
sonal attention to the barbecuing; at 
midnight preceding fires were lighted in 
the trenches -over which the mutton and 
beef were suspended and the meat was 
in readiness for the repast by the fol- 
lowing noon. The members of the Mis- 
souri Valley Horticultural Society pro- 
vided the other good things for the in- 
ner man that fitted in to a barbecue 
menu, and one hundred and fifty or 
more enjoyed this open air feast which 
was spread on one of tlie spacious lawns 
in Swope Park. 
Appropriate resolutions were adopted 
on the death of John M. Bo.xell, who 
had been an active memlier of the asso- 
ciation since 1889. 
The officers nominated for the ensu- 
ing year were unanimously elected and 
New York was chosen for the next 
meeting place, and President-elect Cur- 
rie named the members of the executive 
committee for 1909 as follows : W. C. 
Grassau, “Greenwood,” Brooklyn; C. M. 
Chamberlain, “Mt. Olivet,” Maspeth, 
L. I. ; J. H. Cunningham, “Calvary,” 
Long Island City; and Fred R. Diering, 
“Woodlawn,” New York. 
Prof. W. R. Dutcher, Warrensburg, 
Mo., a member of the Missouri Valley 
Horticultural Society, read a paper on 
“Forestry for Our W'aste Lands.” In 
the discussion which followed A. W. 
Stubbs, of Kansas City, Kan., said there 
was three hundred and fifty thousand 
acres of what was known as western 
desert land now l)eing planted to pine 
timber under tlie auspices of tlie gov- 
ernment. In Nelsraska there arc pine 
trees from thirty to forty feet high 
growing on what were once sand hills or 
sand dunes. Under the reclamation ser- 
vice and forestry reserve work now be- 
ing done by the United States govern- 
ment the western half of this country 
will in time become the productive equal 
of any part of the Union. 
H. Wilson Ross, "Newton," Newton. 
Mass., read a paper on the subject of 
"Evergreens and Grasses in Cemeter\- 
Planting," in which he referred to the 
pleasing winter as well as summer ef- 
fects of evergreens, particularly with 
those varieties that can be pruned and 
kept small. He also advocated the nse 
of hardy ornamental grasses in narrow 
spaces around lots or between head- 
stones. “As they die back to the 
ground each year and are easily sub- 
divided they need never become objec- 
tionable to lot holders, yet we may use 
them to hide many undesirable fea- 
tures." 
“Among the most satisfactory grasses 
are the Eulalias in variety, Gracillima 
univittata Japonica; Japonica varie- 
gata ; Japonica zebrina, the striped rib- 
bon grass; Phalaris arundinacea, va- 
riegated, the hard\', and some of the 
half hardy bamboos." 
Dr, John T. Mitchell, of the Horti- 
cultural Society, read a paper on “The 
value of the apple in the home,” and 
the meeting closed after adopting the 
following resolution: 
‘■Resolved that the .Association of Amer- 
ican Cemetery Superintendents and the Mis- 
souri Valley Horticultural Society, in joint 
meeting: assembled, do heartily indorse tlie 
efforts of the United States Government in 
preventing the useless destruction of forests 
and in extending the limits of forest areas 
wherever practicable throughout the United 
States.” 
A letter was read from Mrs. John M. 
Boxell expressing her appreciation for 
the letters of condolence she had re- 
ceived and for the floral tribute sent 
by the association. 
Convention Notes 
The ladies were present in goodly 
numbers. W'hy not organize a ladies’ 
auxiliary, with Mrs. Hay as the fiist 
president ? 
\V. L. Vail of the city of Mexico. 
Mexico, a memlier of the .\merican 
colony and interested in their newly or- 
ganized cemetery, was at the Coates 
House during the convention and met 
a number of the superintendents. 
Ezra Downs, vice-president of Mount 
.Yuburn Cemetery, St. Joseph, Mo., and 
an official of the Alisscuiri Cemeteu 
Improvement Compan\- of that city, was 
among the new members. Through the 
agency of this association cemeteries in 
a number of small towiu in .Missouri 
arc being improved and iiroi)erl> 
cared for. 
Robt. D. Boice was taken ill during 
the convention, but reco\ercd sufficientl.\' 
to proceed on a pleasure trip through 
Kansas the day after adjournment. Mr. 
Boice is iirobably the oldest member of 
the association in years, but one ol the 
youngest in spirit. Me h;is atti’iuK'd 
