PARK AND C EM ETER 
49 
siderable educational work conducted 
through the aid of the members of the 
Newton Branch of the Massachusetts For- 
estry Association, the appropriation was 
obtained. In the spring a start was made 
and thirty thousand red pine and twenty- 
five thousand white pine transplants were 
planted on the areas designated in the 
working plan. The planting was done by 
contract, the plants being furnished and 
planted by the Franklin Forestry Co. at 
a cost of $800. The balance of the $1,000 
was spent in constructing lire lines and 
lire patrol and no fires of a serious nature 
were reported during the season. This 
year is the first time for six or eight years 
that there has not been at least one lire 
of a more or less serious nature on tliis 
area. 
The State Park Commission of Con- 
necticut was created by act of the General 
Assembly approved June 7, 1918, following 
the recommendations of a special commis- 
sion raised by the General Assembly at its 
session in 1911. Its first report was based 
upon its study for a year and a half ol 
the problems before it, and attempted to 
present for consideration of the General 
Assembly a comprehensive picture of the 
physical situation and a tentative plan for 
the establishment by the State of perma- 
nent public reservations. In the succeed- 
ing two years, the Commission has en- 
deavored, with the resources at its com- 
mand, to develop into tangible shape the 
plans which were then tentatively outlined. 
W'hile appropriations from the State Treas- 
ury have enabled it to accomplish com- 
paratively little in the actual - acquisition 
of park areas, it has gained much in ex- 
perience from handling the practical ques- 
tions involved. It is now confident that its 
experience and its formulated policy war- 
rant the State in entrusting to it the power 
and resources which the development of 
a comprehensive system of State reserva- 
tions requires. The report of the Com- 
mission's Field Secretary for the two fiscal 
years ended September 30, 191G, fairly pre- 
sents the policy of the Commission and 
])resents in detail what the Commission 
has done and, in so far as seems consist- 
ent with the public interest, what acijuisi- 
tions are in contemplation, should the Gen- 
eral .Assembly act favorably upon the Com- 
mission’s recommendations. The first pur- 
chase of land under the Act of 1913 was 
in the Town of Westport, and secured to 
the State of Connecticut about five acres 
of salt meadow and beach sand at the 
easterly end of the tract known as Sher- 
wood Island, which is here separated from 
the mainland only by a small tidal creek. 
In addition to this four other purchases 
have been made, all of the same character, 
that is, without any upland, but securing 
frontage on the Sound. The total front- 
age of the state's present holdings is about 
eighteen hundred feet, and the acreage as 
shown by the deeds about fourteen and 
three-quarters. These purchases are not 
all contiguous, and all ef¥orts to obtain the 
intervening holdings have so far been un- 
successful. About eight miles below Mid- 
dletown and two miles below Middle Had- 
dam, in the Town of East Hampton (for- 
merly Chatham), six purchases of land 
The illustration on the cover of this 
issue shows an impressive expanse of fine 
iron fence that bounds the famous Reger 
Williams Park at Providence, R. I. This 
is an especially simple, massive, dignified 
design of fence that is admirably suited to 
the character of either park or cemetery. 
This contract which was executed by 
the Stewart Iron Works Company, of Cin- 
cinnati, included approximately 1,700 feet 
of iron fence of unusually strong and 
thorough construction. The pickets are 
The sixty-third Annual Meeting of the 
Newton Cemetery Corporation of Newton, 
Mass., w'as held February 7, 1917. The 
report of the treasurer showed a gain in 
the permanent funds over the previous 
year with balances on January 1, 1917. as 
follows: Perpetual Care Fund, $213,281.01; 
Farlow' Memorial Fund, $10,000; Coupon 
Notes Sinking Fund, $2,411.04; Perpetual 
Renewal Fund for monumental work, 
$1,990.75; total, $227,089.40. Interments 
during the year w'ere 219, making total 
number to December 31, 1910, 8,820. 
Sale of lots for the year amounted to 
$13,835, and amount received for perpetual 
care ’was $9,409.75 of which $3,330.75 wa.s 
on lots already ovvned. In addition to the 
Perpetual Care F'und which has been pro- 
^■ided for some years, a new fund has been 
established called the “Perpetual Renewal 
Fund," to care for monumental work. 
The annual report of the Board of Cem- ' 
ctery Commissioners of Bedford, Mass., 
for the year ending December 3, 1910, gives 
an account of the w'ork accomplished dur- 
ing that year, and other interesting sta- 
tistical data. The limited apportionment 
of funds to this department for the last 
two years has made it necessary for the 
executive head to follow along the most 
economical lines that the necessary work 
and best results possible might be accom- 
have been made, covering 455 acres, with 
about 0,1)00 feet of frontage on the Con- 
necticut River. The tracts are not all con- 
tiguous, but no serious obstacles to further 
acquisitions are apparent. 
%-inch square, and are set diagonally, 
spaced 0 inches on centers, and carefully 
tenoned in the lower rail, which is 4 inches 
by 3 inches by inch angle. The top rail 
is 3 inches by V 2 inch, and is solid. The 
line posts are 3 inches by IVs inches and 
extend 4 feet in the ground. The knees 
for these line posts are 3 inches by 3 
inches by 14 inch angle, bolted to the 
posts with ' 3 V 2 inch by V 2 inch bolts and 
the panels are bolted to the knees with 
114 inch by V 2 inch bolts. The height 
when set is 00 inches. 
plished. The foundation wall with new 
coping of concrete along the south boun- 
dary of Rural Cemetery, on line of Mat- 
thew Street has been completed, and is now' 
ready for the five foot iron fence enclosure 
construction. The main drives in this cem- 
etery were macadamized and Tarvia cov- 
ered and are now’ in splendid condition. 
Oak Grove Cemetery received its usual 
good care. Many people found great pleas- 
ure in visiting these grounds during the 
summer season. The park section, with its 
artificial ponds and attractire plant set- 
ting, flower beds and shrubber}-, lending a 
quiet and peaceful influence to one visit- 
ing there; 200 feet of 0-inch drain were 
laid in this cemetery. By reason of its 
limited appropriation, the Board has had 
to withhold further development of Pine 
Grove Cemetery, By a conservative use 
of its funds at hand, it has accomplished 
the installation of 1,050 feet of w'ater pipe, 
connecting the older section of this ceme- 
tery with the main water supply, thus per- 
mitting the abandonment of the old water 
tank. The boundary w'all or enclosure has 
been continued along the property line to 
the west to the interception of contem- 
plated Bowditch Street. Early in the sea- 
son the Board set aside the north half of 
Section 12 for the exclusive use of the 
Veterans of the Spanish American War, 
New Stone Vault Company 
The Independent Stone Co,, First Na- 
tional Bank Bldg., Coluir.bus, O., has re- 
cently been incorporated to market burial 
vaults under the trade name of "Royal 
Blue Stone.” C, W. Jackson is President 
of the company, Franklin O. Reed, Vice- 
President, and Robinson Farmer, Secre- 
tary-Treasurer. Mr. Jackson has had 
twenty-five years’ experience in the quarry 
and mill business, including a number of 
years as a salesman. Mr. Reed has for 
nine years past represented the Southern 
Ohio Vault Co., and its successor. The Mc- 
Dermott Stone Co. 
Mr. Robinson Farmer for several years 
has had charge of the office and sales de- 
partment of The McDermott Stone Co., 
and is personally known to many in the 
vault trade. He will have charge of the 
office and sales department of the new In- 
dependent Stone Co. 
CmETERY NOTES 
The Cover Illustration 
