PARK AND CEMETERY 
AND LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 
Vol. XIX Chicago, July, 1909 No. 5 
The Value of Experiment Station Bulletins 
The usefulness of State Agricultural Experiment Sta- 
tions has been demonstrated over and over again, and 
in many ways. Their cost is a negligible quantity in 
comparison with the amount saved by improved eco- 
nomic conditions secured by the investigations carried 
on, and the higher knowledge imparted to the producers, 
by their continuous activities. A bulletin recently is- 
U'ied by the Ohio Station on the misrepresentation of 
tree agents in regard to the black locust is a practical 
example of usefulness; it will save loss and disappoint- 
ment to numbers of people, striking a severe blow 
against fraudulent salesmanship and should, from the 
amount of practical knowledge conveyed in the bulletin, 
impress those interested with the value of such litera- 
ture disseminated under authority. Now that farm for- 
estry is taking hold of the agriculturist such informa- 
tion is exceptionally timely, and the State Experiment 
Station should be consulted in all cases of doubt as to 
kinds of trees, culture, etc., most adaptable to the vari- 
ous requirements, and it is certain that the station au- 
thorities are always eagerly awaiting such evidences 
of confidence. 
^ N? 
The Chicago Outer Park System 
One of the important acts of the recent Illinois legis- 
lature, so far as Chicago is concerned, was the Outer Belt 
park bill which authorizes the creation of forest preserve 
districts by popular vote. Any 1,000 voters within any 
county may petition the county judge to cause the ques- 
tion of establishing a county forest preserve district to 
be submitted to the electors at the next election. This 
bill it is expected will secure the proposed outer belt park 
system for Chicago. The vast plans now being consid- 
ered for the further improvement of Chicago give this 
city the lead in all current efforts for municipal better- 
ments. 
Billboards for City Advertising 
The Chamber of Commerce of Rochester, N. Y., quite 
recently advanced a proposition to advertise the merits 
of the city on a gigantic billboard placed alongside of its 
railway approaches. As ought to have been expected 
protests were immediately forthcoming, among them a 
convincing letter from Mr. Charles Mulford Robinson. 
The proposition must have been astounding, especially 
when but a few months ago, this same organization of 
business men promoted a public meeting, which was large- 
ly attended, at which Mr. J. Horace McFarland spoke 
against billboards. It is gratifying to note that the effects 
of the protests tended rather to inspire the members of 
the board to still further efforts towards civic ideals, and 
to urge all business men to aid in the removal of all bill- 
boards from the vicinity of Rochester. The publicly ex- 
pressed sentiments of the board in regard to the improve- 
ment of Rochester have a true ring after all, and the idea 
of advertising Rochester will materialize in active work 
to make the city a “City of Flowers, Business and Good 
Fellowship,” in which every one interested is warmly 
invited to help. The idea of advertising an ideal city on 
a gigantic billboard is too much of a joke to be taken 
seriously. 
Congressional Lapses 
Two of the late president’s progressive schemes have 
probably been put out of commission by the failure of 
Congress to provide the necessary funds — the Fine Arts 
and Country Life Commissions. It possibly means only 
delay, for under some form or other the desirable ends 
sought to be accomplished by these commissions will be 
further investigated. Whatever the future may bring about 
in the relations between its Congress and the people, 
one thing is certain, we must have men as representatives 
who are enlightened enough to be representatives in fact 
as well as in name. Important questions, bearing inti- 
mately on the national welfare, should not be subject to 
capricious temperament caused either by poor mental or 
physical digestion. 
The Park Superintendents in Convention 
A splendid summer entertainment is planned for the 
annual convention of the American Association of Park 
Superintendents. The convention proper is to be held 
at Seattle, Wash., August 9 - 11 , and Tacoma August 12 - 13 , 
and a full description of the affair, together with the pre- 
liminary program, will be found in another column. Time, 
place and opportunities never promised a better harvest of 
good for the annual convention of such an association, and 
the temptation will be great for the park superintendents 
throughout the country to avail themselves of the excel- 
lent arrangements made by the association for an enjoy- 
able and profitable meeting. From an educational and a 
professional outlook it is difficult to imagine a more in- 
spiring occasion. Eastern men will see park practice and 
development on different lines, while their western breth- 
ren may gain new ideas and a broader understanding from 
the papers and discussions, and all present will unques- 
tionably be benefited. The social side will not be neg- 
lected, it is certain, so that the summer outing will be 
unique. Business and pleasure will unite with the Seattle 
Exposition as a rallying point, to insure a ma.ximum of 
profit from the trip. With more earnestness than ever, 
it is urged upon every municipality interested in its park 
development to arrange that its superintendent be pres- 
ent at this convention. In no cheaper Avay could so much 
professional knowledge and experience be acquired, and 
common business policy dictates the suggestion. 
Vg Vjg 
Caring for Public Statuary 
It is unfortunate, to say the least, that our municipal 
authorities, with very few exceptions, disregard their 
obligations to public statuary, the care of which devolves 
upon them in their official capacity, and they should cer- 
tainly hasten to follow the example of their European 
confreres. In the main, public monuments and statuary 
are there cleaned annually, and, moreover, it would be 
quite remarkable to find a work of art neglected and 
bare of appropriate surroundings, as is so very often the 
case in this rich land of ours. While we simply deplore 
such facts on the part of our city governments, and more 
or less let it go at that, we fail to realize what harm we 
are doing in so many ways, morally, educationally, ethic- 
ally and, so to speak, commercially. For neglect of statu- 
ary donated, say, by private citizens prejudices other pos- 
sible donors and most positively tends to check and dis- 
courage those whose temperament and enthusiasm for 
art induces the desire to make such gifts. 
