PARK AND CEMETERY 
AND LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 
Vol. XIX Chicago, September, 1909 No. 7 
Children and Fall Flower Shows 
We are now about in the season of fall flower shows 
and time continues to demonstrate the advisability of en- 
gaging the enthusiasm of the young in this side line of 
improvement work. One would think that the experience 
had all been garnered concerning the good accruing from 
the practical work of flower and plant growing among the 
children, but every year in which the work is consistently 
and thoroughly undertaken • and pursued, fresh proofs of 
the good accomplished are always realized. Nor is it the 
greatest thing by any means that the work excites the 
interest of the parents and the older people and thus 
promotes to a greater or less degree the desire for im- 
provement and the beautifying of surroundings, for the 
study of plant development and growth, from the tiny 
seed or rootless cutting to the matured plant and beau- 
tiful flower or fruit, incites to better thought and feeling 
and impresses upon the budding character of the young, 
attributes that surely make for permanent and sterling 
strength. In the country the boys appear to be taking 
hold of some of the important crop questions and with 
the true characteristics of the “little man” corn growing 
associations of boys are rapidly increasing, which, beside 
having important influences in character building from 
the necessity of care, persistence, intelligence and work, 
will become important auxiliaries in the improvement of 
corn and its culture. That the avenues of improvement 
both in physical and spiritual matters are constantly de- 
veloping is a sure proposition, but that the American 
people are growing more ready to push along each av- 
enue as it opens out, is the most hopeful prornise for 
American progress toward an ideal civilization. 
Ng Ng Ne 
Improve the River Frontage 
The grand opportunity for making a “city beautiful” 
of all the river towns is one that has been seriously over- 
looked, and it is a strange fact. However, as “it is never 
too late to mend,” although in the majority of such neg- 
lected opportunities the cost will now have to be many 
times multiplied to satisfy the neglect, numbers of such 
towns throughout the country are moving to take advan- 
tage of the river as an improvement issue. A notable 
instance is that of Quinc 3 q 111., situated on the Missis- 
sippi, where under the energetic and persistent leadership 
of Mr. E. J. Parker, to whom Quincy is deeply indebted 
for its excellent park and boulevard system, steps are 
being taken to improve and create esplanades as soon as 
the government establishes the harbor lines. Not only 
should improvement be in order along the busy dock and 
wharf thoroughfares of the river town but the banks of 
the river should be planted and beautified on its whole 
course. The value of such improvement work can 
scarcely be estimated; it would add to the pleasure of 
living in such a town immensely. 
Ng Ng 
An Important Cemetery Question 
The work of getting a new cemetery “upon its feet,” 
as the saying goes, does not depend entirely on the pro- 
moters, the cost, or the beauty of the improvements. It 
depends largely on the attitude of the community towards 
the nn.v enterprise. This attitude often means prejudice 
against conditions; possibly in most cases it is due to the 
greater distance from town, a necessity brought about by 
modern ideas and practice in cemetery development. 
There is no doubt that in spite of the disadvantages and 
objectionable features, now more or less recognized in 
the older burial grounds, people will customarily be slow 
in setting aside their objections to the longer journey and 
in patronizing the farther yet far more beautiful and con- 
venient grounds of the modern cemeterj-, so long as ac- 
commodation maj" be found nearer home. - However, 
where all the details connected with the establishment of 
a new cemetery have been carefully considered, it, never- 
theless, shows a lack of public spirit and intelligence on 
the part of any community to hold back, their patronage 
where every matter connected with the disposal of the dead 
amid beautiful and restful surroundings marks up- 
to-date progress. It is possible that a scheme of educa- 
tion through the liberal use of the local press, in addition 
to some personal missionary work, would more rapidly 
create a responsive public feeling. 
The Society of American Florists 
The tw’enty-fifth anniversary meeting of the S. A. F. & 
O. H., which was held last month in Cincinnati, O., was 
a delightful and interesting occasion, and should spur the 
members on to still greater accomplishrrients. The re- 
marks of Air. J. C. Vaughan, of Chicago, on the work 
and effects of the Association during the 25 years of its 
existence were particularly instructive. The development 
of the flower growing industry from a comparatively few 
scattered and often poorly equipped plants in 1884, to 
the immense and profitable establishments of today, as 
well as the general distribution of florists’ stores in nearly 
every town, great or small, in the country, must be placed 
to the credit of the Society. Mr. Vaughan well expressed 
the idea of its influence on the gardeners and florists of 
years ago. whose love of the art and devotion to it, led 
them to overlook the business end and kept them finan- 
cially at the foot of the list of commercial enterprises. 
All this is changed, and flower and plant growing and 
distribution have become important lines of business, and 
of perhaps greater importance really, is that the love of 
flowers and plants«has been vastly increased in both, city 
and country, improving and uplifting in the influence ex- 
erted for good upon all classes of citizens. The work of 
the Society of American Florists has been closely in line 
with that of the Association of American Cemetery Su- 
perintendents, which has resulted in such a radical change 
in the common understanding and development of the 
modern cemetery. In so short a time as 25 years mar- 
velous results have been attained through the labors of 
these Associations. 
Improvement Club Efforts 
The advantages of holding exhibits of flowers, plants, 
vegetables and all kinds of improvement work, with the 
addition of money or other prizes, cannot be too often 
urged upon Improvement Clubs. The spirit of emulation 
and friendlj^ rivalry always finds, in spite of higher^ as- 
pirations, considerable inspiration in the knowdedge that 
a possible prize looms up for the season’s efforts. Es- 
pecially is this the case with the children who may be- 
come practically interested in the show. Some very nice 
and instructive programs, enlisting the enthusiastic co- 
operation of the communitj^ in general, have been carried 
out in these annual exhibits. 
