PARK AND CEMETERY 
AND LANDSCAPE GARDENING 
VoL XIX Chicago, October, 1909 No. 8 
City Shade Trees 
A most valuable lesson in shade tree planting is being 
taught by Boston’s experience with its celebrated four 
vows of shade trees in Commonwealth avenue. Up to a 
certain point in the life of the elms the avenue was a 
beautiful civic feature, but trees will increase in size up 
to their limit under proper conditions, while under im- 
proper conditions they fail, become unsightly, and sooner 
or later die. The original close planting and haphazard 
choice of varieties has finally presented a difficult prob- 
jeni which has been discussed by tree authorities, with 
the result that the four-row system has been condemned 
and the two rows advised; this will necessitate very care- 
ful planning and much expert work and expense before 
the avenue is reinstated to its former beauty. While the 
four rows of trees would undoubtedly produce a finer 
effect, the width of the avenue, 100 feet, is not sufficient 
for the proper development of more than two rows. As 
was remarked above, this affords a valuable experience 
for all communities likely to be engaged in shade tree 
planting. It is not a matter of appearance for the first 
few years of a tree’s life, but that of the effect of prop- 
erly developed trees at maturity which should be under- 
stood and provided for. This experience should also 
drive home the fact that every city having a sufficient 
mileage of shade trees to warrant it should employ a com- 
petent City Forester. 
Vig Vjg 
The New York Convention of the A. A. C. S. 
The twenty-third annual convention of the Association 
of American Cemetery Superintendents, held at the Hotel 
Astor, New York, September 14-16, has passed into his- 
tory and is on record as having been well attended and 
much enjoyed. In a metropolis such as New' York, wuth 
its magnificent distances and multitude of beauty spots 
to attract attention, the limited time of the convention 
could not allow more than a comparative glance at a 
very few of the most prominent cemeteries and parks, 
and this while passing, so to speak, was probably disap- 
pointing to those who were anxious to examine carefully 
the practical cemetery work in and about a large city. 
But an excellent program was offered and very liberal ar- 
rangements for a good time were provided by the local 
committee and prominent men interested in the work, 
Among the more important matters that came up for dis- 
cussion was the future care of mausoleums, in which a 
great deal of interest was manifested. It proved to be a 
big subject, and no solution of the problem was reached, 
although a number of suggestions were made. It was ad- 
mitted by all that rules should be adopted looking to the 
■securing of a fund sufficiently large to provide for all 
future requirements of these structures. 
Vig Ng 
The Coining Civic Convention 
The fifth annual convention of the American Civic As- 
sociation wdll be held in Cincinnati, November 15-18, in- 
clusive, and in conjunction therewith the National Munici- 
pal League will hold its fifteenth annual meeting. There 
will be notable gatherings of prominent men interested in 
making a beautiful America, and in all the lines of work 
leading up to that consummation. Mr. J. Horace McFar- 
land, president, will preside at the sessions of the Civic 
Association, and the Hori. Charles J. Bonaparte over those 
of the National Municipal League. Each organization will 
follow its own program, but in the words of the official 
notice “there will be several joint sessions addressed by 
men of national prominence on subjects aimed to advance 
good city government and good community life.” As in 
the case of Pittsburg last year, the cause of civic embellish- 
ment and government will receive a fresh impulse. 
^ Ng 
Does City Embellishment Pay? 
Possibly the most emphatic reply to this is to point to 
the French capital, Paris, a city which attracts travelers 
from all points of the compass, and which, no doubt, on 
general principles, heads the list of the most beautiful 
cities in the world. The Parisians evidently think that 
city embellishment pays, for the Municipal Council has 
recently approved a new program of improvement, in- 
volving a further outlay of $135,000,000. This should cer- 
tainly stimulate American civic beautification. In calling 
down the parsimony of Philadelphia in this direction, and 
holding Paris up as an example, the “Philadelphia En- 
quirer” says: “Philadelphia is a fine place to live in, but 
as a place to visit it has its shortcomings. It probably has 
a smaller floating population than any other community 
of approximate magnitude, simply because it does not of-, 
fer adequate inducement for people with money to spend 
to come here.” The welfare and prosperity of any city 
rest in no small degree on its attractiveness. 
Ng Ng 
Chicago’s Billboard Ordinances 
Surely our' experience in the effort to suppress the bill- 
board nuisance might well “point a moral and adorn a 
tale.” Note the following in connection with Chicago’s 
ordinances: Two years and a few days ago, and that nine 
months after the ordinance had been passed, a suit was 
begun in the Circuit Court to test its validity. The an- 
swer to this suit is a decision, just handed down, declaring 
it invalid. The tale connected with this ordinance reflects 
upon all concerned in it, and, moreover, displays a revolt- 
ing lack of competency and principle. After all this delay 
and notwithstanding some intervening state legislation, 
Chicago still urgently needs restrictive and controlling 
powers over the billboard. At the same time this is an- 
other powerful argument in favor of reform in law and 
legal procedure; our whole legal system, bench and prac- 
tioner, needs to be brought up to date, and this is an im- 
mediate public question. It should be added that a 
previous billboard ordinance was held up in the Supreme 
Court of the State for years before final action, and this 
was also declared invalid. 
The Automobile and the Roadway 
The destructive effects of the automobile on our roadways 
has brought the question of road construction prominently 
before the experts in that branch of engineering. That it 
is becoming a burning one, is evidenced by the complaints 
of those immediately interested in the maintenance of roads 
much frequented by automobiles throughout the country. 
Owing to the peculiar effects of this traffic on road surfaces 
the authorities are beginning to revise the very principles of 
roadmaking that have for ages been common, and one propo- 
sition, which is stated to have been experimented upon 
with success, is to revise the method of building macadam 
roads by placing the fine materials at the bottom and the 
heavier ones at the top. 
