PARK AND CEMETERY 
AND LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 
Vol. XX. Chicago, February, 1911 No. 12 
The National Flower Show in Boston 
The National Flower Show to be held in the" Mechanics’ 
Building, Boston, Mass., ilarch 25 to April 1, next, promises 
to be quite international in character and display, the final 
arrangements assuming a verj^ satisfactory aspect. The in- 
terest shown all over the countiy- as well as in the New 
England states is: very great, and a number of fine exhibits 
are coming from foreign countries. Most of the prominent 
men in the business have taken space and the enthusiasm 
which has developed gives a forecast of a large attendance. 
A very strong effort has been made bs' those in charge to 
induce the estate owners of New England to exhibit as well 
as to be present, and considerable encoura,gement is felt that 
the effort will meet with success. The entire Mechanics’ 
Building has been engaged, and as it contains over 100,000 
square feet of exhibition space ample room seems assured, 
although the applications for floor room for exhibits have 
been coming veiy freely. The Mechanics’ Building will allow 
of all the business of all the societies present being carried 
on, together with the e.xhibiting, under one roof, a fact which 
will he hiehly appreciated. 
TTie Birds and Outdoor Improvement 
Hitherto in all the literature that has been spread broad- 
cast over the country relating to outdoor improvement veiy 
little attention has been given to the birds as an attractive 
feature of our outdoor life. .And yet. come to think of it. our 
plantings and landscape arrangements of trees, shrubs and 
flowering plants would lose much of their loveliness, were 
there no birds. Birds are so elusive in their characteristics, 
here, there and everywhere at once, as it has been said, that 
while we are constanth' watching their grace and beauty, we 
forget to think of them as part of the scheme of beautifica- 
tion, until we miss them altogether. It is then the loss is 
keenly understood. Happily bird lovers are gradually suc- 
ceeding in their efforts to create a better understanding of 
our birds, and a higher appreciation of their appropriateness 
as attractive details of outdoor improvement. A campaign 
is now beginning looking to their better protection and the 
adoption of intelligent methods to supply their requirements 
and to encourage their presence in our public places, where 
their beauty as well as usefulness is worth mam* times what 
such attention may cost. The South Park Commissioners of 
Chicago have installed a number of feeding stations in their 
system, which, during the winter, are kept well stocked with 
food of various kinds, and it has been already observed that 
a number of birds which usually fly south at the approach of 
winter have wintered in the parks. 
Civic Awakening in the South 
The recent meeting of the .Alabama State Horticultural 
Society at Birmingham, and the variety of topics taken up 
and discussed, in which civic beauty and outdoor improve- 
ment largely shared, ver>- plainly shows that the civic awak- 
ening is spreading its influence very forcibly in the South. 
It will have to do this to keep pace with the business devel- 
opment now in progress. The inviting field for horticultural 
pursuits and outdoor improvement is not cumbered as in the 
farther north by hard climatic conditions, and the industrious 
and intelligent worker is pretty sure to quickly realize results 
from his labor It may, therefore, 'be confidently expected 
that when that magic wand of intelligent appreciation of 
things as thes' are, compared with what may be brought about 
by industry and knowledge, exercises its influence, the South 
will find itself in a whirl of activiU' in directions which will 
add immeasurabh’ to her wealth and attractiveness. 
Public Convemences in the Cemetery 
Cemeteries are not advancing as rapidly as thes' might or 
should do, in the matter of providing facilities for public 
comfort and convenience. Toilet accommodations, as they 
are commonly named, are lamentably scarce and meager in 
their appointments in most cemeteries, even in many of the 
larger ones. Naturally far more attention in this direction 
is now being given to the parks through public administra- 
tion, yet, generally speaking, the provisions for public comfort 
are still in their infancy. In the cemetery the requisites for 
public comfort and convenience will lie principally in adequate 
and sanitary retiring rooms, shelter houses, for cover in case 
of storms, and other facilities for temporary purposes of rest, 
etc., vey few cemeteries are sufficiently furnished in these 
respects, and very few cemetery organizations appear to give 
them due attention. Jhis is a mistake; for such facilities in 
regard to personal comfort are not only necessary, and should 
be classed as very important, but they add to the reputation 
and success of the cemetery organization in no small degree. It 
is reasonable to expect that a cemetery under modern ideas 
should be maintained in all ways adequate to meet the ordi- 
nary requirements of visitor; and lot owners, and in such a 
manner as may be thoroughly sanitary and inviting. P.\rk 
.VXD Cemetery is always glad to illustrate buildings or struc- 
ture^ provided for these purposes, and requests plans, photo- 
graphs, etc., with that purpose in view. 
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The Need of Improvement Associations 
It has been well said that civic improvement associations 
should be formed in every separate community in this coun- 
try, and why ? The answer is simply, because they are needed, 
and that every year brings along more work for their atten- 
tion. The matters for consideration are stimulating in their 
vers- , nature and enlist the sympathy and activitj- of all inves- 
tigating their usefulness. .And beyond the fact of their prac- 
tical usefulness in outdoor improvement they bring the people 
together and induce a neighborly feeling which lends itself 
amazingly to the furtherance of the work in hand. .And more 
than that, they compel people to know each other better and 
thus encourage a community confidence which is so lacking 
in the rush and turmoil of modern business life. 
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Combining Beauty and Usefulness 
An excellent example of this idea, and it has been long said 
that “example is better than precept,” is that of the New 
Haven R. R. which is known as the “rose route” on the part 
of its system running into New York. Many of its cuts and 
fills are in sand, the dust from which, both by wind and traffic, 
made traffic unpleasant and maintenance costly, and in order 
to minimize this such cuts and fills have been largely planted 
with “rambler roses.” The roses are planted in three rows, 
and although not yet perfectly blanketing the slopes, a great 
change for the better has come about, and in the proper sea- 
son the trip is one of beauts- and fragrance, long to be re- 
membered. The idea of planting or sodding railroad slopes 
to maintain their permanence is not by any means new in 
railroad practice. The rose suggestion, however, is a good 
one, and svill add much to the beauty of the road. 
