PARK AND CRME-TERY 
242 
Annual reports or extracts from them^ historical sketches^ 
descriptive circulars, photographs of improvements or dis- 
tinctive features are requested for use hi this department* 
A Civic Improvement Association has been organized at 
CoiYeyville, Kas., with committees on School Grounds, Parks 
and Playgrounds, Home Improvement, Street Ornamentation, 
Vacant Lots, etc. 
* * * 
The Zanesville Improvement Association, Zanesville, O., has 
planned for its second year of work, the distribution of 500 
packages of flower seeds to the school children for planting- 
in the school yards. Prizes will be awarded at the end of 
+he season. 
The Improvement Society of York, Me., reports the destruc- 
tion of between 50,000 and 70,000 brown-tail moth nests, as a 
result of enlisting the children in the work by paying them 
five cents a dozen for nests. The town appropriated $1,000 
for the work. 
* * * 
Merchants doing business in that section of Chicago known 
as Hyde Park, have been asked by the South Park Improve- 
ment Association to discontinue distributing advertising cir- 
culars. The request sent by the association recites that the 
bills are peddled through the district, dropped on front porches 
of residences, and on lawns, in violation of law, and dumped 
in quantities in the entrances of apartment buildings, so as to 
become nuisances. 
* =t: 
The Biloxi Park and Civic Association, of Biloxi, Miss., 
has recently been organized and is taking up the work of 
carrying on a city park. Biloxi is a city of about 8,000, and 
the officials would like to correspond with others who are do- 
ing similar work in small cities and towns of the South. W. 
F. Swan is president of the association; D. L. Mitchell, vice- 
president and head of the department of information; J. A. 
Hatlestad, secretary; and J. C. Clower, treasurer. 
* * 
The Board of Civic Improvement of Portland, Ore., will 
offer a series of cash prizes in fifteen of the largest public 
schools of Portland, to be given to the pupils who take care 
of the neatest and most attractive yards in their precinct. It 
applies to either boys or girls. There will be three cash 
prizes offered in each school. The first prize will be $5, the 
second $3 and the third prize $2. Besides these there will be 
supplementary prizes, which have been contributed by the 
business firms of Portland. One of the provisions of the con- 
test is that pupils over 15 years of age cannot compete. 
The provisions of the contest specify care of back yards 
and surrounding fences, the sidewalks and the street in front 
of yards. Shrubbery and flowers must also receive attention. 
* * * 
The Neighborhood Improvement League of Cook County, 
a federation of the improvement societies of Chicago and 
vicinity, has made plans for a central committee, representing 
the various societies, to work for the suppression of the 
smoke nuisance. A letter has been sent to every society work- 
ing for the city beautiful and healthful, asking for delegates to 
the proposed central committee. Each society is also re- 
quested to appoint a smoke committee which is to work for 
less smoke in its neighborhood. Election of officers of the 
Improvement League resulted as follows : President, Edward 
C. Wentworth; vice-president, Mrs. John O’Connor; treasurer, 
Mrs. Irving Washington; secretary, Mrs. Frank Asbury John- 
son. 
* * 
The Massachusetts Conference for Town and Village Bet- 
terment, under the auspices of the Massachusetts Civic League, 
will be held in Boston, April 27 and 28. The following ad- 
dresses will be features of the program ; Address by President 
Eliot on “Outdoor Art”; address by J. Randolph Coolidge, Jr., 
on “Village Architecture in Massachusetts” ; address by Pro- 
fessor Shaler on “The Social Value of the Village Improve- 
ment”; Round Table conference, five minutes to each speaker; 
address on “The Arts and Crafts Movement in Massachusetts” 
(speaker to be announced) ; address by Mr. Ossian H. Lang, 
eaitor of the School Journal, “Social Centres.” 
* * * 
The Helena Improvement Society, Helena, Mont., at its 
recent seventh annual meeting, presented a fine record of work 
accomplished. A path to the top of Mount Helena was con- 
structed and a shelter house erected on top of the moun- 
tain. The building was dedicated last summer with appro- 
priate ceremonies, and been much used by the public. Pack- 
ages of flower-seeds were distributed to the school children 
last spring, at one cent a package, and prizes awarded for 
the gardens planted. The society has had charge of the 
parking on the school grounds, the school board having ap- 
propriated money for the actual expenses. The care of the 
Sixth avenue boulevarding has also been under the super- 
vision of the Improvement Society, the city having allowed 
$350 for that purpose. Among the suggestions for work dur- 
ing the coming year is the beautifying of the Emerson and 
Broadwater school grounds, the parking of the road leading 
to the fair grounds and the establishment of a large city park 
for Helena. 
* * * 
The Billerica Improvement Association, Billerica, Mass., has 
offered the following prizes to residents of that town : Class 
I, best kept premises, front and rear — Points to be consid- 
ered : Condition of lawn and paths and back yards, including 
freedom from weeds and general neatness of. grounds and 
exterior of house. Wherever there is a strip of sidewalk turf, 
it will be considered as part of the lawn. Three prizes— 
$5, $4, $3. Class 2, vines — On houses, porches, arbors, trolley 
or other posts in front of premises. Three prizes — $3, $2.50. 
$2. Class 3, window and porch boxes. Three prizes — $3, 
$2.50, $2. Class 4, flower gardens — design or arrangement will 
be considered as well as variety and quantity of flowers. 
Three prizes — $5, $4, $3. Class 5, vegetable gardens — competi- 
tion open only to children under 16 years of age. Suggestions 
and assistance from parents allowed. Points to be consid- 
ered : Quality, quantity, variety and neatness of garden. Gar- 
dens not to exceed 600 square feet in area. Three prizes — 
$5, $4, $3. In addition to the money prizes offered the win- 
ners of the first prize in each class will be allowed a choice 
from a list of books and magazines appropriate to gardening 
in its various branches. Winners may also, if they prefer, 
take the equivalent of any prize in tulip, daffodil or gladiola 
bulbs at one cent each, a price very much lower than they can 
buy bulbs of equal quality. No restrictions to be made as to 
number of competitions a person may enter, except that win- 
ners of prizes in past years will only be allowed to compete 
for a higher prize in the same class or in other classes. 
