32 
PARK AND CEMETERY 
Practical Sti^^estions for Town Improvement. 
Now that the days are growing longer, let us have 
a little talk about the work of the Town Improvement 
Society for the present season. What shall we do? 
Distribute seeds among pupils, offer prizes for best 
window boxes, neatest back yard, best high school 
essay, etc.? Yes, all these things of course and much 
more. 
We know of one small town where last year they 
tried planting waste places, little places in front or at 
the side of stores, little corners here and there, with 
plants and seeds of the more hardy kinds. The more 
exposed of these places were shielded with woven wire 
about one and one-half feet wide as a protection against 
dogs. The experiment was tried with fear and trem- 
bling, as more than once the women were told, “You 
can’t make nothing grow on that soil,” But they did 
grow. The morning glories and the nasturtiums cov- 
ered the wires, the dahlias grew even too tall. The 
beds were not disturbed and those who came to ridi- 
cule remained to admire. This year many more of 
these places will be planted, places where weeds and 
refuse have been at their worst, corners where the 
streets are not quite at right angles and vacant lots may 
be made beautiful. Almost any one can make a paste- 
board stencil “Post no bills.” Armed with this and 
a pot of paint, get permission to put this notice on 
places covered with offensive, disfiguring advertise- 
ments. A cheap boy will soon remove those already 
there. Many owners of buildings will be glad to have 
this done. Then get your village board to pass a law 
forbidding the placing of advertising tags on poles, 
trees and fences inside the corporation. 
If you have a very fine old tree put on it a small 
wood sign, giving age and name of planter and it will 
increase respect for trees in general as well as for that 
particular one. 
Almost every improvement club is working for an 
ordinance against expectorating on the sidewalk. Most 
fail the first time, many the second, but be not dis- 
mayed — the time will come when you will succeed. 
Work for the improvement of your depot grounds. 
Some railroads are more willing than others, but in 
most cases a request signed by your people stating 
definitely what you want done, will receive attention. 
Above all work for tree planting. Tree planting on 
your streets, tree planting along country roads, tree 
planting reaching from your home town to the neigh- 
boring town. Let us have country boulevards, with 
trees instead of flowers. Michigan has a state law 
which gives the County Highway Commissioner power 
to plant fifty trees this year, fifty next year and so on 
till every road in the township is a shaded road. He 
may also expend 25 per cent of the highway tax of 
each person in planting roadside trees, or may pay 
25 cents for each tree planted, provided the sum does 
not exceed 25 per cent of that person’s highway tax. 
Persons bringing a stream of water to the roadside 
for man or beast, may receive ten dollars for the first 
year’s work and five dollars per year for keeping the 
drinking place in repair. Had that law been enforced 
in that state what a changed appearance it would have. 
Many of the Michigan women are now working 
through their clubs, through civic leagues, and im- 
provement societies for the enforcement of this law. 
Different towns have different needs. Let us do the 
thing nearest us, ever working for something that will 
make us love our homes more and more, and that will 
give to every one a home worth having and im- 
proving. M. Baldwin. 
Annual reports or extracts from tkeniy historical sketches^ 
descriptive circulars^ photographs of intprovements or dis- 
tinctive features are requested for use in this department- 
The Press Committee of the National Council of Horti- 
culture, a body composed of delegates representing national 
organizations of florists, nurserymen and seedsmen, have 
started a series of articles on horticultural topics for the daily 
press which are being printed in a large number of papers 
throughout the country. The object is to place reliable in- 
formation on gardening, planting and other horticultural mat- 
ters before the general public. 
■tf * * 
A report and plans for “The Improvement of Columbia, 
S. C.,” have been prepared for the Civic Improvement league 
of that city by Kelsey & Guild, landscape architects, Boston, 
Mass., and published in book form by the J. Horace McFar- 
land Co., Harrisburg, Pa. It contains 88 pages and is beauti- 
fully illustrated with half tone engravings, and colored maps 
showing the proposed improvements. Improvement subjects 
are treated in a general way, and this report will be of great 
interest and value to every city interested in civic improve- 
ment Copies can be had from the president of the Civic 
Improvement league, Columbia, S. C., Miss Belle Williams, 
for 50 cents each. Some of the subjects treated in very 
practical and suggestive form are: Need of a Comprehensive 
Plan; What a Plan Should be; a Civic Center or Group 
Plan ; the Acquiring of Land for Park Purposes ; Streets 
and Street Trees; Overhead Wires, etc. 
* * * 
The Omaha Civic Improvement League during the two or 
three years of its existence, has brought about many improve- t 
ments in vacant lots, established the first public playground * 
for children and has made it a success. It has given annual ' 
prizes that have resulted in beautifying hundreds of lawns 
and school grounds, as well as interesting thousands of chil-j 
dren in such work. This year the league will endeavor toj 
work along broader lines. It plans to establish public baths 
and more playgrounds. It will fight the curbstone-sign evilj 
