PARK AND CEMETERY 
AND LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 
Vol. XXI Chicago, March, 1911 No. 1 
Play Ground Parks and Buildings 
It is gratifying to note the rapid development of play- 
ground parks and recreation buildings, and it is clear that, 
as is said, they quite evidently fill a long-felt want. The 
audience buildings are becoming very popular, and are 
used not only for public lectures and such entertainments, 
but in many places they are in demand for private par- 
ties, young folks’ meetings and for other such uses. In 
Chicago arrangements can be made for special uses, sub- 
ject, of course, to prior demands, and this will tend to 
develop the advantages of such a gathering center, and 
inevitabljr promote a higher life in neighborhoods not 
hitherto accustomed to such opportunities. The larger 
cities can very well afford to be liberal in their expendi- 
tures for such public benefits. 
Ng Ng 
“Spray Early and Often” 
Not the least of the wise suggestions for the coming- 
spring is that of considering the question of spraying- the 
trees and shrubs, as a check on the horde of noxious in- 
sects which will be here, there and practically everywhere, 
before one scarcely realizes it. The numerous catalogues, 
and instructions given therein on this important subject, 
should not be passed over lightly by any one indulging 
in a garden or possessing home grounds for the difference 
between a sprayed area and one unsprayed is so great, 
that if not an enthusiast on the subject, this year, if one 
has anything left by fall, spraying will certainly be tried 
next. All the state agricultural stations issue, annually, 
a pamphlet on the subject of spraying, and as the in- 
formation given should be necessarily reliable, we ad- 
vise all those interested to secure one before spraying opera- 
tions begin in earnest. 
Vgg Ng 
Improvement of the Country Cemetery 
The improvement and care of the small country cem- 
etery has been one of the most difficult problems con- 
fronting the enthusiastic improvement worker. How to 
start impiovement and then how to carry it on, have 
been discouraging altogether to most improvers' minds. 
.\nd yet quite frequently we come across instances where 
success has attended well defined efforts: and we believe 
that still more success would result, were it possible to 
enlist the right sort of enthusiasm in the work. Quite 
recently our attention was drawn to a case in Kansas 
where the village cemetery, very old in years, had been 
allowed to degenerate into a perfect wilderness. Some 
seven years ago, these shocking conditions appealed to 
certain citizens, who recognizing the fact that “it is nevei* 
too late to menu, reorganized, as it were, the cemetery 
association and started to clean up and create a present- 
able burial ground. A steady improvement has taken 
place, year by year: a gardener has been employed to take 
care of the trees and shrubs in the season, and notwith- 
standing that the little eight-acre plot is encumbered by 
a legal provisio which prevents the full development of 
the tract, there is still spirit enough left in the citizens 
now taking care of it, to make an effort to lift the em- 
bargo and so continue the good work begun years ago. 
It is evident from the above that the personal equation 
has much to do with the improvement of the country 
cemetery, and surely there must be some in every com- 
munity who only need a stimulating influence to enlist 
their services in such a beneficial work as the beauti- 
fying of “God’s Acre.” 
Some Vital Legislative Questions 
Among the important matters of general interest now 
liefore the American people, there are three which will 
require prompt and persistent attention in order that the 
good which they mean may not be neutralized. It is this 
point of view which must be our excuse for inviting our 
readers’ consideration through these columns. They are 
the proposed increase in the second-class postal rate for 
newspapers, magazines, and such periodicals: the Parcels 
Post and the federal and state legislation necessary for 
the preservation of Niagara Falls. In relation to the in- 
crease in the second-class postal rate there appears to 
be in Washington, from President Taft down, a deter- 
mined intention to secure an increase, and this in spite 
of the evidence that no actual loss is entailed upon the 
Post Office Department in the transportation of this class 
of mail, while on the contrary, it is known to increase, to 
a very large extent, the first class receipts. But there has 
been proven against the Post Office Department a de- 
plorable lack of business system, due, very probably, to 
the political caldron constantly simmering therein. Con- 
gress has made certain futile efforts to inaugurate a busi- 
ness reform, but up to date of little avail, and it would 
certainly appear that before any change in rates is put 
into effect, an overhauling of the department should be 
made, when reliable facts and figures should be available 
upon which to base equitable figures. While arguments 
are being disseminated to the effect that any increase in 
the postage rate will only reduce the profits of the pub- 
lishers, the American people have surely had experience 
enough to show them ffiat in the final analysis they al- 
ways foot the bills. In this case it behooves CA-ery citi- 
zen to get into communication with his representatives 
in Congress, and to insist upon his voting for reform of 
business methods in the Post Office Departn-ient before 
the question of increase in rates is taken up. The next 
issue is the Parcels Post, which is such a boon in other 
countries, but which is denied to our own citizens because 
of the possible injury to certain interests, the most em- 
phasized being the e.xpress companies and the country 
store-keeper. If the axiom: “The greatest good to the 
greatest number,” has any^ value at all, the interests so 
carefully considered by our governing agencies have no 
standing: and considering that the country merchant is 
also in the great minority, why should he be considered 
as against the good of the majority? It has not, how- 
ever, been very clearly shown that he will be injured at 
all: it is quite possible that his zeal in opposition is a 
mistaken one. This is then another profitable direction 
in which our readers may profitably exercise themselves 
in an appeal to their congressmen. As to the preserva- 
tion of Niagara Falls, this is a matter of world-wide in- 
terest, and the American Civic Association, which has been 
jealously guarding this natural wonder, has recently issued 
a circular urging immediate help. The Burton bill, which 
expires by limitation on June 39 . 1911 , should be extended 
to the limit of the “Waterways Treaty” with Canada, and 
everybody should urge upon senators and congressmen 
in Washington the immediate passage of Senate Joint 
Resolution 143 for the preservation of Niagara Falls. 
