PARK AND CEMETERY. 
J 57 
In many of our cities we see wonderful transforma- 
tions, we see blocks of dilapidated buildings torn down, 
graders set to work, trees and shrubs planted in groups 
along gracefully curved walks, large stretches of’ ground 
sodded, and the whole transfora. ed into a lovely park. 
All this is done under the guiding hand of one who has 
made a study of landscape gardening and knows the 
uses and beauties of trees and shrubs when planted ac- 
cording to a well studied design. 
Have you ever thought how a park would look if the 
city had invited the lotowners adjoining this ground to 
come and plant as they chose, to lay out walks, and to 
fix it up to please themselves. 
* * * 
In our cemeteries everything done should be toward 
adornment of the ground as a whole. 
I would like to see the cemetery more beautiful than 
the most handsomely laid out park. To do this lot- 
owners must learn two things, namely: All cannot direct 
in the landscape work, and all cannot plant as they 
choose, and have good results. 
Better let one plan, one carefully studied plan, gov- 
ern all planting of trees and shrubs, and this alone will 
make harmony and beauty of landscape. 
When you find a prospective purchaser who wishes 
to do as he pleases, and plant as he pleases, better make 
no sale to him. 
You can well afford to lose a sale now and then 
rather than have the beauty of the whole cemetery 
marred. 
Could some of our lotowners see the best parks of 
our country with their velvety lawns, walks with lines of 
beauty in every curve, mirror lakes and groups of orna- 
mental trees and shrubs, so set on the beautiful lawns as 
to give long vistas and delightful scenes, then could we 
by magic but turn the whole scene into a cemetery! 
* * * 
The features that add the greatest beauty to a ceme- 
tery are the trees and shrubs, and well kept lawns, and 
well made drives, and we should know more about them. 
We should have at hand the value of each tree and 
shrub used in general landscape work, and it should be 
in such form that we are not required to spend hours in 
looking through volumes to find it. We should know 
their value either for flower or foliage for spring effects, 
summer and fall effects on the lawn. 
Their rapidity of growth, height and spread, winter 
effect of stem and bark, whether they form suckers or 
not, when and how to p*une, best soil adapted, best lo- 
cation to insure success, whether open or protected, 
sunny or shady, high or low, moist or dry, etc. Then 
how to propagate, and lastly, yet first to us, how to use 
them, whether simply or in groups of the same, or with 
groups of others and with what others. 
For several years I have been compiling such data 
of the trees and shrubs adapted to landscape work. 
The afternoon was devoted to a trolley ride of 
at least fifty miles in special cars through the city 
and suburbs. 
At the morning session of the second day three 
interesting papers were read, viz: “How to Make 
and Maintain a Lawn,” by George H. Scott, of 
Chicago. “A Lady’s Experience in Cemetery 
Management,” by Mrs. E. E. Hay, Supt. Erie 
Cemetery, Erie, Pa., and “Review of the St. Louis 
Meeting,” by O. C. Simonds, of Chicago. Mrs. 
Hay’s paper was a concise account of her manage- 
ment of a cemetery of 75 acres and its consequent 
responsibilities. She was elected to succeed her 
late husband, as superintendent several years ago 
and some of the reforms that she has introduced 
in the new sections, which are conducted on the lawn 
plan, with perpetual care, include the abolishing of 
grave mounds, and gravel paths around lots. The 
new lawns recently adopted by the association pro- 
hibit lot enclosures and they are gradually disap- 
pearing from the older sections. Tents are used in 
stormy weather and death is robbed of some of its 
terrors by having the graves tastefully decorated and 
the excavated earth hidden from view. A new 
lodge recently completed is constructed of red stone, 
modern in all of its appointments for the transaction 
of business and the comfort of lot owners. Mrs. 
Hay employs and discharges all of the labor and 
while her position is a busy and at times a trying 
one, there are pleasant experiences to compensate 
for the trials. She endeavors to keep herself in- 
formed in every possible way as to the best means of 
furthering the interests of her cemetery, and enjoys 
the confidence and esteem of her cemetery trustees 
and lot owners. Mrs. Hay is the only representa- 
tihe of her sex in the Superintendent’s association 
and at the close of her admirable paper she was 
given a rising vote of thanks. 
Mr. Simond’s “Review of the St. Louis Meeting” 
emphasized the salient features of the many excel- 
lent papers read at that time, referred to the bene- 
fits derived from the places visited and recom- 
mended having lot owners and cemetery officials in 
attendance at the meetings of the association. 
The secretary read a paper written by Mr. L. A. 
Breggan of Chicago, on “Care and Judgment in 
Selling Lots.” It dwelt upon the importance of 
preserving the best features of the lawn plan and 
how this could be accomplished by superintendents 
using proper discrimination when selling lots. To 
sell the right lot to the right person should be the 
superintendents aim, 
The “Question Box” furnished several subjects 
for discussion. “How to get rid of Dandelions” 
elicited such replies as “dig them out,” “keep them 
cut close with the lawn mower,” “apply a few 
drops of sulphuric acid to the crown of each plant.” 
“Turn over the soil in the fall, leave it exposed un- 
til spring and fork it over to remove the roots of this 
abnoxious weed.” Only a very small percentage 
of the cemeteries represented allowed outside gar- 
deners the privilege of doing work for lot owners. 
The afternoon was most agreeably spent. Trolley 
cars conducted the party to the Mt. Adams Inclined 
Plane, the ascent of which, by being elevated with- 
