PARK AND CEMETERY. 
i59 
ENTRANCE TO OAK. WOODS, CLIFTON— THE HOME OF 
MR. HENRY PROBASCO. 
It must be admitted also, that much is due to the influence 
of the American Cemetery Superintendents, that many of our 
States, by legislative enactments, have given charters, with 
corporate powers, to assure the people of their permanency in all 
future time. Oi course much yet remains to be done, and it is 
the very purpose of these reunions, to exchange intelligence, com- 
pare with each other by annual experience, whatever may ad- 
vance their management, in all that relates to their profession, 
as well as the interest of the lot owners and the trustees. They 
recognize also, the need of the higher education of the young 
men, who are striving to attain education, in the knowledge of 
the Art of Landscape Gardening, with its allied sciences, that are 
to make them competent hereafter for positions as superinten- 
dents in cemeteries and parks of our growing cities and villages, 
as well as our larger surburban homes, that increase with the 
growth of the country. 
And this brings me to say a last word on the importance of 
this special education not generally considered in schools or col- 
leges. Scarcely a word has been said yet, to young men, to ex- 
cite their ambition, to stimulate their energies, to urge upon 
them the vast knowledge before them before they can ever dream 
of equalling men such as Olmsted and Sargent and others at 
home, or the great names such as Puckler Muskau in Germany, 
Michaux, Andre and Alphand in France, and J. C. Loudon, 
Strutt, Repton and others in England, not to speak of a hun- 
dred more whose works should be studied carefully, after ele- 
mentary instruction. 
Our surburban lifeincreases rapidly, more so than its higher 
wants are now supplied. The land sold is too limited in quantity 
for gardens and shrubberies, which would vastly adorn many of 
the really handsome buildings, that command our admiration . 
Each superior home should have its appropriate surroundings of 
shrubs and trees and gardens that contribute so much to the re 
finements of social life, and add to the interest of domestic home 
life, the happiest on earth. Yours be the responsibility to train 
young men of character, to educate those whose examinations 
'might prove them to possess abilities such as will advance your 
profe-sion in the near future, as farexceeding your anticipations, 
as this nth meeting exceeded the first one in 1887 in Cincinnati 
The carriage drive was continued to the adjoin- 
ing estate known as “Scarlet Oaks,” which, like 
Oakwoods, overlooks the Mill Creek Valley, and 
affords a view of fifteen miles up and down that pic- 
turesque country. Chester Park was reached at 
noon, where a substantial lunch was served on the 
spacious balcony of the Pavilion. The final busi- 
ness meeting was held here, the officers for the past 
year were re-elected, and President Creesy named 
the following gentlemen as the executive committee 
for 1897-98: J. Y. Craig, Omaha, Neb., chair- 
man; Sid J. Hare, Kansas City, Mo., and John M. 
Boxell, St. Paul, Minn. Omaha was chosen as the 
place of meeting for 1898. 
At the suggestion of Mr. Brazill a committee 
was appointed to condense the most important 
papers and discussions printed in the reports of the 
meetings of the association for the past ten years, 
and have them published in book lorm as a text 
book for cemetery superintendents. A paper which 
had been unavoidably omitted at a previous session 
on “Landscape Engineering as Applied to Parks 
and Cemeteries” was read by Mr. Punshon of Cin- 
cinnati. The report of the committee on rcso’u- 
ti ns was read, ending the business of the convention. 
The executive committee had, however, reserved 
the visit to Spring Grove for the last afternoon, and 
the time was most profitably spent in inspecting the 
many points of interest within these beautiful 
grounds. More than two-thirds of the 600 acres in 
Spring Grove have been improved on the lines laid 
down by Mr. Strauch many years ago The broad 
undulating lawns, a dozen lakes, magnificent trees, 
and well kept roads were an -inspiration to the vis- 
itors. In every improvement that is made the prin- 
ciple kept in mind is that, what is worth doing at 
all is worth doing well. The pleasant afternoon was 
brought to a close at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Sal- 
way, where refreshments were served on the lawn. 
In the evening a banquet was tendered the su 
perintendents in the dining hall of the Grand Hotel. 
I lie tables were beatifully decorated with flowers, 
and the menu interspersed with vocal selections by 
a male quartet made the occasion the most brilliant 
affair of the kind ever enjoyed by the association. 
Colonel Howard Saxby, the well-known newspaper 
man, acted as toastmaster, and during the evening 
was given a pleasant surprise by being made the 
recipient of a gold scarf pin in the form of a skull 
with diamond eyes, a present from the executive 
CASCADE IN SPRING GROVE. 
committee. The toasts were: “Perpetual Care,” 
by B. D. Judson, Albany, N. Y. ; “Before and 
After Making Improvements,” by S. J. Hare, Kan- 
sas City, Mo., and “The Past, Present and Future 
of the Association,” by Bellett Lawson of Chicago. 
