1 14 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
io or 12 feet high. The Marchioness of Bute first 
introduced dahlias to England by way of Spain in 
1789, but as they were single and their manage- 
ment poorly understood, they were soon lost. Seeds 
were again obtained by Lady Holland in 1804, but 
it was not until 1814 and from then to 1834, that 
the fine double varieties were produced which placed 
the plants upon a secure plane of popularity. The 
DAHLIA IMPERIALIS. 
cool climate and comparatively frostless autumns of 
the British Islands is admirably adapted to these 
plants, and as they soon mature from seed, their 
improvement has been very popular with gardeners. 
Occasionally they live well through the winters, but 
commonly the roots are stored at temperatures 
above 32 degrees Fah. 
On the mountains of Southern India at eleva- 
tions of about 7000 feet the dahlia has naturalized 
in the copses, but is invariably single although de- 
rived from the double garden forms, which cannot 
long be perpetuated there. These naturalized flow- 
ers vary in color from yellow through three or four 
shades of crimson, rarely or never scarlet or white. 
As there is but little published as to the natural 
dahlia climates it may be well to say that the mini- 
mum of temperature where they have naturalized is 
from 31 degrees on the grass, to 33 degrees or 34 
degrees in the shelter of the copses where the plants 
grow. During January, February and March these 
low readings are continued o’nights, while the day 
temperatures with bright sun and nearly rainless 
skies ranges from 67 degrees to 70 degrees Fah. 
From April to November the day temperature 
ranges from 76 degrees to 67 degrees respectively, 
and the night temperature from 50 degrees in April 
to 46 degrees in June to 39 degrees in November. 
These months from April to November are rainy, 
the fall increasing from i- inch in April to 4 or 5 in 
May, and from 2 inches in July to 9 or IO inches in 
September, — October; and then through November 
rapidly decreasing until December is reached with 
(usually) none. In such a dimate the tops are ever- 
green— that is they do not die until the next years 
growth is well advanced. All this seeems to indi- 
cate that the Dahlia might be used as a decorative 
plant in conjunction with Chrysanthemums, espec- 
ially at northern and mountain points where the 
summer heats are moderate. The societies promise 
to bring the Dahlias into prominence again. They 
will succeed, for the flowers have intrinsic merit, 
and may be grown in many modified ways to suit 
conditions and climate; they may even be treated 
as annuals or biennials, they may be pegged down, 
or staked up, they may be had very large or very 
dwarf, very double or single, and their roots are as 
easy to keep through the winter as sweet potatoes. 
Cosmos has 10 species; one or two forms of C. 
bipinnatus has spread into Texas and Arizona, but 
the «entre of production is Central America. Var- 
ieties of this plant have become popular with flor- 
ists at the north as a late autumn flower, and some 
growers peg the tall growing plants down to the 
ground, but for ornamental purposes they are best 
disposed in round beds on the grass, well staked, 
and edged with Marigolds on some other low grow- 
ing allied plants. 
Trenton, N. J. James AlacPhcrson . 
CEMETERIES OF USE TO THE LIVING. 
The late Bishop of Manchester, speaking at a Social Science 
Congress, rtferred to cemeteries as “becoming not only a 
difficulty and expense, and an inconvenience, but an actual 
danger.” 
Another sentence with which he began the subject, sug- 
gested to me a way of using the occupied part of cemeteries so 
as to lessen their expense, and by prohibiting a second interment 
in the same spot, to lessen their danger; as well as in other ways 
making them still further the contrary of an inconvenience. 
The Bishop remarked that when consecrating part of a new 
cemetery the thought occurred to him that “here was another 
hundred acres withdrawn from the food producing area of the 
country fonever,” and although he added that his own instincts 
and sentiments were strongly revolted by the idea of cremation, 
yet it was evident he thought that bye and bye we may be driven 
to adopt it. 
But there are not only instincts and sentiments against cre- 
mation, there are several very grave objections to it. 
One is the greater immunity of poisoning, in the absence 
of proof, which would ensue from the destruction of the body 
so immediately. 
Another is the double waste involved; waste, first of the fuel 
necessary for the consumption; next, waste of the bodies them- 
selves. 
