PARK AND CEMETERY 
198 
Wood Ashes as a Fertilizer. 
The frequent mention of the 
use of wood ashes as a fertilizing 
agent must have been observed 
by many, as well as the fact, 
long well known, of the benefi- 
cial results of their applica- 
tion in orchards generally. 
The reason is that the application 
of wood ashes as a fertilizer is no 
longer an experiment, but that 
their value on grass lands and 
lawns has been proven and is en- 
dorsed by many of the leading 
cemetery superintendents in the 
country. They contain mineral 
plant food in the most soluble 
and acceptable form, and the very 
great advantage they possess over 
ordinary manure is that they do 
not contain seeds of troublesome 
weeds; they are clean to handle 
and easy to apply and they are 
odorless. In confirmation of the 
statements as to the value of this 
material it would be easy to pro- 
duce extracts from the reports of 
the leading authorities on agricul- 
tural matters, in which the records 
of the exhaustive experiments to 
determine actual facts are pub- 
lished, and which show conclu- 
sivel)- that unleached hardwood 
ashes form a fertilizer of the 
highest excellence coupled with 
advantages found in very few 
others. For the large areas of 
grass land in our cemeteries and 
parks it is an especially desirable 
medium, and in fact to our own 
knowledge is being very largely 
used in many of our leading 
cemeteries. Its eftecton grass is 
to ensure a vigorous and healthy 
growth, which can be maintained 
by a yearly light top dressing. It 
makes little difference whether the 
ashes are distributed in the fall or 
spring, only that it is advisable 
to get them on the ground as early 
as possible. Munroe, Lalor & 
Co., of Oswego, N. Y., have de- 
veloped the collection and care of 
Canadian Hardwood Unleached 
Ashes until by a matured system 
they are enabled to supply them 
in any quantities in the best condi- 
tion and reliable in quality, and be- 
lieving thoroughly in their fertiliz- 
ing nature they have spared no 
pains to gather data in support of 
their utility. A pamphlet is pub- 
lished on “Wood Ashes and their 
Use,” by T. Grenier, author of sev- 
eral standard works on farm and 
garden matters, which can be had 
by addressing the firm as above, and 
mentioning Park AND CEMETERY, 
and much useful information can 
be gleaned from its pages besides 
the conviction that it is worth 
giving wood ashes a trial, which 
the results will surely justify. 
Publisher’s Department. 
Notice to subscribers, If this not- 
ice is marked with a blue pencil it indi- 
cates that your subscription to Park and 
Cemetery has expired and a renewal of 
same is solicited. 
Park Commissioners and Cemetery 
trustees are requested to send us copies of 
their reports. 
Photographs and descriptive sketches of 
interesting features in parks and cemeter- 
ies are solicited from our readers. 
Park and Cemetery wants the names 
of every park and cemetery official or em- 
ployee who would be likely to be interest- 
ed in this paper. To the many subscrib- 
ers who have sent in such lists of names, 
we return our thanks. There are many 
more that we should hear from. 
Subscribers are again reminded that we 
want brief notes on any feature of park or 
cemetery work that will be of general in- 
terest. Park and Cemetery is the only 
publication of its class and earnestly so- 
licits the co-operation of subscribers in 
making it a help to all identified with 
such work. 
received. 
From Mr. W. Clauson, Supt. Hillside 
Cemetery, South Plainfield, N. J. view in 
cemetery of San Miniato, Florence, Italy. 
Rules and Regulations of West- 
minster Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pa. 
From Mr. Arthur W. Hobert, 
Secretary Lakewood Cemetery Associa- 
tion, Minneapolis, Minn., circulars of ex- 
tracts from new state laws, and alterations 
in rules of the cemetery. 
By the courtesy of Mr. Frank D. Willis, 
Sec’y. and Treas., Oakland Cemetery As- 
sociation, St. Paul, Minn., extracts and 
comments on recent State Legislation, 
published in another column. 
Sixth Annual Report of the Board of 
Park Commissioners, Paterson, N. J., for 
year ending April 1895. This report is 
tastefully illustrated with full page half 
tones, which display some beautiful park 
conditions. 
Personal. 
Mr. William P. Webb, founder of the 
Lorraine Cemetery, Baltimore, Md., and 
at the time of his death vice-president of 
the company, died December 23, 1895, af- 
ter an illness of nine months. He was 
buried in the family lot in Lorraine. 
W. N. Rudd, Supt. Mt. Greenwood 
Cemetery, Mt. Greenwood, 111 ., has been 
appointed a member of the executive 
committee of the Society of American 
Florists. 
Robert Douglas, of Douglas & Son, 
nurserymen, Waukegan, 111 ., well-known 
to many cemetery officials, is a striking 
personality, and can look back on a life 
paralleled by very few. Born on April 
22,1813 at Gateshead, on the Tyne, in En- 
gland, he became very early interested in 
accounts of the vast tracts of forest land 
and wonderful natural attractions of North 
America. He reached Toronto, Canada, 
in 1837, and his sympathies led him to be 
involved in the war flurries of those times, 
and he participated .in the battle of Tor- 
onto. Leaving for the West he settled in 
Waukegan and began the nursery busi- 
ness. He was one of the commissioners 
to investigate the forest wealth of the 
United States and in the course of this 
work he travelled far and wide over 
the face of the country. He has 
retired from business but is hale and 
hearty with his 82 years at his beautiful 
home at Waukegan. 
Any one who has a garden will welcome 
the news that American Gardening (P. 
O. box 1697, New York) will greet its 
readers every week, commencing with the 
new volume in January. Though appear- 
ing twice as often, the price, ^i.oo a year, 
will not be altered. Readers can obtain a 
free specimen by sending a postal card re- 
quest to the publishers. 
We have received from Mr. Harlan T. 
Kelsey, Kawana, N. C., some beautiful 
specimens of Galax leaves and Leucothce 
sprays. These beautiful southern evergreens 
were introduced sometime ago by Mr. Kel- 
sey and have met with favor everywhere 
for decorative purposes. The Galax leaves 
are beautiful m outline and brilliant m 
color being a bright green and a rich 
bronze, with long pliant stems, and pos- 
sessing the lasting qualities so essential in 
decorative materials. They are espec- 
ially suitable for cemetery work in winter 
and have become very popular among 
florists for this purpose. At the funeral 
of the late George W. Childs in Philadel- 
phia, one of the pieces which attracted 
most attention was a large wreath of 
Galax leaves and roses. Another point in 
their favor is the reasonable price at which 
they are sold, it is not at all surprising that 
they are becoming more popular than ivy 
for cemeter)' work. Mr. Kelsey will send 
samples of the leaves and price list to 
cemetery officials interested in using them. 
The 1896 general catalogue of Ellwan- 
ger & Barry, Mount Hope Nurseries, 
Rochester, N. Y., has been received. It 
is an excellent production this year, and 
beyond a catalogue of fruit and ornamen- 
tal trees, shrubs, roses, etc,, it is worthy 
of a place on the shelves as a reference 
book. It is copiously illustrated, contain- 
ing a large number of half tones of speci- 
men trees and flowering shrubs, and two 
portraits of much interest: George Ell- 
wanger and the late Patrick Barry, These 
two names are household words with the 
horticultural fraternity. Our readers are 
urged to send for a copy of this valuable 
catalogue and to mention l^ARK and 
Cemetery when doing so. 
