PARK AND CEMETERY, 
149 
IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATIONS. 
Conducted by 
Frances Copley Seavey. 
Leave the World a pleasanter place than you found it. 
CHURCH AND SCHOOLHOUSE GROUNDS. 
It sometimes occurs that the care of church and 
schoolhouse grounds is the business of no one in 
particular and therefore stands a good chance of 
being let severely alone. Such neglected grounds 
should be taken firmly in hand by local improve- 
ment clubs, for their prominent position and char- 
acter make them a focus of observation. 
WHY TO PLANT. 
In undertaking such work the first step is an 
outline of the work, and, as there is a reason for 
everything in landscape gardening, the necessary 
cue should not be far to seek. All such grounds 
contain unattractive features 01 views that may be 
screened by planting. Coal sheds and other out- 
buildings are a necessity, but their existence need 
not insist upon constant recognition. In every case 
they can be shielded by vines and shrubs to the 
advantage of the manners and the morals of the 
rising generation, the comfort of every one even 
remotely concerned, and the very material improve- 
ment of appearances. 
WHERE TO PLANT. 
If only one bit of planting is done, let it be to 
the end of veiling all outbuildings in sight whether 
on the plot being planted or on adjoining ground. 
Shade trees are necessary and should be massed on 
the sides of the plot where shelter from sun and 
win I is most needed, but in such shape and position 
that they will become adjuncts to the center of 
interest, viz., the building, instead of being placed 
too near it, or dotted about, so that when grown 
they will completely hide it. The bulk of the 
planting should be massed at the sides, flanking a 
central space and framing, as it were, the principal 
feature of the picture, which, in the case of church 
or schoolhouse, is always the building. The 
planting that is intended to screen objectionable 
views or objects can usually be made a part of one 
of the larger plantations that flank and partly 
frame the building and make a background for the 
sweep of greensward that forms the foreground. 
Without a foreground there can be no picture. 
Then there may be smaller and lower masses of 
planting in the front corners of the plot, and some- 
thing good in itself and not too large might be 
placed near the entrance or entrances — avoiding, 
however, a grim pair of anything placed one on 
each side of a gateway like sentinels from mediseve^ 
times ready to chop off the head of any one passing 
the portals. Rather let it be a group on one side 
and a single specimen shrub or vine on the other. 
These serve to mark the entrance and are quite 
useful for that purpose on dark nights. Shrubs 
placed near the building are frequently desirable, 
their location being indicated by its form. Long, 
blank walls may be fitly relieved by tall shrubs, 
and corners where grass refuses to grow may be 
acceptably filled with shrubs, vines, ferns or other 
material suited to the location and exposure, which 
may be wet or dry, shaded or sunny. To the 
planting already suggested — all of which is subject 
to variation to meet specific conditions — there may 
well be added vines to climb over fences, trees, and 
on the buildings themselves when constructed of 
brick or stone. Vines on buildings look far better 
if faced with shrubbery, because the transition 
from sward to vine-clad wall is too abrupt, and also 
because the lower part of such vines tend to bare- 
ness of stems as they grow older. These bad effects 
are overcome by the use of shrubs that are allowed 
to sweep the grass with their lower branches, which 
is the correct wa}^ to grow them. Other planting 
will be suggested by special conditions. 
WHEN TO PLANT. 
From October 1 5 to the end of November is the 
best time to transplant nearly all deciduous 
material, and the condition of the soil, the weather, 
and the long season suitable for such work make all 
the conditions favorable for successful results from 
fall work. A fall “Field Day,” upon which the 
bulk of the work could be done, might be made a 
club event, and a few preliminaries in the way of 
carefully selected committees would secure system 
and insure substantial results. In many instances 
good material can be had for the mere trouble of 
going to the woods and taking it up. Such 
material should be selected and marked while in 
leaf, but further work must be delayed until the 
wood has thoroughly ripened and the leaves have 
fallen, indicating that the plants’ season of rest has 
begun, then, and not till then, must the work of 
collecting and replanting the selected material be 
undertaken. 
WHAT TO PLANT. 
Among the best wild material available in most 
locations reached by Park and Cemetery are the 
following trees and shrubs: Native Thorns in sev- 
eral varieties. Crab Apple, Cercis Canadensis or 
Red Bud, also known as American Judas tree; 
Choke Cherry, Bird 01 wild Black Cherry, Cornus 
Florida or large flowered Dogwood, Ptelea trifoliata 
or Shrubby trefoil, also known as Hop-tree; 
Sumachs in variety, Sassafras, Wahoo or Burning 
