22 2 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
PUBLIC Statuary in the public streets and other 
STATUARY suitable locations in our cities is con- 
ceded to be a highly important feature of munici- 
pal embellishment. There arc essentials, however, 
which bear directly upon the question, and among 
them are appropriateness of subject, artistic merit 
of the work, and harmony of surroundings. Either 
of these points involve not only due consideration 
from their own particular bearing upon the matter 
in hand, but also high qualities of artistic tempera- 
ment and learning on the part of those entrusted 
with a solution of the problem governed by them. 
A statue or monument properly chosen, artistically 
satisfactory and harmoniously set, cannot but be a 
“thing of beauty and a joy for ever’’ in any city, 
but alas! how few we have all over the broad land 
which will pass muster under the above conditions. 
There is a strong hope, however, that we have 
nearly or quite seen the last of the “hap hazard” 
monument in our public places, whether created at 
public expense or by private donation. City art 
co.iimissions are establishing themselves, where 
such have been appointed, in the confidence of the 
people, and the ridiculous fact of city aldermen, 
such as we have so long known, sitting in judgment 
on a monument as art critics and arbitrarily decid- 
ing on details must be forgotten in the brighter 
prospects of the dawning century. 
PROTECTION It i'’ ^ matter worthy of record that 
OF AJRICAN seven of the European powers have re- 
FAUNA . . , ^ • T 1 
cently signed an agreement in London, 
through their diplomatic rt presentatives, guaran- 
teeing the proper protection of the wild animals of 
Africa. It is not a day to soon, for many of the 
finest of the African mammals are on the point of 
e.xtinction and possibly one or two species have 
hopelessly disappeared. Some of the African ani- 
m ds otTer opportunities of subjection to domes- 
tic uses, but the hunters and the craze, common to 
the Caucassian, to kill for sport alone, consigned 
this possibility to the background, and it will take 
a long time to make good the lost opportunity. It 
is a great pity that our own government did not 
earlier awaken to the desirability of protecting the 
fauna of this North American continent, for not 
alone might the requirements of commerce have 
been better served, but a broad educationed interest 
would have been conserved and a great attraction 
added to our wealth of natural possessions. 
OUTDOOR At the annual meeting of the Michi- 
IMPROVEMENT State Horticultural Society, 
held in Grand Rapids, Mich., early this month, it 
was clearly demonstrated how readily and appropri- 
ately the question of art-out-of-doors may be made 
to constitute a prominent feature of the program of 
such societies to the advantage of all interests con- 
cerned. In the case in point, one afternoon and 
evening was devoted to this subject under the head 
of Improvement Association work, and it brought 
out quite a large attendance and unquestionably 
secured the close attention and interest of those 
present. And more than this, the press of the city 
devoted a great deal of space to these proceedings, 
which also serves to show not only the growing in- 
terest in the question at large but its importance 
as worthy of a prominent position in the news of the 
da3^ Looking around for promising mediums for 
the dissemination of information on out-door im 
provement and improvement association work, the 
horticultural society, which flourishes in practically 
all the states of the union, presents conditions and 
opportunities of the highest import, because through 
its membership the remote country places can be 
more easily' reached, and because that membership 
once made to realize the advantages to be gained 
by improving our surroundings generally, become 
intelligent and active missionaries in the cause, and 
b\^ beginning work at home convert their neighbors. 
ij? •X’ ^ 
Another feature v/hich fitted into the program 
of the above Horticultural Society was the Eorcstry 
question. Of all the states in the union, Michigan 
for the very reason of its enormous lumber interests 
in the past, is forced to take up this important mat- 
ter. After many y^ears of effort on the part of a 
number of its patriotic citizens the subject of fores- 
try is rapidly becoming a paramount public ques- 
tion, for it Is being realized on all sides that the 
destruction of the forests, without adequate previ- 
sion for their re-establishment has done an incal- 
culable damage to the state’s interests, not only 
from the standpoint of climatic considerations, and 
the many interests incident thereto, but from the 
commercial side. Papers were read at the session 
devoted to the subject, of great value and sugges- 
tiveness, and it was clearly shewn that if public in- 
terest can be excited and sustained, no insurmount- 
able difficulties stand in the way of reforesting the 
denuded areas which the thoughtless rapacity of 
man has left so desolate and harmful to the welfare 
of the state. One of the more difficult problems to 
solve is that of protection from fire, and careful leg- 
islation will have to be enacted to safeguard the ex- 
isting woodlands as well as those hoped to be set 
out. The intricacies of this feature of the subject 
need much deliberation in connection with both the 
practical and theoretical aspects, and is a most nec- 
essary prelude, as it were, to reforestration as a 
practical measure in the cause of public welfare. 
