PARK AND CEMETERY. 
■ ' - Leave the World a pleasanter place fJian you found it. 
AN EXAMPLE. 
The “little object lesson’’ which occupied this 
page in the October issue was. so well received that 
we give another, different in character and material 
but equally useful in illustrating a principle. 
Use . — This is a back door planting and its 
whole duty from the point of view of usefulness, is 
to screen from public view the essential, the rough- 
ly respectable, but not always attractive back door 
life that must needs have a place in every home. 
Such a planting adds to the comfort of everyone 
living in a neighborhood (especially to that of the 
occupants of a house so sheltered ) and also of the 
passing public. 
Beantv . — Its other duty is to dare to be as 
pretty as it can, — and is it not attractive? To 
fully appreciate all that it stands for, observe this 
unfenced door yard before the handsome group of 
semi-tropical plants were planted, as shown in tl e 
illustration “Shaven and Shorn.” 
Character. — It is a plantation of tender mater- 
ial, admirably conceived and e.Ncellently well 
done. But it will be cut off by the first frost, 
therefore it is only a passing show and a tempor- 
ary screen. It took the small plants and dry 
IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATIONS. 
Conducted by 
Frances Copley Seavey. 
A r.ACK DJOR SCREEN, CARTHAGE, MO. 
tubers used, about one-third of the growing season 
to attain a useful height and their full beauty, 
therefore it is safe to say that the really satisfac- 
tory appearance of such a plantation is limited in 
2,31 
a region of frost and snow, even under the most 
favorable conditions, to font months. 
Permanence. — If a ‘growing screen is a good 
thing to have during a small part of the year, why 
“shaven .\nd shorn.’’ 
would it not be a better thing to establish a per- 
manent screen of hardy material the first cost of 
which in labor and money will be but slightly in 
advance of what is expended each year on the 
tender planting,' and wdiich will continue to thrive, 
to shelter and to beautify for many years; not for 
four or five months of one year, but for twelve 
months of every year. 
Shaven and Shorn.”— This photograph sug- 
gests the painful experiences of Mulvaney after he 
was “rejuced. ” It clearly shows the bald appear- 
ance of the back door without the protecting bed 
of semi-tropical plants shown in the other illustra- 
tion. It also proves that after the frosts cut off the 
tender plants, the occupants of the cosy home 
missed the pleasant shelter of the leafy screen and 
set about creating one of permanent character. 
By looking closely, the shrubs set out this fall may 
be seen bent to the ground. As Mr. Stevens, to 
whom we are indebted for both of the photographs, 
says; “Some shrubbery has been planted, but it 
will be bent to the ground so that the rear view of 
the back of the house from the street will be seen 
in all of its ugliness and bareness.” 
The tw’o illustrations given on this page admir- 
ably display the “before” and “after” condition of 
the home, and show how it is possible in a short 
time to create attractive surroundings. 
Practicability . — It is a simple matter to plan 
such a screen so as to insure rapid growth, (if de- 
sired, tender material can be used to reinforce the 
young shrubs during the first year, though this is 
not essential ) as well as an attractive appearance 
throughout the entire year. It may have bud and 
bloom from early spring till late summer, lovely 
coloring and interesting fruits in the fall and beau- 
