Editorial JVote and Comment. 
The Philadelphia Boulevard. 
When the “gridiron” plan of laying out towns and 
cities was adopted, conforming as it did to the general 
plan of platting the public domain, the idea prevailed 
undoubtedly that general utility was the main object to 
be secured. So far as the system is concerned with 
the survey, mapping and recording of lands, this 
American method is wonderfully simple and effective ; 
but applied to the establishment of towns and cities it 
has proved detrimental in a high degree, and has done 
a vast injury from an esthetic standpoint to innumer- 
able prominent centers in our States and Territories. 
It lias destroyed the natural beauty of a town site to 
subordinate it to practically trade requirements, while 
at the same time it has permanently interfered with 
future prospects of municipal embellishment so far as 
it relates to outdoor art. And no great city of the 
world has suffered more from this method than Phila- 
delphia. Considering its importance and place in his- 
torv, it has never been an attractive city, and princi- 
pally from the monotony of its appearance, physically 
speaking, which not even its beautiful Fairmount Park 
and several fine public buildings have been able to 
remedy. The recent passage of the ordinances provid- 
ing for the magnificent boulevard and parkway illus- 
trated in our last issue will, however, inaugurate one 
of the most extensive municinal projects now under 
consideration in the world, and Philadelphia is to be 
congratulated accordingly. But it is to be sorely re- 
gretted that the efforts of its progressive citizens, 
which have for years past been concentrated on this 
scheme, should have to be smirched with degrading 
politics. The magnificent avenue which the project 
contemplates, and which will bring beautiful Fair- 
mount Park closer to the center of the city, will surely 
become one of the famous thoroughfares of the world, 
and will not only add to the wealth of Philadelphia, but 
will give to the city an attractiveness for the visitor 
never before possessed, and never likely to have come 
under the hitherto prevailing conditions. There are 
many possibly fine cities in the country on the “grid- 
iron” plan that can go to work and do likewise — break- 
up the depressing monotony of the square system and 
afford the art leagues an opportunity to show their 
skill in making the city beautiful, and thus add to its 
wealth and significance. 
^ ^ 
The Teacher in the Rural Schools. 
How vast is the field for outdoor improvement, and 
how very little has already been done in spite of the 
broad interest the question has aroused, may be seen on 
any short railroad trip. Speaking of the school grounds 
alone, one may travel hundreds of miles, even through 
our more settled Middle and Eastern States, without 
seeing many examples of improved school houses en 
route, and it comes to one’s mind that in the education 
of the teacher nowadays there should be included a 
fairly comprehensive course on nature study and out- 
door improvement. The adaptability of the young to 
nature’s influences and teachings, and their enthusi- 
astic love of garden work has been amply proved and is 
well realized, but leaders and instructors are positively 
necessary, and these should be round in the teacher. 
And especially so in the rural schools. In the country, 
up to date, the missionary efforts of the Improvement 
Leagues and Ladies’ Auxiliaries have scarcely been 
heard of. and so the apathy characterizing the coun- 
try in such a movement is very much in evidence, and 
will only be removed to an appreciable extent by the 
persistent activity of the school children with the in- 
telligent co-operation of their teachers. In the country 
school teacher we should be able to find in due course 
the making of an apostle in outdoor improvement, 
whose influence through the children to the parents 
would be far-reaching, indeed. Unfortunately, the 
standard of education in the average teacher of the 
rural school is at present far from satisfactory, the 
normal schools, as a rule, not embodying in their cur- 
riculum such lines of study as would establish princi- 
ples of taste and culture in the aspirants for the position 
of school teachers, and there must be some foundation 
in these directions to make their activity in outdoor 
improvement effective either in the school or country. 
Energy may be well directed towards making the 
country school teacher in fact as well as in theory an 
efficient disciple of the leaders in this great movement 
of the twentieth century. 
^ 
Publicity in City Forestery. 
In all matters of general interest “publicity” is rec- 
ognized as a forceful agent for securing results, 
whether in the lines of commerce or politics, and so 
far as it has been intelligently applied it has been of 
vast influence in effecting economic reforms, which 
though general in their nature, have particular com- 
munity application. This is being clearly demon- 
strated in the progress of outdoor improvement, and 
in particular in the planting and care of city trees. 
Where the press has been led to zealously endorse and 
uphold ordinances and regulations regarding city 
trees, rapid development in this line of work has fol- 
lowed, but in no city has it secured more permanent 
and rapid results than in Kansas City. The persistent 
efforts of Mr. Henry J. Latshaw, the city forester, 
and his practical articles on the care and culture of 
street trees, in the publication of which the press has 
generously supported him, have attracted wide atten- 
tion, and have resulted in a more enlightened public 
