180 
PARK AND CEMETERY, 
ly called “soft maple” and often injudiciously plann- 
ed with the white maple. Suppose both species are 
of same size at time of planting. Ten years from 
the planting of such a mixed row of maples the ef- 
fect is anything but pleasing. The white maple is our 
most rapid-growing native maple, and the red maple, 
one of our very smallest and most slowly-growing 
species. Within ten years the white maple at- 
tains twice the height and size of the red maple, 
the distant outline of such a mixed row of trees 
being an exceedingly jagged one and anything 
but pleasing in appearance. Still, we can find a 
place for the red maple, but we should recognize all 
its peculiarities before planting. Like white maple, 
it is very susceptible to attacks of borers, its wood 
being rather soft. The tree is lower topped and 
rounder-headed than white maple. Leaves much 
smaller, much less deeply cut, and leaf stalks very 
slender. Its flowers are decidedly handsome, being 
rich, dark red, at first opening in short, dense clusters, 
then greatly enlarging, the dark red flower stalks be- 
coming three or four inches long. Quite showy when 
the tree is entirely leafless. And then when autumn 
comes, who can fail to admire its glorious, rich red 
foliage? A very blaze of crimson it often appears. 
All summer long it has been a dainty, quiet, and un- 
assuming tree, but the frosts of autumn render it one 
of the most conspicuous of trees, fitly placing it with 
the various cornels and sumachs. The fruits (sama- 
ras) of white maples are about the largest of all our 
maples, while those of the red maple are the small- 
est of all. 
Ash-Leaved Maple. Negundo ( Acer Negundo ). 
— Very foolishly called “box elder.” Another illus- 
tration of common English fool names. Differs from 
our other maples in having leaves composed of three 
to five leaflets. Very well known. Rapid grower. 
Wood soft. Not very long-lived tree, and not be- 
coming very large. Adds variety to a plantation of 
trees and easily grown. 
Pennsylvania Maple. Striped Maple (Acer 
P ennsylvanicum ) . — This handsome shrub has always 
been a favorite of the writer, being one of the objects 
he first noticed about his forest home not far from 
Lake Superior more than forty years ago, and al- 
ways admires when he revisits those scenes of his 
early days. It rarely exceeds twenty feet high, yet 
always commands one’s attention. It is so neat and 
elegant in appearance. The smoothish bark is deep 
green with darker stripes. Flowers greenish yellow 
in drooping clusters. Leaves of a very pleasing light 
green, smooth, and somewhat shining above, with 
three lobes near the tip. Grows on dry hills, among 
rocks, etc. 
Mountain Maple ( Acer spicatum ). — Another 
very neat shrub rarely over twenty feet tall, often 
forming large clumps. The old bark is a light gray, 
young bark dark green. The three to five lobed 
leaves very pretty and the very numerous erect clus- 
ters of greenish yellow flowers decidedly handsome. 
These fine shrub maples should have a place in every 
park. 
Improvement of the Farm Home. 
BY JOHN CRAIG. THIRD VICE-PRESIDENT AMERICAN LEAGUE FOR CIVIC IMPROVEMENT. 
If it were possible to compare accurately and 
graphically the external and internal conditions of the 
average farm home of ten years ago with those of 
today the contrast would be impressively in favor of 
the home of today and the points of difference be- 
tween the two most significant of the progress of 
events. The improvement of the farm home includes 
many things. It supposes not solely an awakening to 
the desirability of considering the aesthetics of home 
surroundings ; not alone the means of rural transporta- 
tion and communication ; nor yet exclusively the 
means of keeping in touch with the march of events 
as chronicled in the daily press and distributed by 
rural free delivery. But more than that, above and 
beyond all that, it is a genuine desire to live in the 
countrv for the sake of the surroundings and a wish 
to make the home so attractive exteriorly as well as 
interiorly that the rising generation, or a reasonable 
percentage thereof, will feel that it is a desirable place 
to live, that it is good to be there. 
What are the tangible evidences of improvement in 
the living of the country people? They are many. 
First, and of the greatest significance, a stronger in- 
clination to co-operate commercially and for educa- 
tional and social purposes. The spirit of co-opera- 
tion among the rural people is intensifying each 
year. Ignorance opposes co-operation. But we see 
this new ideal of country expressed in various in- 
dustrial efforts — *the local telephone, the farmers’ in- 
surance company, and the farmers’ purchasing asso- 
ciation. We recognize it in the increasing strength of 
the grange, an educational factor of wonderful power 
and greater promise. We see it in the consolidated 
central school ; in the country high school ; in the grow- 
ing eagerness of farmers to take advantage of cor- 
respondence courses in agriculture, and the increas- 
ing popularity of the farmers’ institute as an edu- 
cating agent. It is to be observed in the perceptive- 
ness of the average rural audience. Ten years ago, 
nay, even five years ago, an institute speaker in ad- 
dressing an audience of farmers took care to use 
few technical terms, and, if it were necessary to do 
so, employed them with diffidence accompanied bv 
elaborate explanation. Today* he addresses a won- 
