PARK AND CEMETERY 
126 
for growth, after the soil becomes exhausted, are 
usually given dissolved in water, and cow manure is 
still the most in use for this purpose. For immediate 
action I have found dried blood very helpful. It has 
a tendency to darken the green color of the foliage on 
healthy plants. Printed directions for its use are 
usually given with this article by the seed firms. The 
smell of dried blood is, however, for several days de- 
cidedly offensive. Mulching with well decayed manure 
is beneficial to the growth, but also draws the roots 
up to the surface of the soil, and if on hot, dry sum- 
mer days the plants are not constantly watered, causes 
flowers and foliage to wilt. Greenhouse hydrangeas, 
if kept outdoors over winter, need careful protection. 
Pot plants and large specimens in tubs should be re- 
moved to a cool airy cellar, or shed, where the tem- 
perature does not drop much below freezing point. 
The natural color of the flowers of the two species 
Hydrangea Hortensis and Hydrangea Otaksa is a more 
or less bright pink. This color, however, changes un- 
der certain conditions to a deep azure blue. The place 
where I was formerly located was on a low plain in 
an iron ore region, and the water contained iron, some- 
times even to a degree to make it assume a rusty 
brown color. All our hydrangeas there flowered blue. 
Last year one of my neighbors purchased several, which 
then bore bright pink flowers ;this year they had chang- 
ed to a clear blue, attributable solely to the constant use 
of rusty water out of old iron pipes. As a matter of fact 
gardeners and florists desiring to have blue corymbs 
mix iron filings with the soil, or use rusty water, or 
alum dissolved in water, generally with satisfactory 
results. Blue cymes while in course of development 
should not be exposed to the full sunlight, as in my 
experience, the bright rays transfer this color to the 
indefinable purple, pinkish-blue or violet, so much 
dreaded by growers. 
There are over thirty species of hydrangeas known. 
The latest introduction is Hydrangea Hortensis rosea, 
of dwarf, bushy habit and bv nature bright pink color, 
readily changing to blue. Its serrated leaves are dark 
olive-green and are borne on red stems. The plant 
flowers very freely and from its appearance at last 
spring’s flower shows, where its introducers had a 
number on exhibition, bids fair to become a very popu- 
lar pot plant for the easter trade. Growers in Eng- 
land, Germany and France strongly commend its good 
forcing qualities and graceful habit of growth. 
The climbing variety, Hydrangea scandens, a hardy 
species from Japan, less known perhaps, is useful for 
covering walls or bare tree trunks. Its white cymes 
appearing as early as June are less conspicuous, but 
the dark-green, densely set foliage forms a very at- 
tractive picture. 
The old variety Hydrangea Hortensis and Hydran- 
gea Otaksa, however, remain unexcelled for beautifying 
home surroundings, especially for decorating piazza, 
stairways and lawn. A glance at the accompanying 
illustration showing the display of a dozen of large 
specimens on the lawn of “Sunset,” the country home 
of Mr. Clay Kemble, at Laverock, Pa., will confirm this 
assertion. 
Prog'ress in the Care of Small Catholic Cemeteries. 
By Mrs. Frances Copley Seavey. 
It is so unusual to find a Catholic cemetery con- 
ducted upon any but ultra-conservative and distinctly 
old-time lines, that it is a pleasure to speak of St. 
Stephen's, Hamilton, Ohio, where, happily, a progres- 
sive spirit prevails and, to a considerable extent, pro- 
gressive ideas are put into practice. 
The cemetery is in two divisions, situated on each 
side of a road, with duplicate entrance gates of neat 
and attractive design placed opposite each other. One 
of them is shown in an accompanying view. The 
smaller and older division, known as the “old cem- 
etery,” is only six acres in extent and dates from 
the early ’40s, when six men purchased and laid 
out the ground, sold 60 lots each 18x36 feet in size, 
and later deeded the plot to the church with the pro- 
vision that no more lots be sold, the remainder of the 
ground to be devoted exclusively to single graves. 
Some thirty years later the congregation found itself 
compelled to have more space and in 1873, ^ n0 a( l- 
joining ground was available, bought twelve acres of 
beautiful rolling land across the road and directly op- 
posite the original site. This piece of ground was en- 
larged in 1903 by the purchase of two and two-thirds 
acres more at a cost of $2,800, on which it is the in- 
tention to build a new “Sexton's home,” and the re- 
mainder of the plot to be reserved for landscape plant- 
ing. 
Both pieces of ground, comprising in all twenty and 
two-thirds acres, are inclosed by hedges of osage 
orange kept pruned to a height of four and a width 
of three feet with a single plant, at intervals of about 
thirty feet, allowed to attain a height of eight feet 
and also formally pruned. A water system has been 
established throug'hout the grounds with hydrants at 
convenient intervals, that are supplied with boxes so 
that any one may dip water dry shod, thus avoiding 
the unpleasant and unsightly mud puddles that are 
too often the accompaniment of hydrants. Lot own- 
