129 
PARK AND CEMETERY 
Annual reports or extracts f rom them , historical sketches , 
descriptive circulars, photographs of improvements or dis- 
tinctive features are requested for use in this department. 
A very creditable exhibit of flowers and vegetables was 
made by the children of Assonet, Mass., on Sept. 6, under 
the management of the' Village Improvement Society, which 
offered prizes to the successful competitors. The affair was 
made the occasion of a pleasant entertainment for old and 
young. 
* * * 
The Town Improvement Society of Exeter, N. H., held its 
second annual flower, vegetable and fruit exhibit in the town 
hall on Sept. 8. Its success fully came up to expectations, 
for the abundance of articles contributed equaled those of last 
year, and the attendance was quite as large. The farmers of 
the locality entered into the spirit of the affair and made many 
contributions. 
* * * 
The Village Improvement Society of Norfolk, Conn., has 
just completed the work of restoring the fence surrounding 
the village green. There are 16 varieties of trees in the 
“green” and the society will shortly have all these designated 
by metal signs attached to the trees, giving both the popular 
and botanical names, as well as the name of the countries 
to which they are indigenous. 
* * * 
The Civic Improvement League, of Columbus, S. C., was 
organized in January, 1904, for the purpose of arousing an 
interest in trees, the care of the shade trees, the paving and 
parking of the beautifully wide streets, and for civic cleanli- 
ness and beauty in general. An article on civic improvement 
appears in the daily paper every Sunday. The League has ar- 
ranged for lantern slide talks, to be given in the fall. Miss 
Belle Williams is president and Miss Ellen Taylor is secre- 
tary. 
* * * 
The Civic Improvement League of St. Louis, Mo., through its 
Smoke Abatement Committee, has volunteered its services to 
the Attorney-General of Missouri, to assist the State in the 
appeal case testing the validity of the smoke law, which is 
about to come up in the Supreme Court, October term. Presi- 
dent Edward C. Eliot and Luther Ely Smith will act as the 
League’s attorneys in the matter and will co-operate with 
Attorney-General Crow in the preparation of the briefs. The 
co-operation of the League has been accepted by the Attorney- 
General. 
* * * 
A committee of the Association for the Improvement and 
adornment of San Francisco, which has already empowered 
Mr. D. H. Burnham, of Chicago, to direct and execute a prac- 
tical and comprehensive plan for improvement and adornment 
of the city, has recently issued a circular urging the residents 
of the Western addition to improve the appearance of their 
houses by the placing of plants in gardens and windows. It is 
a strong appeal to the taste of the residents, with ample sug- 
gestions for carrying out the improvement, and might be 
studied with profit by the residents of any city, great or small. 
The first public playground has been opened at Reading, 
Pa., provided by the Civic Division of the Woman’s Club. 
The yard is 139 by 150 feet, and is part of the grounds of the 
old Lieppe mansion, which is owned by the sisters of the Good 
Shepherd, its use being very generously donated by the sister- 
hood. It is equipped with all the paraphernalia of a modern 
childrens’ playground, and is systematically cared for and the 
children superintended by appointed instructors. The com- 
munity is pleased with the success of the scheme, and the 
police are under orders to help the ladies in the work. This is 
expected to be only the beginning of such improvement work. 
* * * 
The Rural Improvement Association, of Windsor, Vt., is 
making what promises to be a successful effort to clean up 
and put in order the Old South burying ground, historic and 
sacred resting place of Windsor’s dead of nearly one hundred 
and fifty years — the oldest stone bearing the date 1766 — Eliza- 
beth Dean. The association has had an expensive and dif- 
ficult task in fixing the location of graves and obtaining the 
names and dates of death — some 1,200 in number — and putting 
them into a substantial and convenient form. A plan of the 
grounds, giving the location of each grave, etc., has been 
made and a blue print of the plan, with list of names, will be 
sent to anyone desiring it for $1.00. This should be of interest 
to residents of the old town. 
* * * 
The Westboro, Mass., Chronotype says: “It is sometimes 
asked what does the Village Improvement Society amount to? 
The answer is given by contrasting the appearance of this 
village, especially certain streets, before the Village Im- 
provement Society existed and now. The society has been 
instrumental in planting between 800 and 900 trees, and the 
result is seen in the beautifully shaded streets, which are so 
much admired by visitors, as well as our own people, who have 
an eye for the beautiful. It has placed drinking fountains at 
several points ; it has brought to the notice of the town certain 
improvements which have been adopted by the town. In 
many ways the Village Improvement Society will continue to 
be useful. Every town should have its village improvement 
society.” 
* * * 
The Executive Committee of the Town Improvement So- 
ciety of N. Attleboro, Mass., held a well attended meeting 
on Sept. 12, to hear the report of the flower committee ap- 
pointed last May. In that month 3,730 packages of flower 
seeds were distributed to the public school children, and in 
due course prizes were offered for the best-looking garden of 
flowers. Over 380 entries were made, and of these the judges 
found 308 gardens. They found 52 gardens excellent, 118 
good, and 138 attempts. Such was the success of this effort 
that the committee recommended that similar work be con- 
ducted by the association next year and, second, that the 
committee make more than one visit to the gardens ; third, 
that prizes be offered for vegetable gardens, as well as flower 
gardens ; fourth, that the rules as to the childrens’ care of the 
gardens be more fully explained ; fifth, that the rules govern- 
ing the planting and keeping of gardens be printed and a copy 
given to each of the contestants; sixth, that the judges make 
a more strict and thorough inquiry when they visit the gardens. 
These recommendations bespeak attention throughout the 
country, for they embody most encouraging suggestions for the 
continuance of this splendid work. 
* * * 
The Beverly, Mass., Improvement Society had a large at- 
tendance at its recent annual meeting. Among other impor- 
tant activities the society has been hard at work destroying 
the belts of the brown-tail and gypsy moths, of which some 
