15U 
PARK AND CEMETERY 
Annual reports or extracts from them, historical sketches, 
descriptive circulars, photographs of improvements or dis- 
tinctive features arc requested for use in this department • 
The Ladies’ Improvement League of Iowa City, la., has 
agreed to contribute $500 for the improvement of the road- 
ways in Iowa City Cemetery on condition that the city con- 
tribute a like sum and take charge of the work. 
* * * 
The Methuen Improvement Society, Methuen, Mass., is 
erecting guide posts at various points about town where the 
roads diverge in various directions. The posts bear signs 
upon which are printed the names of the cities or towns to 
be reached by going in different directions, and the distance. 
The Village Improvement Association of Norfolk, Conn., 
has issued a booklet entitled “What’s In a Name?” It gives 
the names of streets and residences of the town and indi- 
cates their location. Norfolk has no “Main” street and is 
to be congratulated on having broken away from the habit 
of calling the principal street by this stereotyped name. 
* * * 
The Oxford Improvement Association, Oxford, Mass., has 
employed an architect to draw plans for a new building for the 
association, to be erected at a cost of $2,000. The building- 
will contain two meeting-rooms, a hall 34x34 feet, and a 
gymnasium. It will be of wood, with interior finish of pine. 
John Williams, of New Bedford, Mass., is the architect. 
* * * 
The Village Improvement Society of Ridgefield, Conn., is 
five years old and has a membership of over 100. Prizes 
were awarded this year for the best kept lawns ; eleven tri- 
angles have been maintained, and shrubs planted about the 
Town Hall and West Lane school house. Special work was 
done by the society at the request of the property owners 
and consisted of the removal of rocks in the roadway, the 
turfing of a triangle, and the slight grading of the land. 
* * * 
The Milwaukee Outdoor Art and Improvement Association 
has started a crusade for the preservation of the city’s trees. 
Miss Grace Young, the president, has prepared a petition 
to the city council setting forth the importance of taking im- 
mediate steps to preserve the trees, one of the chief beauties 
of Milwaukee, and asking that an adequate appropriation 
be voted for the employing of a tree warden and assistants. 
It is suggested that the tree warden might be identified 
with the park board. The petition is being circulated among 
prominent business men for their signatures and is receiving 
the heartiest kind of indorsement. 
* * * 
The Town Improvement Association of Stoneham, Mass., 
has begun an active campaign against the gypsy and brown- 
tail moths. The committee in charge of the work is bending 
much of its effort to focusing individual attention upon trees 
and shrubbery on private grounds. To this end it has placed 
a quantity of creosote solution and brushes at a centrally 
located store, which will be disposed of to property owners 
and householders at exact cost. The committee is also pre- 
paring a circular for house to house distribution containing 
practical information concerning the twin pests, their habits, 
appearance, rate of propagation, together with methods of 
fighting against their increase. 
* * * ife 
The Civic Improvement League of St. Louis has closed its 
School Garden Class by awarding 25 different prizes to the 
250 boys and girls who attended the classes during the sum- 
mer. This was the first attempt in St. Louis to bring the 
country into the city. The League secured sonic vacant prop- 
erty at Tower Grove and Shaw avenue, the free use of which 
was donated by the Missouri Botanical Garden Trustees, em- 
ployed competent instructors and had the children come at 
convenient hours during the entire summer and receive in- 
structions in gardening. It has proven one of the riiost 
successful undertakings the League has ever attempted, and 
the Committee is at present contemplating the securing of 
several vacant lots in the crowded districts about town, fencing 
them in, organizing the children under competent instructors 
and giving to them free instruction in plant and vegetable 
cultivation. 
* * * 
The Readville Improvement Association, Readville, Mass., 
has a creditable record of work accomplished during the 
18 months of its existence. It has about 80 members, whose 
active work has secured better streets and sidewalks ; greatly 
improved the public park ; introduced gas for heating and 
lighting ; improved the train service ; abated various nui- 
sances ; provided concerts and addresses for the village, and 
are just now successfully attacking the waste paper nui- 
sance. To accomplish this latter reform, the Society has 
published an appeal to the citizens in the three local papers 
and written to every local business house requesting the pro- 
prietor not to allow waste paper to be swept into the streets. 
They have placed a receptacle for rubbish in the central 
square, and have the waste paper collected three times a 
week in a hand cart with the association's name conspicu- 
ously painted on it. J. R. Corthell is president, and W. J. W. 
Wheeler clerk. The association has issued a neatly printed 
booklet of 16 pages, giving the by-laws and list of officers 
and members. 
Jjl ^ 
The Village Improvement Society of Natick, Mass., was 
organized in June with 39 charter members, and now has 
a membership of 114, with a record of much work accom- 
plished for so young an organization. The society has bought 
twelve waste barrels and set them up in places on the streets 
where they seem to be most needed. Plans for preserving 
and improving the Common are on foot and in the spring 
the Park Commissioners will assist in carrying them out. 
The society has taken steps towards having several unsightly 
buildings taken down and dumps and ash heaps removed. 
The schoolboys, acting on the suggestion of the society, have 
removed about a thousand advertising signs which had been 
put on poles and fences where they had no right to be. Many 
of these signs have been put back, and some action by the 
town to prevent this would seem to be desirable. The Execu- 
tive Committee has begun to work toward having the rail- 
road embankment west of the bridges beautified. They also 
hope in the spring to work with the town officials in develop- 
ing the park land left to Natick by the late W. L. Coolidge 
and in improving others public parts of the town. Miss 
Charlotte H. Conant is secretary of the society. 
* * 
The York, Me., Transcript in commenting on the work 
of the Village Improvement Society in that town says : “The 
work instituted by the Village Improvement societies in order 
to be successful needs hopeful leaders, men and women who 
are not only capable of locating the present troubles and 
