PARK AND CEMETERY 
o 
defects, but who are able plainly to see the final good through 
the mists of discouragement that will naturally arise. We 
have need to bear always in mind that fact that Rome was 
not built in a day. There is no magic wand by the wave of 
which a half dead and alive village can be transformed in an 
instant to a modern ideal of what a New England village 
should be, but if the improvement society can see at the end 
of twelve months of effort that two blades of grass are grow- 
ing where one grew before, that the civic pulse has been 
quickened and strengthened ever so little, there has been 
laid the foundation of a work that will be felt for good 
down to all the succeeding generations.” 
* * * 
The Massachusetts Civic League has done good work in 
that state toward unifying and directing the energies of the 
improvement societies, and furthering desirable legislative 
measures, a number of which have become law through its 
efforts. In the line of local work the most important thing 
that the League has done has been the formation, in April, 
1904, of the Massachusetts Conference for Town and Village 
Betterment, the first organization of the kind in the country. 
The first outcome of the conference was a most interesting 
meeting of a large number of delegates from local societies 
in all parts of the state. The League is now actively plan- 
ning to co-operate with the executive committee of the con- 
ference by sending out leaflets, preparing lantern slides, and 
15 1 
making a list of lecturers, on the subjects in which local 
organizations of citizens are likely to be especially interested. 
Leaflets at present in preparation are: Town and Village 
Landscape, by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.; Public Build- 
ings, by J. Randolph Coolidge, Jr.; An Account of “Children's 
Labor and Prize Day” at Ashfield, by Charles Eliot Norton, 
and "The School That Made a Town,” from “The Rebuilding 
of Old Commonwealths,” by Walter H. Page; and a photo- 
graphic prize contest lias been arranged, which should fur- 
nish good material for lantern slides. During the past win- 
ter two leaflets were sent to members and local organizations, 
one explaining the most available methods for the abatement 
of the advertising nuisance and stating the law upon that 
subject ; the other upon the work-test for tramps and vagrants. 
In one important branch of local work the League has main- 
tained an object-lesson of its own. As the result of a careful 
study of the causes of juvenile law-breaking in Boston and 
of the local system of public baths and playgrounds, it started 
in 1900, and has since maintained, a model playground in 
the city. This playground lias been influential in stimulating 
and directing the movement in Boston and has achieved a 
reputation as a model playground, as is shown by the seeking 
of advice from the playground committee by park commis- 
sioners and others in charge of playgrounds in New York, 
Chicago, Philadelphia. Pittsburg. St. Paul and many other 
cities and towns. 
Hardy Orange (Citrus trifoliata.) 
By Joseph Meehan. 
Those unacquainted with the hardy orange, Citrus 
trifoliata, who may see the illustration of it which is 
presented with this, will have an opportunity of judg- 
ing what a pleasing sight it is to see a large bush of it 
in flower. The one illustrated has thousands of its 
pure white flowers expanded. With the name of or- 
ange flowers will come to many the fancy of sweet 
odor, but this merit, I regret to say, this orange does 
not possess. 
The hush photographed is eight feet high. It is on 
elevated land near Philadelphia, which, together with 
the protection of a dwelling on the northern side, en- 
sures a thorough ripening of the wood. With such 
a hardening of the wood the severest winters do not 
hurt it. It must not be thought the dwelling spoken 
of is required for its protection. Where this bush 
stands, within sight of it, are several others in no wav 
protected and which stand the cold perfectly, as this 
one does. It may be said to be entirely hardy about 
Philadelphia, for I do not know of any that are ever 
injured excepting in cases where the plants stand in 
low ground. Sometimes such plants, having unrip- 
ened wood, get a little cut back by cold, just as many 
other shrubs and trees do in the same situation. 
On account of the rigidity of its shoots and thorns 
it makes an ideal hedge for defensive purposes, and 
where such a hedge is desired and the plant is hardy, 
there is nothing equals it for the purpose. Being a 
true orange it is not probable that it will be hardy very 
far north, but for hedging purposes it would not mat- 
ter were ‘its shoots to sufifer a little. Besides the 
beauty of its appearance when in flower, and its uses 
as a hedge plant, it remains to be said that following 
the flowers are the oranges. The bush before us will 
have many hundreds on it. They are of a dull red 
CITRUS TRIFOLIATA. 
color, and are so bitter they are unfit to eat ; in fact, 
they contain little besides seeds. 
Efforts are being made to hybridise this and some 
sweet orange, looking forward to the producing of a 
hardy kind with fruit fit to eat, and there would seem 
to be good reason to hope for success in that line. 
The illustration is of a bush on the beautiful grounds 
of Charles W. Henry, Chestnut Hill, who is a greaf 
lover of trees and shrubs. 
