PARK AND CEMETERY 
178 
THE INFLUENCE OF NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVE- 
MENT ASSOCIATIONS. 
*A paper read by Mr. Charles M. Loring at the Buffalo 
Convention of The American League for Civic Improve- - 
ment, August, 1901. 
The organization of the Village or Neighborhood 
Improvement Association is the first awakening of a 
community to the necessity for more pleasant sur- 
roundings. 
The enterprising, public-spirited citizens, who lead 
in all such movements, find willing followers, but few 
who have had any experience in arboriculture, floricul- 
ture or landscape architecture. They attend meetings 
during the winter months, pass a number of resolu- 
tions, and the following spring go to work with great 
enthusiasm to improve their home grounds and streets. 
Trees are planted, usually several varieties on each 
street, as the individual fancy dictates ; some ten, oth- 
ers twenty feet apart, but, as a rule, two or three where 
there should be but one. 
Shrubbery is ordered from the traveling tree-ped- 
dler, who shows beautifully colored plates of impossi- 
ble flowers, which he assures the purchaser they can 
grow the first season, and the members of the new 
association start out full of hope. The shrubbery or- 
dered in the winter comes late in the spring, and when 
the long expected package arrives, it is unwrapped 
and, much to the surprise of the owner, is found to 
contain a number of small bunches of twigs, covered 
with sickly yellow leaves which have been forced out 
during the long journey in the dark, also some roots 
which look as if they had been sliced off from sprouted 
potatoes, and several bulbs resembling withered 
onions. Attached to these twigs, tubers and bulbs are 
large wooded tags on which are printed larger names, 
which are unknown to the receiver, but which he finds 
correspond to those on the long bill which was ren- 
dered him by the man with the beautiful pictures. 
Sadly and with misgivings the family place the col- 
lection in the ground, with little regard to plan or lo- 
cality, with still a little hope that their dreams may 
be realized, and that the summer will bring an abun- 
dance of green leaves and bright flowers. 
The trees, ordered from the farmer, are delivered on 
a hot day with roots exposed, and the good man sets 
to work after the evening meal to plant them in holes 
dug by “Johnny” some days before, in anticipation of 
their arrival. Into these holes, which are about two 
feet in diameter, the roots are forced without having 
been trimmed, the earth, perhaps sand, is thrown upon 
them, and the poor tree expected to grow. 
The autumn comes, nearly all the plants have suc- 
cumbed, a few have struggled through and give some 
promise of future beauty. Many of the trees have died 
through want of care or proper planting, and the ma- 
jority of the Improvement Association are discouraged 
and see little use in trying to raise trees and flowers. 
But there are always a few, full of courage and good 
sense, who ask, “Why have so many failed? We see 
beautiful flowers and stately trees in places we have 
visited, and know we, too, can have them if we only 
know how to plant and care for them.” These few 
rally the forces during the winter, urging the neces- 
sity for books, papers and magazines, which treat of 
the subject in which they are so much interested. 
Sometimes they secure the services of a practical 
gardener to give them instructions, who tells them 
what varieties are hardy in the latitude in which they 
live, bow to plant and care for them, and the second 
spring s few start again with renewed courage, if not 
so liopeful : through failure they have obtained knowl- 
edge. 
HOME OROUNDS, MENOMONIE, WIS. 
An Effective Screen of Vines and Slirubs. 
They have visited the nearest nursery and have se- 
lected fine, hardy shrubs and thrifty trees ; or perhaps 
they have gone to the roadside, or in the fence corners 
and selected young, shapely trees and native shrubs, 
transferring them to their streets and home grounds, 
under instruction from one who understands the 
science of planting. This time success crowns their ef- 
forts. The discouraged ones who have only the trunks 
of dead trees to remind them of their failure, see their 
more courageous and hopeful neighbors with trees cov- 
ered with beautiful foliage and their lawns green and 
neatly clipped. The shrubbery, instead of being scat- 
tered over the lawn is planted in groups on the borders, 
and in angles of the buildings, and is already giving 
promise of great beauty. And thus the first lesson has 
been learned, and two years have elapsed. The Im- 
provement Association is now on a firm foundation, 
the winter meetings are well attended, new books and 
magazines are obtained, lecturers are invited to dem- 
onstrate correct methods for grading and embellishing 
streets and through the instructing and interesting ste- 
reopticon give views of noted parks, private grounds 
