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PARK AND CEMETERY 
tained as aesthetic woods. Growing upon a thin 
stratum of fertile soil many of these older specimens 
have become thin, open, decrepit and displayed signs 
of decline. Descar in his work on pruning mentions the 
scientific methods to be adopted if such trees are to 
be revitalized. Prof. Sargent has translated this ex- 
cellent work and fully concurs with the opinions there- 
in set forth. He has adopted Descar’s ideas in the 
caring for these older trees and sufficient experience has 
been had to enable deductions to be made from the 
practice of the methods. It may be summed up as 
follows: Elms should never be pruned if not abso- 
lutely necessary and then if possible only the smallest 
sized branches are to be operated upon. .Ml cuts are 
made parallel and close to the body from which the 
limb or branch is removed. If a section of a limb is 
removed the incision is just above and close to a small 
branch. 
Oaks and particularly white oaks withstand pruning 
to a severe extent with apparent immunity to bad 
after effects. 
Chestnuts are very sensitive to pruning and even 
with the best of attention decay often follows an 
operation. 
The numerous shoots which start close to the point 
of severance are judiciously thinned several times dur- 
ing a period of ten years after the initial operation. 
Emil T. Mische. 
AMONG THE CONIFER^. THE ARNOLD ARBORETUM. 
Villag^e Improvement. 
Last month I told of some things that might easily 
be done. Now I wish to tell those who want to do, 
but do not know just how to go to work. 
Our depot grounds were not tidy, and our society 
did not have the means to do all the work, so we con- 
sulted with the proper railroad official and at last he 
promised to enclose a triangular space, over which 
every one traveled, with a wooden rail, to have that 
painted, and to sod the ground inside the rail. Then 
we got permission of the village board to tap the wa- 
ter main and to use a very small stream for a foun- 
tain. This done we laid a pipe to the center of this 
enclosure and attached a three-quarter inch pipe 
which stands about four feet above the ground and 
placed on that an ordinary tin sprinkler which re- 
duced the stream to one-fourth. Around this pipe 
we put a pile of stones reaching nearly to the top of 
the pipe. Grass has grown around the base of this 
pile, and year after year the stones have grown darker 
till now all admit that it is a pretty rustic fountain at 
a moderate cost. We had at one end of the village a 
gravel pit. Great holes had been dug below the sur- 
face and altogether it was a most forbidding looking 
place. The gravel road company offered to sell it for 
$125. just about twice what it was worth. We raised 
all but thirty dollars by subscription and that the 
Improvement Society paid. We raised the money by 
five-cent contributions collected once a month from 
those who had promised that amount. Then began a 
series of improvements, slow at first, for we could not 
afford to draw in good earth and had to wait for na- 
ture to grass it over, but now it is grass-covered, has 
trees and shrubs, and quite reminds one of a park in- 
stead of a gravel pit. 
The task that seemed the greatest was to get the 
papers, advertisements, etc., off the trees and poles, but 
we got the law passed and commenced the work. We 
met with much opposition from our own people and 
have to keep a constant lookout but have succeeded 
so well that we have the name of having the neatest 
village in the state. There is nothing that adds to the 
neat appearance of village or city so much as clean 
posts and trees. 
In spring time the dwellers in the cities turn with 
longing to the country and the country town. They 
long for green fields and singing birds, and happy the 
suburban town whose people have made its streets 
shady, its appearance attractive, for to such will 
come people who add to the community’s life and 
prosperity. From an economic view, village improve- 
ment pays. It fills up the vacant houses, it increases 
the value of your property, it educates your boy and 
girl, and it “will make this world a pleasanter place 
than vou found it.” Martha Baldwin. 
