249 
PARK AND CEMETERY 
IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATIONS 
CONDUCTED BY 
FRANCES COPLEY SEAVEY. 
THE PLANS OF A WOMAN’S IMPROVE- 
MENT ORGANIZATION. 
An exposition of the ways and means employed by 
various active improvement organizations should 
prove suggestive and helpful to all societies interested 
in civic advancement, and it is hoped that the work of 
several can, from time to time, be set before our read- 
ers accurately and with some detail. 
The Chicago lu'anch of the Women’s Auxiliary of 
the American Park and Outdor Art Association last 
vear took up the matter of improving the grounds of 
certain of the Public Schools of the city. Committees 
TYPE OF VINE PLANTING TO BE TRIED ON PUBLIC SCHOOL 
GROUNDS OF CHICAGO BY THE WOMEN’S AUX- 
ILIARY OF THE A. P. AND O. A. A. 
for prosecuting the several branches of the work were 
appointed, permission of the Board of Education to 
gin operations on the grounds of our schools was ob- 
tained, and some planting was done. ^ 
At the annual meeting held in January, 1902, officers 
for the current year were elected, committees were ap- 
pointed, and it was decided to get out a leatlet descrip- 
tive of the purposes of the organization, and alsu to 
open a vigorous campaign devoted to a continuation 
of the good work outlined in part and commenced last 
year. 
The first year’s experience in school ground work 
demonstrated a necessity for protecting planting in lo- 
cations that are exposed to danger of injury, unpre- 
meditated or otherwise, by the children in their play. 
This seems to be especially true of vines set to climb 
on the buildings. In some instances the young shoots 
of Ampelopsis\'"eitchii have been loosened from walls 
and ruined by the children in an innocent curiosity 
about “the vines’ little feet.” To obviate this distrous 
inquiry into details of horticultural knowledge, it is 
]jroposed to introduce the European method of train- 
ing a single vine shoot under a protecting cover to a 
height above the reach of the children, and then allow- 
ing the vine to branch in all directions. Lengths of 
semi-circular, perforated, galvanized iron will be used 
as a protection for such shoots. The result of this 
method is quite well shown in the accompanying illus- 
tration which is made from a photograph taken in Di- 
jon, France, in the fall of 1901 by Mrs. Herman J. 
Hall, President of the National Auxiliary. 
The attractive leaflet of four pages, three by six 
inches in size, which has been prepared by the Publica- 
tion Committee of the Chicago Branch, explains itself, 
has proved useful, and is given below with the omis- 
sion of the list of members. 
The National Association was organized in Louis- 
ville, Ky., April 22, 1897. 
“The purposes of this Association shall be to pro- 
mote the conservation of natural scenery, the acquire- 
ment of land for public parks and reservations, and the 
advancement of all outdoor art having to do with the 
designing and fitting of grounds for public and private 
use and enjoyment.” 
^Membership is open to all persons interested in the 
purposes of the Association, and Societies working to 
promote similar purposes may, with the approval of 
the Council, become auxiliary societies. 
“The dues of members shall be two dollars and of 
auxiliary societies five dollars for each calendar year, 
and shall be payable upon notice of election and there- 
after in the month of January for the current year.” 
Dues are payable to the local Treasurer. 
Advantages of Membership. 
( 1 ) The opportunity to carry a touch of beauty, a 
tinge of happiness and an uplifting influence into more 
lives than by any other human means — and this at in- 
significant individual expense. 
(2) Members are entitled to one copy of each an- 
nual report of the proceedings of the National Asso- 
ciation, containing papers by experts in the arts and 
sciences connected with its purposes. This literature 
is invaluable to all who are interested in the important 
question. of beautiful and sanitary surroundings. 
(3) It is intended that contact with the work and 
the workers of this organization shall be found both 
educational and inspiring. Outdoor art includes all 
