The Press., 1899-05-25
Jessie M. Good in How to Grow Flowers) VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT ASSO.
 CAPTIONS.
Begun May 4th.

prOvement associations in towns of ordi- nary size and with people of ordinary means, as an encouragement to towns of like environment that are sadly in need of such work. Since the article on Stock bridge was published, an unknown friend has sent me newspaper clipping of much interest. This clipping refers to bill offered in the Vermont legislature by one of it's members at the session of 1898- 1899, to the effect that to all persons forming such communities as Lenox, Massachusetts, Tuxedo Park, Long Is- land, and Berkeley Neighborhood. Cali fornia, taxes would be remitted on such property for life, or for very long term of years. The clipping fails to state whether this measure became law.
 The sender of the clipping asked me to describe the three places mentioned in this bill, which will do briefly. They munities. Especially is this true of Tux edo Park and Berkeley Neighborhood, as their names imply. Lenox is more a suc- cession of fine country estates. These places are unique features of American life, and I do not believe they can be duplicated abroad. The taste of the wealthy for country life was no doubt ac- quired by long visits in the ideal coun- try homes of England. Whatever the cause, the movement for founding these fine estates first started, I think, at Lenox.
 One rich man after another, desiring some months of country living each year, bought farms on the beautiful Berkshire uplands of Massachusetts, and built on them homes palace-like in size and splen- dor of appointment. For their own con- venience and health fine water works, sewers and electric light plants were built and miles of the finest roadways made. Streams were cleaned, forests planted, pruned or entirely cut away, that glimpses of beauty might be revealed Nothing has been left undone which might add to the owners pleasure or the beauty of the estates.
 Such, in brief, is the story of these homes. They are great object lessons to us, as showing what money, with per- sonal direction, may accomplish. That country town advanced the value of prop. erty fabulously goes without saying. The demand for hitherto un-called for luxu. ries would of itself make business brisk Vermont, with its hundreds of abandoned farms, has attracted the attention of leg islators and political economists for years but nothing so radical as this bill wal ever before offered for its relief This abandonment of the Vermont farms hal been going on for nearly twenty years until it has reached the point where it SC riously threatens the states welfare The young of both sexes flocked to thu manufacturing towns or to the fruitful west. The parents followed, or kept tn, farms until death claimed his own. Th' children, unable to sell the farms, aban doned them to the tax collectors. II
 many instances entire families went west and never made further inquiry abou
 the farms left by them.
 We must not forget. however, that i
 was, after all, the organized manner II
 which the gentlemen of Lenox, Tuxedo and Berkeley worked to develop the Ia
 tent beauty of what hitherto had beer
 called ordinary farm land, that gave tt
 these places their renown. No improve
 ment was made without considering it
 effect upon adjoining estates, no road
 made, or changed, without considering
 the approach to all the houses to whicl
 these roads led, no forests were planted
 or removed, without considering the eff
 feet from all points of the compass. I'm
 result of this courteous consideration is nents. ..... ., | The Honesdale Improvement Associa
 tion, of Honesdale, Pa., has for its motto
 Let us all work together" and, judginl
 by results, lives up to its motto. Th
 association was formed about eight year
 ago, and next to the Stockbridge associa
 tion is, perhaps, the best known of thes
 organizations in the country. It is uniqu
 in the fact that it is composed entirely c
 women, men being admitted only as hor
 orary members. The constitution is prae
 tically the same as that of the Stock bridg
 association. The officers are president three vice-presidents, secretary and treas urer, who, with an executive committe
 of nine members, are elected annual and have full governing power for tn year. They plan the work and are rt sponsible for its fulfillment and, like tn
 Stockbridge association, cannot contrao l bills for more money than the treasur 5 contains.
 ) This governing board forms the entil association membership into sub-comi tees having charge of the following work ? Sanitary and Street Vigilance" HI, } mane Committee" Entertainments, ? "Children's Auxiliary" "Flower Con i. mittee, ""Pqrks and Trees. ""Collectors. t The names of these committees tell witl l. out further comment the duties expecte . of their members, and assure the livir g interest of every member of the societ, @ The funds are raised by annual dues > fifty cents each for active members al 6 one dollar for honorary members. Eae # year the society gives some sort of ente o tainment, concert or play to swell u
 funds.