442 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



RURAL CEMETERIES. 



FRANK H. NUTTER, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT, MINNEAPOLIS. 



From the very dawn of history the spot where loved ones have- 

 been laid away has been a sacred one to those who still lived, and 

 whether' it be some Westminister Abbey, the resting place of the 

 wise and great, or some secluded nook where "the rude forefathers 

 of the hamlet sleep," it has been the shrine of some loving pilgrim. 

 Many of the most celebrated relics of the arcient world, as the 

 Egyptian Pyramids or the " Taj Mahal "of India, have comedown 

 to us as the tombs and monuments of the royal builders or their 

 families, whose names it has thus been sought to perpetuate. 



Whether, however, the attempt be made by means of a magnificent 

 tomb or monument, or by an humble headstone, to commemorate 

 those who have left us, the lapse of time and the forgetfulness and 

 neglect of those who remain too often involves the whole in a ruin 

 which appeals most pathetically to the observer. If the saying of 

 Franklin be true, that by the condition of the cemetery we may 

 judge of the civilization of the neighborhood, many a village and 

 town must be well sunk in barbarism. 



It is encouraging to note a decided awakening in the public mind 

 in this direction, and the question of the improving of old ceme- 

 teries and the laying out of new ones is often discussed^ and the 

 ladies' organizations in not a few of the smaller cities and towns are 

 doing valiant work in this direction. 



The " modern cemetery," as that expression is now understood, is 

 of comparatively recent date and, also, of American origin. The 

 most celebrated examples of this class, as Mt. Auburn, Greenwood 

 and Spring Grove, are situated near large cities, and for some time 

 it was thought necessary for the successful maintenance of a 

 cemetery that it should be located at some center of population and 

 wealth; but this has proven false, and many a country town or vil- 

 lage now boasts of its small but attractive cemetery, and while, of 

 course, it may not exhibit the extravagance of monumental art, too 

 much of it falsely so-called, that is found in the large cemeteries, 

 still its quiet shades and modest adornment, if properly cared for, 

 will be to a person of real taste and discernment far preferable to 

 the more gaudy settings of the others. 



In recognition of this demand the legislatures of most of the states 

 have taken special action in regard to the organization and the 

 management of cemetery associations and the safeguarding of the 

 funds devoted to "perpetual care," which last may be called the 

 supreme factor in the modern cemetery. A careful study of the 

 principles of these laws is the first thing to be entered into if the 

 organizing of an association is contemplated. 



It having been decided to proceed with the project, the next thing, 

 of course, is the selection of the site, which will involve questions 

 of area and adaptability to burial purposes; and while a picturesque 

 location is desirable, that natural beauty and retirement may charac- 

 terize the cemetery, it must not be overlooked that there are also 

 principles of ordinary business prudence to be regarded, and the 



