CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF CEMETERIES. 253 



the interest only to be used. This insures purchasers of lots that 

 their burial places will be well maintained after they have gone to 

 join the silent majority. 



Accurate records of all interments should be kept, also a rec- 

 ord of all sales, as well as the regular classifications of labor which 

 show the expense and net income of each item of the labor account. 



I do not feel that I have in this paper covered the ground as 

 fully as I might had I more time allotted me, but trust that some 

 one may be benefited by what I have written. 



Mr. L. R. Meyer: The only criticism I have to offer is that 

 for rural cemeteries macadam is too expensive. Is there not some- 

 thing cheaper? ' 



Mr. Hobert: I made the suggestion that slag or cinders 

 would make an admirable substitute for the macadam. We have 

 some gravelled roads, although we are discarding them as rapidly 

 as possible. 



Mr. Oliver Gibbs: Down where I live the farmers get all the 

 cinders from the railroad stations to feed to their hogs. Perhaps 

 a special arrangement could be made to get a quantity to put on 

 our roads. I want to say one word on cemeteries. I have no 

 criticism to offer on the paper, but I may not be here to say again 

 what I have to say. Our whole system of cemetery construction is 

 barbarous. The burial of the dead should be more in conformity 

 with nature. 



Mr. D. T. Wheaton: What would Mr. Hobert say about 

 setting five or ten acres? 



Mr. Hobert: It is a difficult matter to say just how thick 

 they should be set. You must consider there are other purposes 

 hi mind than the actual beauty of the place. You have to consider 

 the number of graves on the ground and the amount of ground 

 left. There ought to be certain spaces restricted to planting, not 

 necessarily trees, but some herbaceous shrubs and plants. Too 

 many trees spoil the ornamental work. The tendency is for peo- 

 ple to plant a tree on each corner of the lot and one in the center. 

 If any planting is done it ought to be well done. 



Mr. Wheaton: It is in regard to tree planting on every lot 

 that we have most of our trouble in our rural cemeteries. I have 

 charge of a rural cemetery, and I know that the tendency is to 

 plant trees on every lot. 



Mr. C. M. Loring: Carlyle said that a community could be 

 judged by the character of its cemetery. In passing through the 

 country we all see these local burying grounds, and we also see 

 many peculiar looking monuments. I would like to say here that 

 when you are so unfortunate as to have death come into your 

 family, and you are obliged to find a burial place, pretty soon along 

 comes a monument man with a lot of pictures— and I want to say to 

 you do not be humbugged by these things that are turned out by 

 machinery, which lack taste more than is found in anything I know 

 of that is being manufactured. Put up a simple block of granite, 

 a simple headstone, but do not allow these men that come around 



