61 



that a tract of land, called " Sweet Auburn," which he owned in Cam- 

 bridge, should be taken by the Horticultural Society and appropriated 

 for a Garden and Cemetery, and invited the President to visit that 

 lemarkable and most picturesque site, to ascertain whether it would 

 answer the desired purposes. After a thorough examination of the 

 varied features and numerous advantages which it combines, they were 

 perfectly satisfied that it was impossible to make a more admirable 

 selection within the vicinity of the metropolis. 



The land had been purchased by Mr. Brimmer with a view of appro- 

 priating it to a country residence, and he had planted out many orna- 

 mental trees, and opened several extensive avenues, which rendered it 

 a favorite resort for the students of the University and the inhabitants 

 of the town. But long previous it had been much frequented by the 

 admirers of rural scenery, and was known as " Stone's Wood " ; but that 

 appellation was changed to " Sweet Auburn " by Colonel George Sulli- 

 van and Charles W. Green, Esq., some thirty years since, when they 

 were pursuing their studies in the academic halls of Harvard. Having 

 passed the closing hours of a summer's day, in one of its many silent 

 and secluded dells in the pleasing but melancholy perusal of that illus- 

 trious bard, who sang the sad and varied fortunes of his own 



" Sweet smiling village, loveliest of the lavra," 



they bestowed its dearly cherished name upon the scene of their youth- 

 ful meditations. 



Notwithstanding Mr. Brimmer's attachment to the groves of Sweet 

 Auburn, — for there, too, he had passed many delightful hours, while a 

 pupil of tlie University, — still so anxious was he to advance the science 

 and art of Horticulture, and to encourage the foundation of a Rural 

 Cemetery, that he liberally offered to surrender the wliole estate to the 

 Society for these purposes. It was presumed, that by subscriptions, the 

 division of the property into shares, or some other practical mode, suffi- 

 cient funds could be readily obtained for the purchase of the grounds, 

 and to aSbrd an income for their cultivation and embelisiiment ; it was, 

 therefore, determined that the President should draw up a memoir ex- 

 planatory of the great objects for which the land could be advantageously 

 appropriated, and the means of accomplishing them. This was immedi- 

 ately done,* and submitted to such gentlemen as it was supposed would 

 readily cooperate in the undertaking ; and some thirty or forty having 

 promptly expressed a disposition to do so, a special meeting of the Hor- 

 ticultural Society was culled, to whom the project was submitted, and 

 H. A. S. Dearborn, Jacob Bigelow, George W. Brimmer, George Bond, 

 and Abbot Lawrence, were chosen a committee to report on the expedi- 

 ency of establishing a Garden of Experiment and Rural Cemetery in 

 the vicinity of Boston. - That committee had numerous meetings ; and 

 in June, 1^31, it was authorised to increase the number of its members, 

 and to ask the aid of such other gentlemen not belonging to the So- 

 ciety as were disposed to forward the desired objects ; and to petition 

 the Legislature for an act to enable the Society to hold real estate for 

 the purposes of a Cemetery. 



* Besides the Experimental Garden and Cemetery, the plan recommended 

 in the memoir included a Botanical Garden and an Institution for the educa- 

 tion of scientific and practical gardeners. 



