ACTION ON DR. BIGELOW'S LETTER. 117 



Cemetery. This committee, consisting of President 

 Hovey, Marshall P. Wilder, and Charles O. Whitmore, 

 made the following report on the 29th of December, 

 which was accepted by the Society : 



Wliereas, the Cemetery of Mount Auburn, founded by the 

 Massachusetts Horticultural Society, has proved to be an enter- 

 prise eminently advantageous to the welfare of the Society, of the 

 highest sanitary importance to the public, a source of grateful 

 consolation to the living, and a sacred resting place for the dead, 

 showing that landscape art may be most appropriately devoted 

 to the embellishment of rural cemeteries. 



And whereas, our esteemed associate, Dr. Jacob Bigelow, one 

 of our first officers, and now president of the Proprietors of Mount 

 Auburn, was one of the first to open the question of Rural Ceme- 

 teries, and the first who suggested to the Society the expediency 

 and propriety of combining a cemetery with an experimental 

 garden, and, by his aid and counsel, was instrumental in the 

 formation of Mount Auburn Cemetery, to which he has for thirty- 

 six years devoted his services gratuitously in the improvement 

 and embellishment of the grounds ; 



And whereas, "in questions of seemingly opposite interest 

 which have arisen (in the past) between this Society and the 

 Proprietors of Mount Auburn," Dr. Bigelow has, by his wise 

 counsel and sagacious acts, contributed largely to the settlement 

 of all points that prevented harmonious action between the two 

 Societies : 



Resolved, That the Massachusetts Horticultural Society hereby 

 acknowledges that its thanks are due to its early associate, Dr. 

 Jacob Bigelow, for his eminent and persevering services in the 

 establishment of Mount Auburn Cemetery, whereby he merits the 

 gratitude of the whole community, as well as for his aid and coun- 

 sel to this Society. 



Eesoljed, That this report and Dr. Bigelow's letter be entered 

 upon the Records, and q, copy of this report and resolutions be 

 furnished by the recording secretary to Dr. Bigelow. 

 Respectfully submitted. 



C. M. HOVEY, ") 



MARSHALL P. WILDER, \ Committee. 

 C. O. WHITMORE, J 



