THE CARE AND EMBELLISHMENT OF CEBIETERIES. 171 



BUSINESS MEETING. 



Saturday, March 20, 1886. 



An adjourned meeting of the Society was holdeu at 11 o'clock, 

 the President, Henry P. Walcott, in the chair. 



No business being brought before the meeting, it adjourned to 

 Saturday, March 27. 



MEETING FOR DISCUSSION. 



The Care and Embellishment of Cemeteries. 



By John G. Barker, Superintendent of Pine Grove Cemetery, Lynn.* 



In approaching the subject assigned for our consideration to- 

 day, it will not be out of place to look first of all at some of the 

 cemeteries in foreign lands, and glance verj' briefly at the history 

 of their origin ; especially as this Society is recognized as the 

 originator in the first "garden cemetery" in this countr}'. It is 

 admitted, however, that the idea had been already carried iuto ef- 

 fect in other countries, some time prior to the establishment of 

 Mount Auburn. 



Mr. Loudon, in his "Encyclopedia of Gardening," says: "The 

 cemeteries of the Jews may be considered as a species of garden. 

 We find that Abraham, when Sarah died, purchased from the 

 children of Heth a 'field, and all the trees which were within its 

 limits, or on its borders' as a place of burial. It appears, from 

 Abraham having declined the choice of any of the sepulchres of 

 Heth, and fixed on a spot ornamented with trees, that burial- 

 places in those days were considered scenes of beauty, as well as 

 of mournful associations. The idea is confirmed .by the circum- 

 stance of the sepulchre in which our Saviour was laid being in a 

 garden." 



It is also said in the work above quoted that, in the Netherlauds, 

 cemetery gardens were first commenced by the emperor .Joseph ; 

 but they did not for a long time become common, though trees 

 were frequently planted in churchyards. 



No one, I suppose, who has ever been in Paris, or ever read of 

 it, is without some knowledge of P6re la Chaise ; which was set 

 apart as a cemetery, after an act had been passed by the French 



* Since this paper was read Mr. Barker has been appointed Superintendent 

 of Forest Hills Cemetery, Boston. 



