17G MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



l)lc, know ;ill his lot lioldtM's. He is the responsible man. and 

 above all others, has need to be complete!}' familiar with all the 

 details of the place ; and by this familiarity, together with habit- 

 ual and systematic planning for his men, he is enabled to use to 

 the ver}' best advantage all the means at his command for the care 

 of the place ; and what is true of this department of work is 

 also true of all others. 



Having thus, though briefly and imperfectly, considered the Care 

 of a cemetery, let us now turn to its Embellishment ; though one is 

 so much a part of the other that I may not succeed in keeping 

 them distinct. I think we shall all agree that the Avenues and 

 Paths are ver^- important features. Those at the entrance should 

 always be of a width proportionate to the surroundings ; they 

 should be well extended, and the curves easy. I have found that 

 for the principal avenues, aside from those at the entrance, 

 eighteen feet wide is a good standard to adopt ; and three feet 

 and six inches for the paths is quite sufficient. The surface should 

 always be rounded enough to throw the water into the gutters. 

 Nothing adds more to the appearance of a place than well kept 

 avenues and paths, and nothing detracts more from it than 

 neglected ones. A job well done is sure of giving good satis- 

 faction ; and work of this kind should be of the best. 



Wliorever it is necessary, and at the same time feasible, to carr}' 

 off the water, it will be found best to la}' a drain pipe in the 

 avenue along its border — a foot deep is enough — with a catch 

 basin at that part where the most water concentrates ; so carrying 

 it to the most accessible point of discharge. This is preferable 

 to paved gutters, especially where good stones cannot be obtained 

 for the work. A nicely paved gutter of selected beach stones, of 

 uniform size, makes a handsome finish sometimes ; but they can- 

 not be obtained everywhere. 



As all cemeteries have more or less of paved gutters, it may not 

 be amiss to speak here of their caie. It may be thought that these 

 are very expensive to keep clean, but it is not so; it is very sel- 

 dom that they have to be weedeil by hand. >Vhen the grounds 

 have their spring raking up or cleaning, tiie gutters should be 

 thoroughly swept with a stiff broom. Tliis is generally in the 

 latter part of April ; after that, I always keep three barrels of brine 

 on hand, and — weeds or no weeds — these gutters are watered with 

 it once in two weeks ; and with an occasional sweeping they are 



