186 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



tell you where it is, and you would, I feel sure, be welcome to go 

 and see for yourself. A more thorough knowledge of the grounds 

 and a little closer observation would have been of great help to the 

 designer, and would have made his work more satisfactory. The 

 bedding recommended in this plan was positively worthless. 



But to resume the thread of my thoughts — I do think that, where 

 more tlian one man is required for service in winter, a greenhouse 

 can be carried on to good advantage ; for a great deal of time in 

 stormy and cold weather can be well employed tiiere. Plants for 

 vases and general ornamentation must or should be had in every 

 well ordered place ; and it is very much better to raise them, because 

 then you can propagate just such ones as you know you would like 

 for your next season's work, and be sure of having them on hand. 



In the smaller places and where help is kept onh' a part of 

 the time, it will be found that great improvement can often be 

 made merely by keeping the fences all in order, the headstones all 

 upright, the grass closely cut, and the avenues and paths perfectl}' 

 clean. Let so much be done if nothing more, but if possible set 

 out a few trees. If you cannot do all you want to at once, tr3'' 

 again, and yet again — as many times as need be until your desires 

 are accomplished, and in a few years 3'ou will be astonished to see 

 how the whole appearance of the place has been changed. Many 

 a town or village cemeter}*, now neglected, could be made a source 

 of pleasure to all the people by a small annual expenditure ; and 

 no place is too poor to do something. 



I believe we should use our influence as a Society in this direc- 

 tion ; for a well kept cemelery is an ellicient educator in any 

 community, and does much to mould the tastes of those who visit 

 or even merely pass by it. 



Allow me to mention one instance. In the year 1874 I planted 

 in groups and single specimens a few plants of Hydrangea panic- 

 ulala (jrandljlora ; these were certainly the first planted in Lynn, 

 or for many miles around. When tlu'se plants bloomed, they 

 were the admiration of every one ; and when it was learned that 

 they were thoroughly hardy scores and hundreds were sold, and 

 the same is true of other shrubs and flowers. 1 could give you 

 the names of several owners of large estates who have added to 

 their collections shrubs and plants which they flrst saw growing in 

 our cemetery, being attracted to them as they were driving l)y. 

 More than once these occurrences have led to ac(]uaintance antl 



