THE CARE AND EMBELLISHMENT OF CEMETERIES. 187 



friendship of the most deh'ghtful nature. On this point allow me 

 to quote a few words from the pen of onr countryman, the late 

 A. J. Downing, who in writing to Loudon's (Loudon) "Gar- 

 dener's Magazine " said : 



"Beside the three principal cemeteries of Boston, New York, 

 and Philadelphia, there are at least a dozen others in progress in 

 the neighborhood of other cities. It is remarkable that these 

 cemeteries are the first really elegant public gardens or promenades 

 formed in this country. In point of design, keeping, and in so far 

 as respects the variet}' of rare flowering shrubs and trees intro- 

 duced, they are much superior to the majority of country' resi- 

 dences here, and may therefore be considered as likelj" to affect, in 

 a very considerable degree, the general taste for laying out and 

 embellishing grounds. Hundreds of the citizens who ramble 

 through them form perhaps their first acquaintance with many 

 species of plants there, and apply the taste thus acquired to their 

 own gardens." 



It is just forty-seven 3'ears ago since these views were expressed, 

 and however true then they are perhaps doubly so now. Tliere is 

 no one thing that we so much under-estimate as our influence over 

 others. Let us plant right that others may be rightl}- guided ; let 

 our tastes be such as others can safely follow ; let us select such 

 trees, plants, and shrubs as will withstand the changes and severity 

 of our climate. Others will do the same and so will be saved from 

 following, to the doom of bitter disappointment, the misguided 

 many who purchase under the seduction of goi'geous chroraos, and 

 from agents with whom they are unacquainted. Our cemeteries, 

 even more than our public parks (as there are many of the former 

 where there are few of the latter), may be made public educators, 

 and so benefactors, of the masses, when occasion brings them to 

 visit and contemplate these most sacred and dear of all spots on 

 earth. 



I have tried to think what general rules or maxims could be 

 suggested, in condensed form, by way of help to such as are inter- 

 ested in the subject under consideration. Perhaps I cannot do 

 better than reproduce to you some advice offered bj^ our late Cm-- 

 respondiug Member, Dr. John A. Warder. It is certainly prac- 

 tical, and will reward our attention even if we do not agree to all 

 of it. Regarding cemeteries, Dr. Warder wrote : 



'■'■First. There should be perfect security and permanence in 

 the title and against intrusion, 



