54 Recollections of a Gardening Tour. 



some which are deposited in horizontal excavations made in the 

 face of the perpendicular rock. 



We observe in this cemetery, that the German custom of 

 planting flowers over the graves is adopted in various instances ; 

 the plot over the grave being generally surrounded with kerb- 

 stones, which form a proper architectural separation between 

 the general surface of grass and the dug ground. In some 

 cases, where the family burying-ground is a square of 15 or 

 20 feet, these little flower-gardens are planted with roses and 

 other shrubs, and if they were kept free from weeds, they might 

 prove pleasing ornaments : but it is always painful to see any- 

 thing like neglect in a burying-ground, and therefore we think 

 another Continental custom should be adopted (Gard. Mag. for 

 1841, p. 291.), of putting such gardens under the care of the 

 curator of the cemetery; at least so far, as that, when the family 

 to whom the tomb and garden belong neglect to keep it in 

 order, this should be done by the curator at their expense. 



One great defect in all the cemeteries that we have ever seen, 

 and to which the Necropolis does not form an exception, is the 

 coarseness of the grass. Where the surface is rough and rocky, 

 smooth short grass can only be obtained by frequent and careful 

 clipping, or by eating with sheep. The former might be accom- 

 plished by infirm persons of both sexes ; letting the surface out 

 in portions at so much for the season, and teaching the contract- 

 ing parties that, by never allowing the leaves of the grass to 

 grow more than half an inch or an inch in length, they would so 

 weaken the roots as greatly to reduce their labour. If the mode 

 of grazing by sheep were adopted, a neat wire fence would re- 

 quire to be placed round each of the flower-gardens; but that 

 would be rather ornamental than otherwise. In cemeteries on 

 tolerably even ground, if newly made graves were always finished 

 level with the adjoining surface, as in some of the Edinburgh 

 and Leith burial-grounds, and in several English ones (Gard. 

 Mag. for 184-1, p. 590.), there would be no difficulty in keeping 

 the grass short and smooth with the scythe. Next to the grass, 

 the walks and roads require attention, and those of the Necro- 

 polis have the common fault of deep, irregular, raw edgings, in 

 which the idea of the spade-work necessary to produce this 

 rawness continually obtrudes itself, and destroys the idea of 

 completeness and repose. 



Much of beauty and character might be created in church- 

 yards and cemeteries, if curators could be found who had some 

 knowledge of gardening, and especially of trees and shrubs. 

 We could wish that it were considered essential to have a gar- 

 dener as a curator: but this alone would not be sufficient; it 

 is necessary that the public should know what a churchyard or 



