applied to Public Cemeteries. 403 



those who are on them, and a foreground is established to the scenery 

 beyond. But the plantations in most of the London cemeteries appear to 

 have been made without the guidance of any leading principle. In one we 

 have a thick belt round the margin, occupying one of the finest situations 

 which any cemetery affords for border graves ; in another we have scarcely 

 any trees along the walks, while we have a number grouped together along 

 the centre of the compartments, where they lose much of their effect ; in 

 another we have clumps scattered throughout the grounds without any con- 

 nexion among themselves, or with any thing around, destroying all breadth 

 of effect, and producing neither character nor expression. In one cemetery 

 there are so few trees that the whole of the ground and the buildings are 

 seen at one glance as soon as we enter the cemetery gates; in another trees 

 have been planted which it might have been foreseen would never thrive. 



The kinds of trees we object to, because they are chiefly deciduous, and 

 such as produce light-foliaged bulky heads, while lastigiate conical dark 

 needle-leaved evergreens shade much less ground, produce much less litter 

 when the leaves drop, and, by associations both ancient and modern, are 

 peculiarly adapted for cemeteries. 



The Norwood Cemetery Company has published an engraved view of its 

 grounds, of which ^g. 91. is a fac-simile ; and, to show the different effect 

 which dark-foliaged fastigiate and conical trees would have had, we have 

 prepared y?jg. 92., in which it will be observed that the foreground and distance 

 are the same as in Jig. 91., and that we have confined our alteration to the 

 middle of the picture. We do not say that every one who compares the 

 two pictures will prefer ours to the other, because we do not allow every one 

 to be a judge in this matter ; but we do expect that all will acknowledge 

 that there is a distinctive character in our view, and this is what we chiefly con- 

 tend for. Every one knows that this character is aimed at in the new ceme- 

 teries formed on the Continent, and that the cemeteries of the ancients were 

 characterised by the cypress. To show that this is also the case with the 

 cemeteries of the East, we have given some views of Oriental cemeteries. 

 See figs. 93, 94, and 95. 



[n several of the cemeteries pines and firs have been |)lanted without [)ro- 

 perly preparing the soil, in consequence of which they have become stunted 

 and diseased, so as to disfigure rather than to adorn. On the whole it ap- 

 pears to us, that almost all the cemeteries have not only been badly planted, 

 as far as respects design and taste, but even in regard to execution, and in 

 particular in the preparation of the soil. 



The next point on which we would remark is the management of the tomb- 

 stones, many of which, we are happy to say, exhibit progressive improvement 

 in taste. Many, at the same time, appear to have been placed on insufficient 

 foundations, and are in consequence already leaning to one side. Every head- 

 stone, monument, or tomb, to be secure and stand permanently upright, ou.;ht 

 either to be founded on ground which has not been moved, or built on piers or 

 walls of brick or stone carried up from the bottom of the grave. 



The keeping of the new London Cemeteries is in general good, though it 

 is very far from what it might be. In some it is highly discreditable, sheep 

 being admitted to eat the grass, to save the expense of mowing, and the 

 young trees being in consequence cropped by the sheep, and poisoned by their 

 wool. In general a sufficient number of hands are not allowed for hiiih keep- 

 ing, and day-work is had recourse to, where letting by the job would he more 

 economical to tiie company, and satisfactory to the labourers. The mowing 

 of the grass, and the keeping of the roads, might be let by contract, and 

 the grass kept much shorter than it is at present ; because the contractor 

 would soon discover that the shorter he kept the grass, the less mowing would 

 be requisite : whereas at present, by way of being economical, the grass is 

 allowed to attain several inches in length between each growing; or its roots 

 are nourished by the dung of the sheep that graze on it. 



In conclusion, we have to observe that, in our visits to the different London 



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