Chap. XII.] THE CEMETERIES OF PARIS. 177 



sides by the deep valleys already mentioned. In America even 

 small country-towns have followed the example of the cities, and 

 instead of the old city graveyard, we see imitations of Greenwood, 

 Laurel Hill, or Mount Auburn, with their drives, walks, and 

 avenues. In many respects the change is a beneficial one, 

 especially in the matter of healthfulness. When nearly forty 

 years ago, the idea of such cemeteries was first broached, it en- 

 countered great opposition. Since then no good fashion ever 

 spread so rapidly. I am indebted to Mr. T. L. Olmstead of New 

 York, for the photographs from which the engravings .'of American 

 cemeteries were made, and also for the following notes upon the 

 Spring Grove cemetery, said to be, in some respects, the best 

 ordered in America, and which may be taken as a typical specimen 

 of its kind. I take pleasure in illustrating these beautiful ceme- 

 teries for the sake of comparing them with the ghoul-yards of 

 Paris and other European cities. In Spring Grove an important 

 improvement is effected by a rule which prevents the erection of 

 more than one monument on each family burial-lot. This is 

 placed in the centre, and on a solid foundation not less than six 

 feet deep, the usual depth of graves, so that burials can be made 

 around the monument, and the respective inscriptions be placed 

 on it, thus saving the expense of head and foot stones, which 

 always, more or less, convey the idea of a potter's field, particularly 

 in the case of single interments ; and where people, to all appear- 

 ance, vie with each other in procuring the tallest headstones and 

 the largest amount of ornament, thus increasing the difficulty of 

 keeping such places in proper order. Wherever grave-marks are 

 necessary, they should project but little above the surface of the 

 ground, and be not much larger than ordinary landmarks to lots, 

 but the base deep enough to be below the action of frost. In some 

 instances lot-holders have planted a tree until a suitable monu- 

 ment can be procured, or sometimes even to remain permanently, 

 which latter course is very desirable on sections where there is 

 already a great abundance of tomb-stones. 



To the arboriculturist, in particular. Spring Grove ought to be 

 a place of great interest, as indeed will be many like places. It 

 was the desire of the directorate from the first to introduce a 

 variety of suitable representatives of the vegetable kingdom into 

 the grounds. In this they were considerably assisted by the 



