BOTANICAL, INDEX. 
«D 
and new styles of lawn architecture into one, and that one his own. • When Mr. 
Strauch took charge of the place he found all the best portion of the ground selected 
and improved in a multitude of ways, while a series of unsightly swamps and bluffs 
formed the bulk of the remaining land. Now, some of the most desirable locations 
occupy the then waste ground, and the unsightly and miasmatic swamps have disap- 
peared, and the water reduced to a small area, in deep and beautiful lakes, interspersed 
with numerous small islands, the largest of which has been donated by the corpora- 
tion to Mr. Strauch as his family burying ground. This island is a marvel of beauty, 
a real fairy land, witli a beautiful statute of Egeria near a grove of Louisiana 
cypress, in magnificent form and foliage. There are many things we naturally ex- 
pect to find in all cemeteries; for instance, we expect to find a few flowering plants, 
striving through the hot and dry summer months to obtain enough nourishment and 
moisture to retain their vitality, or certainly, a rose bush, if nothing more, which, 
from neglect usually presents a sorry appearance. If the lot owner is rich the proba- 
bility is there is a more or less expensive fence around his lot, and the neglect to place 
a marble slab at the head and foot of a grave, would be thought little less than bar- 
barous. 
With these thoughts in mind we suggested that it would be difficult, in many 
places, to prevent lot holders from planting flowers on the grave of a friend. “ We 
cannot prevent it,” he said, “ but by allowing them to plant one year, if we keep the 
adjoining lots with their fresh coat of green sod well mown and clean, one season 
convinces them that our plan is the best.” 
Immediately in front of the residence, and on a high bluff overhanging one of 
the lakes, are still standing a grove of native forest trees and shrubs, which claimed 
our first attention after leaving the house. Here we found the most magnificent col- 
lection of shrubs and young trees it is often the privilege of seeing accumulated in 
a single group. This is the nursery, and all young or sickly trees are first grown 
here. An enumeration of choice things found here would be impossible, but we 
noted among other thing 500 Rhododendrons, mostly in bloom, 500 Himalayan 
Kalmias, many in bloom, hundreds of hardy Ghent Azalias, also in full bloom, new 
and rare Evergreens from Japan, Cypress from Louisiana, Firms Laricio from Spain, 
witli Pinus Pit hr a from Lake Superior, Purus Gembra from Siberia, Pinus Pumilio from 
the Alps, Pinus Murjlius from Switzerland, and Cedrus Libani from Palestine. 
From the nursery we commenced a tour of the grounds, and among the choice 
trees noted was Pinus Excelsa 35 feet high, with perfect cones already set, a Weeping 
Juniper 20 feet high, and of dense growth, Scarlet Beach. Scarlet Birch, Scarlet 
Oak, Scarlet Maples from Japan, Golden ( A urea ) and Silver (gray) Evergreens, of 
many varieties, too numerous to mention, while Magnolias, Tree Box, English Haw- 
thorn and commoner things were represented in immense variety and quantity. To 
almost any one the sight of the Cypress from Louisiana and Pinus Bubra from Lake 
Superior, Pinus Bhotan from the Himmaleh Mountains, or P. Strobus from the White 
Mountains of New Hampshire, growing side by side without protection, would not 
seem creditable, but such is the case, and the situation seemed to suit them all. Of 
course the system of planting trees from the far north to protect the tender varieties 
from the south has been carefully studied before, but usually, with only partial suc- 
cess, but here it has been successfully carried into effect. The rules of the Associa- 
tion do not allow of a promiscuous erecting of marble headstones, but a strong en- 
couragement is shown to assist in planting a memorial tree in the centre of eacli lot, 
with the graves to be arranged in a circle around it. The first President of the Asso- 
ciation, Robert Buchanan, has no marble monument to mark his grave, but has a 
choice specimen of Scarlet Oak planted at his head. The grave of Judge John Mc- 
Lean, the orator who delivered "the address at the consecration of the grounds, in 
1845, is marked by a Chestnut Oak. Judge Storer’s grave is only marked by a Hop- 
hornbean, also planted by Mr. Strauch. This scarcity of white ghostly marble and 
the great abundance of rare, beautiful, well shaped and well grown trees and shrubs, 
producing a cool and refreshing retreat on a hot summer day, is the glory of the 
place. Stand where you will and look in any direction you choose, and the scarcity 
of small monuments but abundance of large ones, will give the idea of a grand park, 
a place to go and be cheerful, even though you know a friend lies buried near by. 
In all our wanderings we saw only one lot fenced in, and noted the name “ Braeh- 
man.” There may, however, be others, but we did not see them. 
Spring Grove has its sad memorial of the late war in the form of three circular 
mounds, in the centre of each of which is planted a large cannon as their monu- 
ment. Around this monument the graves are arranged in a circular row, and the 
ground sodded over and kept smooth and clean. No head stones mark the graves, 
but as all circles of graves are numbered from a certain point, and a complete record 
kept both at the city office and also at the cemetery, no difficulty is experienced in 
finding any grave at any time by those in charge of the place, but unauthorized 
persons would be at a loss where to look for it. 
