26 
THE MODERN CEMETERY 
what is frequently called a city of the dead; the 
most skillful landscape-gardener might make a de- 
sign that would bring in all the pleasing vistas — that 
would so locate the drives and select and place the 
planting as to allow nature to show all her beauty of 
form and color, all her gracefulness and dignity — 
and yet, without strict rules and limitations the ef- 
fect might be entirely spoiled in a few years. Where 
there should be a broad, undulating lawn, we might 
see nothing but a mass of stonework. The owner 
of a small area of land might plant a tree on it and 
cut off an important view, or he might wish to cut 
down a tree that has been developing its beauty for 
a century, and which, on account of its dignity and 
grandeur, controlled a portion of the plan. The 
great diversity of tastes, opinions, superstitions and 
prejudices that must be consulted or controlled 
make cemetery landscape-gardening the most diffi- 
cult branch of the art. The progress that has been 
made in recent years has come about through rules 
that at first met with much opposition, but which 
have been generally approved by the public after 
the results of their enforeement have been seen. 
There are a few recognized principles which may 
help solve special problems. The drives should be 
as few as possible, and enable carriages to come 
within a reasonable distance, say 150 or 200 feet, of 
every point in the cemetery. The grades should be 
easy, not exceeding a rise of six feet in one hun- 
dred. The direction followed should generally be 
curved, the curve being more pleasing in itself than 
a straight line, and having the additional advantage 
of continually bringing new objects into sight, and 
shortening the average distance traveled to reach 
given points of the cemetery. The curves selected 
for the drives may usually be so placed as to save 
expense in grading, and also make the land on eith- 
er side higher than the roadway. This arrange- 
ment again is justified not only by the pleasing ef- 
fect produced, but by a practical advantage as well, 
the sloping ground bringing the surface water to the 
catch-basins and sewers that must be made to drain 
the roads. It is necessary at times to make a car- 
riage-way along a side hill, so that the land on one 
side must be lower than the roadbed; but what-ever 
relations the lawn surface bears to the road surface, 
they should be nearly tangent to each other at the 
dividing line. The most economical and satisfact- 
ory method of constructing a road will usually be 
that followed by Macadam. In small burial places 
that are very seldom used, sod drives sometimes 
serve good purpose. A curved driveway will often 
enable us to utilize a bit of nature to advantage 
which would be lost or destroyed if straight lines 
were followed; but double curves should be avoided 
as far as possible. 
Broad, open spaces, giving cheerful effects, may 
be secured by placing large lots along the margins 
of sections, or grouping such lots by themselves. A 
vista may be preserved by placing a grass walk in 
the center of the open space, having the lots front 
this walk, and the monuments, if any are erected, 
located on the rear part of the lots. A quiet, unin- 
terrupted stretch of lawn, so essential to an effect 
of repose and beauty, is unattainable where all the 
ground is utilized for graves, and each grave is al- 
lowed to have a conspicuous marker. The rules of 
cemeteries have gradually been restricting the height 
of these markers. There is hope for the future in 
the prospect that the time will come when all head- 
stones or foot-stones will be limited to the level of 
the turf, and made of material of subdued color. 
The ideal cemetery would be one in which every 
effort is made to develop the beauty of the grounds 
as a whole, the results being a memorial park. This 
would imply a certain affection or regard for the 
burial place as a whole on the part of those inter- 
ested in it — a broadening of their ideas, perhaps — 
but would not preclude the idea of having a special 
attachment for a given spot, and distinguishing that 
spot in some appropriate way. What better way is 
there than to have a bed of violets or ferns, a clus- 
ter of golden rods, an iris, a lily or a rose springing 
from the earth, and year after year filling the space 
with beauty and perfume? A vine may creep lov- 
ingly over the grave that is to be honored, or a lilac, 
honeysuckle or spirea may be planted on the spot, 
spreading its graceful sheltering branches all about, 
and perhaps making a home for a thrush that will 
send forth the sweetest music day after day. Or, 
again, what more fitting memorial for a dignified, 
venerable old man than a tree, which may live for 
centuries, and which, by its sturdiness, its growth, 
its life, its spreading branches, its struggles against 
storms, its beauty and majesty, symbolizes in so 
many ways the life that is remembered ! There are 
hundreds of beautiful plants that will lend themselves 
themselves to comforting sentiments, and mean much 
to hearts that are stricken, while to the casual ob- 
server they simply form part of the beautiful, har- 
monious work of art — “the one art,” as Mr. Robin- 
son says, “in which we have the happiness of pos- 
sessing the living things themselves, and not mere 
representations of them.” 
A sheet of water may add greatly to the beauty 
of a cemetery and help to give the peaceful quiet 
effect already mentioned. The outline should be 
varied so as to bring only a portion of the surface 
of the water in sight from any one point. The mar- 
gins should be graded in a natural manner, and not 
in imitation of railway embankments. The pro- 
jecting points of land may be accented by covering 
