63 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
DAPHNE CNEORUM IN SWAN POINT CEMETERY 
One of the most pleasurable sur- 
prises in going through the grounds 
of the Swan Point Cemetery in Provi- 
dence, R. I., is the sight of the masses 
of that beautiful plant, Daphne cneor- 
um. At flowering time in the spring 
great clusters and borders of it stretch 
out on every side; it is not dotted 
about in single plants, but the sweet 
scented flowers fairly carpet the 
places where they grow. To see it 
in this profusion one would be almost 
inclined to think that it was the com- 
monest of plants, and the easiest to 
grow and propagate. But a prospec- 
tive purchaser on referring to the 
price lists of the nurseries will find 
that this plant is quoted at an almost 
prohibitive price. There are some 
places that it will not grow at all, and 
again other places where it just ex- 
ists and makes a poor pretense at 
flowering, but the situations where it 
is found as abundantly as in Swan 
Point, are few indeed. 
To the authorities it is a matter of 
surprise to hear the exclamations of 
surprise of the visitors at the sight 
of the plant and its wealth of bloom. 
They have no difficulty in propagating 
it and do not regard it as exception- 
ally difficult plant to grow. To visit 
the grounds in the spring when the 
Daphne is in bloom; to behold the 
masses of flowers and to enjoy its 
most delicate of odors, is a treat not 
soon to be forgotten by those fortu- 
nate enough to enjoy it. 
Luke J. Doogue. 
ENONYMUS RADICANS RUNNING OVER THE ROCK AND DAPHNE CNEORUM 
ALL AROUND IT. 
SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR AN IDEAL CEMETERY 
I wish that it were my privilege to 
lay out a cemetery! A cemetery that 
would be different from any of the 
cemeteries of the average town in 
America. One that would be a spot 
of peaceful picturesque loveliness, not 
a place of inartistic, unrefined lone- 
liness. The task would not be a diffi- 
cult one, the cost would be far less, 
and the effect wonderful! 
I should select a place near water, 
if possible; a good roomy place, leav- 
ing every knoll and hill, not leveling 
one, for natural effect lends to the 
tranquility of the whole. I -would en- 
close this place with protecting white 
poplars. Did you ever notice how 
beautiful white poplars are? Straight 
white trunks with silver tremulous 
leaves that sound in the wind like 
falling water — serene, quiet and rest- 
ful. Here and there I would plant 
clumps of smaller poplars, silver 
birch, with its beautiful bark, and 
weeping willow with its peaceful 
sweep. The Evergreen and Cedar 
hedge which apeak of tears would be 
put in their proper places, but en- 
closing no lots. There would be 
flower beds everywhere, with every 
kind and color of flower, but each bed 
would be harmonious and beautiful, 
and on the graves there would be no 
heaping of contrivances in wax or 
steel — artificial imitations of unheard 
of vegetation. Wild flowers and ferns 
would abound, and in the water and 
along its edge. Iris, Water-lilies and 
various other beautiful water plants 
would be coaxed to grow. Shrubs, 
that would brighten the fall and 
winter with red and white berries, 
would find their -way in my cemetery, 
and the Ivy would predominate. 
The lots in my cemetery would be 
laid out as they are now, according to 
size and price, and every lot would 
be marked off with tiny markers of 
stone, much the same as we find in 
the present grave-yard. The most 
objectionable things of our burial 
grounds of today, to my idea, are the 
tombstones! There is a grand array 
of every size, kind and color, some 
stacked up in ugly shapes, pinched in 
on tiny lots, others looming up in 
some sparkling marble with majestic 
air, as if they were shouting their 
worth down to the timid little marker 
below on the poor woman’s lot. In 
my cemetery, there would be no 
tombstones like this. In their places 
would be plain little slabs of marble 
or stone, uniform for every grave. 
These would all lie perfectly flat, 
sunk into the grave instead of stand- 
ing upright like ghostly sentinels. 
Each tablet would bear simply the 
name, date of birth and death, and 
for those who desired it, a verse or 
line of Scripture — but no carving or 
relief. The tablets would all be of 
one quality and one price, the latter 
being of much less than the cheapest 
ugly monument that we can purchase 
today. There would be fewer heart- 
aches in the world if this plan were 
carried out, for then the wealthy 
merchant’s lot would lie next to the 
poor wido-w’s, with nothing to dis- 
tinguish it from hers but the name on 
the marker. All men “are born equal’’ 
and let them be equal again when 
they die. 
I would leave all vaults, mauso- 
leums and sarcophogi out of my 
cemetery. Instead of great monu- 
ments erected on lots for individuals, 
let the person with the purse of For- 
tunatus put in their places, but on 
the paths and clear places, artistic 
works by noted sculptors that mean 
cheer, strength, hope and life to the 
bereaved who look upon them. On 
these, unpretentious inscriptions of 
“In Memoriam’’ might be placed. 
The disproportioned iron fences 
around each lot and the vacant iron 
chair -w'hich fairly shouts of loneli- 
ness would be taken away and sold 
at the foundry as old iron. The 
frightful vases of iron, usually paint- 
