271 
PARK AND CEMETERY 
Perpetvial Care in American Cemeteries. 
A Symposium of Methods of 
Some of the Leading Cemeteries. 
The vital importance of the subject of perpetual care 
in modern cemetery management, has brought about a 
constantly growing demand for information that will 
assist in securing its provisions or in perfecting methods 
of operation where it is already in force. In the belief 
that a knowledge of the practical workings of perpetual 
care systems, the conditions to be met with and the 
difficulties encountered, will be the basis for future 
progress in the work Park and Cemetery has been 
led to compile this symposium of the methods of some 
of the leading cemeteries and the opinions of those in 
charge as to the results that have been obtained. 
The information which follows in this and succeed- 
ing issues was obtained by addressing questions to 
a number of the leading cemeteries, from whom 
some interesting replies were received. When the in- 
formation contained in the answers has been pub- 
lished in these pages, it will be summarized and dis- 
cussed with a view to formulating a system of perpetual 
care that shall embody the best of the features that 
have been found practically useful. 
The questions leferred to were as follows : 
1. What percentage of lot sales is it advisable to set 
aside for perpetual care? 
2. What portion of this should be applied to general 
care of the cemetery as a whole, and what to the care 
of the individual contributing lot? 
3. When a portion of the cemetery has been sold 
without special care contract, what adjustments can be 
made regarding general care of the cemetery as a 
whole ? 
4. How best to organize trustees ? 
5. What best form of contract ? 
6. What basis do you use for determining the 
amount of deposit required from individual lot holders 
for perpetual care of their lots? 
7. If you accept deposits for the care of mausoleums, 
monuments, etc., what charge is made and how is the 
amount determined? 
8. What rate of interest can be allowed on perpetual 
care funds? 
9. Is it proper to guarantee something in perpetuity ? 
Woodlaftfn Cemetety, 'Detroit. 
Referring to the questions on perpetual care, we are not 
ready to publish any definite information as far as our ceme- 
tery is concerned, because we are just now deliberating and 
discussing the matter to find our solution. We made up our 
minds at once that any attempt to follow and adopt schedules 
in vogue in other cemeteries would prove unsatisfactory and 
misleading ; so we set about to keep faithfully a daily, 
minutely classified record of all work performed, which would 
enable us at the end of every year to compute with consider- 
able correctness the cost of the various items of labor per- 
formed. Of special interest in this connection are the items 
which enter into and are essential to perpetual care, there- 
fore it will be well to enumerate what with us is included in 
perpetual care, not only of the individual lots, but also of the 
cemetery as a whole. 
The turf is constantly mowed with lawn mowers during the 
grass growing season and clippings raked and removed. Turf 
is kept in good condition by fertilizing when necessary and 
watering in dry times. Mounds are kept low and in good 
condition so long as they are left in grass, and depressions 
appearing on sections are raised and the turf repaired by 
sodding or seeding whenever required. Hardy plants, shrubs 
and trees which may have been set out with permission and 
by the cemetery are properly cared for ; leaves and litter are 
not permitted to accumulate. Avenues are kept neatly edged, 
free from weeds and dust, are frequently raked and rolled, 
and during the winter are kept passable by snow plow and 
shovel. Devoting a certain amount of time to lot owners is 
also charged to maintenance. In this way these daily records 
of work give us the only correct basis upon which to deter- 
mine the required amount to charge for perpetual care. 
Moreover, we shall continue to keep up and preserve this 
daily record, which will become more valuable, and in course 
of time will furnish the best possible means for ascertaining 
