268 
ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN CEMETERY SUPERINTENDE> 
C. G. T. Flaherty, St. Agnes Cemetery, Al- 
bany, N. Y., read his first paper before the 
convention, in which he discussed "The 
'Care of Lots and Monuments” as practiced 
in his cemetery. His address was as fel- 
lows : 
Care of Lots and Monuments. 
By C. T. G. Flaherty. 
After all that has been said and written rela- 
tive to the care of lot, monuments, etc., little 
else remains for me to say regarding that inter- 
esting subject. 
This paper is written mostly for the benefit of 
superintendents who have been recently placed in 
charge of homes for the dead, and, perhaps, to 
them I am not telling anything new. 
However, I offer my most humble apologies for 
any shortcomings and blame it on our most 
worthy and esteemed president, who called upon 
me to read a paper of my own selection. 
All new cemeteries wherever possible should 
sell all lots including perpetual care. The neg- 
lected appearance of thousands of lots in some 
of the older cemeteries, containing expensive 
monuments and markers, demands this. It is 
the crying shame of the age to see such thought- 
lessness on the part of survivors of dear departed 
ones who in a majority of cases can very well 
afford to attend to it. Where cemeteries can 
afford it, and it is known that no one interested 
is alive, as an act of charity and for the gen- 
oral appearance they should keep those lots and 
monuments in order. 
In the older cemeteries all choice lots should 
lie sold including perpetual care. For those 
who cannot afford perpetual care at the time of 
purchase of the lot, but who may be able to do 
•so later, a certain part of the cemetery remote 
from the perpetual care sections may be sold to 
them. In the meantime they should try and pay 
by the season. 
I will now endeavor to explain the various 
kinds of care which are in vogue in some ceme- 
teries. We have the ordinary perpetual care, 
which means the cutting of grass on an average 
of twice a month during the season and keeping 
the graves in repair, also pruning shrubs. Then 
there is the special perpetual care, which means 
to cut the grass on an average of once a week 
while the season lasts, also keeping graves in re- 
pair and pruning shrubs. We also have ordinary 
■season’s care and special season’s care, which 
include only the cutting of grass, the same num- 
ber of times as on a perpetual care lot. 
Those who wish to have monuments, markers 
and other stone work attended to and to arrange 
for flower beds, care of myrtle, top dressing, etc., 
may do so, either by the season or in perpetuity, 
by paying a certain sum of money, the interest 
upon which will be sufficient to properly care for 
those things they desire. 
As an illustration of how popular perpetual 
care is at the present time to what it was be- 
fore this association was organized, I will give 
you one instance, that of St. Agnes Cemetery, 
Albany, N. Y. From the year 1807, when the 
cemetery was incorporated, to the year 1S87 only 
eight lots were in perpetual care. There are now 
over 1,100 lots in perpetual care. 
For further information relating to perpetual 
care I would suggest the members refer to a book 
entitled “Modern Cemeteries,” which was issued 
in the year 1S97, pages 112, 116 and 119. 
The Question Box provided an interest- 
ing hour. 
James Currie summed up the Sunday 
funeral problem by saying : “The only way 
to abolish Sunday funerals is to abolish 
them.” This was done at Forest Home, and 
other Milwaukee cemeteries followed the 
example. A resolution was adopted reiter- 
ating in substance former action on the 
same subject, to-wit : It is the sense of 
this convention that Sunday funerals be 
discouraged. A majority of the cemeteries 
represented prohibit funerals on Sunday 
except in cases of emergency. An extra 
charge of $3 to $5 is made at many ceme- 
teries for the purpose of discouraging bur- 
ials on that day. 
The closing day of the convention was 
spent at the Missouri Botanical Gardens 
(the old Shaw Gardens), now operated in 
connection with Washington University. 
Guides accompanied groups of visitors 
through the conservatories and around the 
interesting grounds until driven to shelter 
by rain. A buffet luncheon was served in 
the old Shaw homestead and the conclud- 
ing session was held in the classroom of 
the library. 
A paper by O. C. Simonds, Chicago, on 
“Ground Covering,” printed elsewhere in 
this issue, was read by G. L. 1 ilton, of that 
city. It gave a wide range of material, 
with practical suggestions for its use. 
“Calvary Cemetery (N. Y.) : Its Fea- 
tures,” by J. J. Cunningham, the superin- 
tendent, revealed some interesting data 
concerning the largest Catholic cemetery 
in the United States. The cemetery occu- 
pies nearly 400 acres and the burials av- 
erage sixty a day. 
“Flower Displays Without Rain," by 
William Ohlweiler, general manager of the 
Missouri Botanical Gardens, showed what 
could be accomplished in the way of con- 
serving moisture by mulching and soil cul- 
tivation where “the rainfall is erratic” and 
furnished lists of the more desirable an- 
nuals, perennials, for such localities. He 
predicted the addition of many good plants 
“from our desert floras” within the next 
few years. His address will appear in a 
later issue of Park and Cemetery. 
In an admirable paper on “Pictures in 
Park Cemeteries” John Noyes, landscape 
designer, Missouri Botanical Gardens, 
dwelt upon a subject that has received but 
little attention from cemetery superintend- 
ents. Under the headings, “Views,” “Vis- 
tas” and “True Pictures,” he discussed 
esthetic conditions that in the mind of 
many belong in the realm of the impossi- 
ble. He advised his hearers to add to their 
accomplishments “a bit of the artist ; you 
will enjoy your cemetery a great deal more 
and will be bound to improve it.” This ad- 
dress will appear in full in an early issue 
of. Park and Cemetery. 
The Committee on New Members re- 
ported the following additions : Charles 
W. Ross, Newton, Newton Center, Mass.; 
M. S. Andes, Elmwood, Shelbyville, 111. ; 
William K. Bradbury, Earlham, Richmond, 
Ind. ; Charles Boettger, St. Marcus Ceme- 
tery, St. Louis, Mo.; A. W. Ellyson, Val- 
halla, St. Louis, Mo. ; David Koeller, Sr., 
St. Peter’s, St. Louis, Mo.; John Luettig, 
St. Louis, Mo.; Oscar McNear, Columbia, 
Mo. ; Mrs. Bess R. Parker, Park Cemetery, 
Carthage, Mo. ; Ed Reichardt, Little Rock, 
Ark.; George W. Salee, Jefferson Bar- 
racks, Mo. ; Owen T. Smith, Oakland, Free- 
port, 111.: John Gibson, Bay View, Belling- 
ham, Wash.; James Wilson, The Ever- 
green, Elizabeth, N. J. ; Thomas J. Lavin, 
secretary, Park Lawn, St. Louis, Mo.; Jo- 
seph Lear, Memorial Park, Wilmette, 111. ; 
A. W. Pohnan, Mt. Sinai, St. Louis; Will- 
iam A. Stark, Concordia, St. Louis. 
The Memorial Committee submitted ap- 
propriate resolutions of sympathy to be 
sent to the families of members deceased 
during the past year. 
The committee appointed to consider the 
recommendations made in the president's 
annual address reported favorably on the 
suggestion that a compilation of the best 
addresses, delivered from 1897 to date, be 
made and published. Referred to special 
committee with power to act. 
