Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1915-07-29
Ole
Peoples Forum
Road Construction and Landscape
Development.

Road Construction and Landscape
Development.
Editor Tidings: Road making in
cemeteries is subject which de-
mands no small amount of thought
and expense. The roads of ceme-
terry are a very important factor in
its utility and attractiveness, land
should be so constructed as to not
only conform to the rules of land
scape design, but to be correct from
an engineering standpoint, and to
meet the local conditions prevailing.
From the landscape point Of view
roads should be inconspicuous. The
curves and grades should be careful
ly studied, and should change at some
definite object. Great care should
be exercised in producing a nicely of
contour in grades leading away from
the road, to avoid terraced effects or
broken, crude slopes. In many cases
it is best to carry the slope away on
tangent to the section of the road,
reversing the curve gently and with
long sweeping lines. Drainage is in
a majority OF instances indispensable
to proper maintenance. The expense
Of installing a drainage system is
slight, and the cost of maintenance
practically negligible. The earth
road is the cheapest as regards first
cost but in general it is i'll suited for
cemetery purposes Gravel roads are
extensively used and form good
substitute for the more expensive
types. In the construction of gravel
roads the ordinary precautions
should be taken to first remove the
top soil and thoroughly roll the sub
grade. A layer of gravel six to eight
inches deep should be spread evenly,
and brought to surface having a
crown of three-quarter inches per
foot OF distance between the edge
and summit of the road. The top
surface should be composed of ma
terial which will pass through
three-quarter inch ring, while larger
sized materials may be used at the
bottom. The landscape features
The landscape features of the mod
ern park and the modern cemetery
are essentially the same, with green
grass, flowers, shrubs and trees so
arranged as to produce harmonious
effect, pleasing to the eye. The mod
ern park contains many features for
the amusement of the living, while
the modern cemetery contains monu-
ments to the dead. A thorough
knowledge of the topography, soil
and climatic conditions is essential in
the making of such plan. The plan
should be developed so as to give
pleasing vistas to distant portions of
the grounds, with plenty Of open
places showing only grass. Perhaps
the most important feature of the
landscape plan is the cemetery en-
trance. First impressions are always
best, whether this be said Of a ceme-
terry or anything else. Thus the first
impression of a cemetery should be
so pleasing that visitors will wish to
be buried therein. This may be ac
complished by distinctly park effect
near the entrance, with plenty of
lawn space, and enough flowrs to
giiv a color effect to the landscape,
Shrubs planted around the entrance,
and ivy on the stone or brick, should
there be any, are quite essential. The
best landscape effects can not be OBJ
tanned when flowers are planted on
the graves. The individual grave is
but a small portion of the whole
grounds, and the general appearance
of the cemetery should not be marred