Large Public Cemeteries, unconnected with churches, have been formed at Manchester and Liverpool, and ought to be formed on some general system by every town and village throughout the country. That at Manchester and one of those at Liverpool are the property of companies; but the largest one at Liverpool has been formed by the town corporation. This is so far good, because it is in the spirit of what the government of a town ought to do. The cemetery is formed in the bottom and sides of an immense stone quarry; and besides its uses as a cemetery, forms a valuable addition to the public walks of the town. We have only to regret that it has been laid out and planted, and that it is also kept up, in a very commonplace manner, owing, as we were informed, to the want of funds. The situation is certainly singularly grand, and particularly fitted for the purpose of a cemetery; having steep rocky sides, admirably adapted for tiers of vaults (if that antiquated mode of burial should be persisted in for another generation), and a level area of considerable depth of earth for ordinary burial. Our objections to the laying out of this cemetery are, that the dry clumps in the level area do not form a whole with the parts around them, being conspicuously liable to the faults mentioned as common to flower-gardens. (p. 401. figs. 72. and 73.) We should also have preferred more ascending and descending walks in the planted banks; and we think these banks should have comprised in them all the hardy trees and shrubs which do not require peat earth. Along the margin of the walks, at the top and bottom of the banks, we would have placed all the hardy herbaceous plants which do not require peat earth. All the peat earth trees, shrubs, and plants we would have planted in clumps of peat earth in the open area; and we would have named one plant of each species conspicuously, so that every passer by might read it. In regard to keeping, we would have had the gravel walks and the lawn as smooth and as closely shaven as those of any gentleman's pleasure-ground. The corporation of Liverpool is said to have an income of upwards of 150,000l. a year; and it does appear surprising to us, that, with such means, and having already expended so much, they should not have been able to finish this cemetery as it ought to be finished, and to keep it up in proper style.
