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TRUSTEES’ REPORT.

THE original character of Mount Auburn was that of an undulat-
ing tract of land, covered for two-thirds of its extent with a growth of
wood, and diversified in its surface by abrupt hills and overflowed or
swampy depressions. At first, attention was mainly paid to improving
the more eligible parts of the ground, which were the earliest taken up
by purchasers. But as land in the Cemetery became more valuable, it
was found profitable, in many instances, to level hills and banks, and
with the removed earth to fill up the depressed and boggy portions of
the unoccupied space. In this way several acres of central and val-
uable land have been gradually redeemed and put on sale for cemetery
purposes.

The principal operations of this kind, during the last year, have con-
sisted in taking off the crown of Laurel Hill to the depth of about
fourteen feet, with the consent of Francis Fisher, Esq., proprietor of
the lots situated above. The effect of this improvement is to increase
greatly the area at the top of the hill, so that after reserving to Mr.
Fisher the amount of land originally occupied by him, a space is
obtained for an avenue eighteen feet wide round the summit, with a
row of lots exterior to this avenue, symmetrically laid out, all of which
have been quickly sold at advanced prices and are now bordered with
granite curbs. The gravel removed by this operation has been used
in grading the sides of the hill and in filling the neighboring bog on
the opposite side of Walnut Avenue and south of Thistle Path. This
bog is in process of being reclaimed, and will probably, before next
spring, be converted into solid land. The hill-side between this and
Anemone Path has been changed into a smooth sodded bank, running
parallel to that path for about four hundred feet. Near the bottom of
this bank a new carriage-way is constructed called Mound Avenue,