THE SECRETARY'S PORTFOLIO. 401 



To say that street trees ought to be planted in the street may seem a super- 

 fluous statement ; nevertheless, many a place would be the bettor if this simple 

 rule had l)een observed. Formerly it was more customary thau now to plant a 

 row of trees along the fronts of lots, within a foot or two of the street line. 

 The advantage of thus placing trees is apparent, since they were there pro- 

 tected by good fences, and were thus secure against injury from horses and 

 cattle. This security it is far better to obtain by proper guards to tlie trees when 

 necessary; but, Ibrtunately, in most localities, the necessity of protection no 

 longer exists. The row of trees across the front renders it almost, if not quite, 

 impossible to plant the grounds with any effect in the modern style. The trees 

 intended for shade of the sidewalk should, therefore, be always planted along 

 its outer edge and next to the roadway. 



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A correspondent in the Ohio Farmer gives a bit of experience upon the same 

 topic : 



Our farm lies on both sides of the road, about 30 rods in all fronting on 

 highway. We have improved the land and set out maples the whole length. 

 We employed a surveyor and found the center of the road ; then set trees on 

 line on one side (30 ieet from center), and on the other side six feet m from 

 line. The result was, everybody traveled on the side of the road next the trees 

 set in 6 feet. We soon saw that these trees would amount to nothing, and we 

 took them up and set them on the line. We now have a nice piece of road. 



Brother farmers, when driving along the road and you see a nice space on 

 one side that you think would be easier on your team, just think, before cross- 

 ing the ditch, whether you would like any one do the same on your land. Put 

 the golden rule into practice, and you will feel better after passing that man's 



land. 



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President Lyon believes that important advantages are to be anticipated from 

 the silent influence of our law concerning highway planting; mainly for the 

 reason that it places before the tax-paying land-owner a clear pecuniary motive 

 for the consideration of the subject, and for his proposed practice under it. The 

 farmer and land holder doubtless comprises in his make-up fully his proper 

 proportion of that very doubtful material usually designated human nature^ 

 one of the most constant, perhaps we may say universal, qualities of which, is 

 a decided sensitiveness in the region usually known as " the pocket," manifest- 

 ing itself in a repulsion of the proposition to draw from it even the smallest 

 sum, and an equal readiness to accept a consideration offered, whether great or 

 small. 



W. I. Chamberlain, secretary of the Ohio board of agriculture, has written a 

 good deal about roadside planting, and here is his opinion in a nutshell : 



A close line of trees, especially of elms, fully shading and overarching the 

 road tends to keep it muddy and bad, but if maples are planted at 3J feet 

 apart on clayey soil, or 40 feet apart on rich, sandy loam, they will not form a 

 connected, compact shade, or greatly injure the highway or adjacent land. 

 And yet they will greatly relieve the landscape and furnish a grateful shade, 

 and when grown thoy may be tapped in connection with the sugar camp. Our 

 public sentiment I think ought to encourage a man or a neighborhood that is 

 trying to grow a nice row of trees and a nice, straight strip of green turf along 

 the streets. Each man objects to having his neighbors drive on the grass in 

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