"44 ^'//^' y on rua I of Forestry. 



away. Mr. Northrop successfully accomplished his purpose last 

 autumn, and made the most of his opportunities, considering the 

 comparatively limited time he could afford for the investigation of such 

 a ramified and wide-spread subject. Since his return to the United 

 States he has been busy preparing a detailed report of his proceedings 

 and observations, which he expects to be able to lay before the public 

 in the course of the spring; but in the meantime he is giving lectures, 

 during his spare intervals from duty, on " Recent Observations in 

 Europe, especially in Forestry," to large and deeply interested 

 audiences in Boston, New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, 

 and other large cities in the States. A Baltimore paper, in remarking 

 upon a lecture recently delivered there by Mr. Northrop, says, " The 

 address was very interesting and suggestive throughout, being full of 

 the best practice pursued in Europe, skilfully adapted by the lecturer 

 to the wants of our country, and was listened to with rapt attention 

 by a large, refined, and intelligent audience, who fully appreciated the 

 successful efforts made to entertain and instruct them at the same 

 time." 



Besides his more important duties and elaborate lectures on Forestry 

 in the large cities, Mr. Northrop also finds time to deliver short lectures 

 upon "Village Improvement" to his neighbours in the smaller towns 

 and villages of the State of- Connecticut. These lectures comprise a 

 variety of topics of social and rural interest, but special prominence is 

 given to the advantages to be derived from the extensive planting of 

 ornamental trees for improving the amenity of private grounds and 

 dwellings, public parks, streets, squares, walks, roads, &c., so as to 

 afford healtliy enjoyment and benefit to the whole community. This 

 is a subject to which Mr, Northrop has given particular attention, and 

 his labours in many towns and villages have resulted in permanent 

 organizations, known as Village Improvement Associations, which are 

 doing incalculable good by cultivating correct taste, inciting public 

 spirit, and quickening social and intellectual life in the performance of 

 those duties which the public authorities are too apt to neglect in older 

 settled countries than the United States. We would like to see a 

 similar spirit more freely developing itself amongst the inhabitants of 

 tlie towns and villages in this country. The cultivation of a true taste 

 for the beautiful in nature is a subject that requires much more atten- 

 tion tlian lias In'therto been paid to it by our civic rulers, and we have 

 mucli need of such an able and enthusiastic pioneer as Mr. Northrop 

 to rouse up the denizens of our towns to a due appreciation of the 

 wholesome benefits to be derived by a judicious and well-regulated 

 outlay upon modern improvements, especially in the adornment of our 

 streets and squares witli properly selected and well-grown trees and 

 shrul)s of n reallv tasteful and ornamental character, 



