326 The Field Naturalist's Quarterly Nov. 



Birmingham or Leeds, or in a colliery district. In these latter, constant 

 care would scarcely keep alive trees otherwise suitable. 



" As to lopping trees, it is, as every one must know, necessary, unless 

 the trees have almost unlimited room, and are away from street and 

 road lamps. Until the irresponsible gunner is educated out of 

 existence any rare bird is doomed. Witness the clergyman who 

 gloried in killing a Hoopoe not long since, and the collector who 

 sent a man into Norfolk to exterminate the Spoonbill (I think that 

 was the species). Trees on a roadside are dangerous, especially 

 so on a country road, unless planted well back on one of the ' broad 

 lanes,' and here, as Mr Haines says, no doubt the lord of the manor 

 would intervene, or the local authority, just as the owner of the fore- 

 shore rightly would do if the pebbles or sand were interfered with. 



" The custom of Continental countries can hardly be applied in Eng- 

 land. I know the rows of poplars which line the straight roads, and 

 the fruit-trees in the hedges, and the handfuls of cherries, &c., gladly 

 given for the asking in certain Continental countries. I know also the 

 planting rule and some of the beautiful cemeteries, but there is a pre- 

 judice in England against the planting of what would make large trees 

 in burial-places. It arises from a dislike, sentimental if you will, to the 

 idea of a tree gaining its nourishment from the soil of a burying-ground. 

 I know of a piece of ground, recently purchased for an extension to a 

 cemetery, where some fine trees will have to be felled and the roots 

 grubbed up for this reason, and feelings such as these must be respected. 



"As to the local authorities being 'forced' (p. 169) to do anything, 

 it is, as I say, an impertinence to suppose that any society could oblige 

 either ui^ban or rural councils to spend ratepayers' money on that 

 society's objects. I would not advise a trial of strength on the point. 

 Many others besides myself would like to have available ground in 

 which to plant a tree each year, and so too would the assessment 

 authorities, as in many instances it would appreciably raise the value 

 of property. 



" Public land cannot of course be alienated or even planted without 

 public consent, and I doubt if any public body would care to ask the 

 ratepayers to buy and plant trees on the public lands. These lands are 

 in many cases a long distance from the town (be it small or large), and 

 are, where possible, used for purposes of profit. I do not refer to 

 ornamental parks or playgrounds, which are managed in a different 

 manner. 



" This is, as one man views the proposal, trees and troubles first, and 

 birds afterwards. If Arbor Day is to come, it must come gradually, 

 without pressure, without hysterics, and without a farthing on the 

 rates." — S. L. Petty. 



(Mr Haines in his article expressly said it would be only if an Arbor 

 Day were established as a natio7ial observance (the word " national " 

 was in italics) that the local authorities could or would be forced to 

 carry it out. There was no mention of a society dictating or attempting 

 to compel authorities. The idea is distinctly e.xcluded in the emphasis 

 on the word "national." There could be no "impertinence" in com- 



