222 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



done in his department for improving every branch of horticulture 

 and agriculture. 



The report of this meeting will soon be published, and it seems 

 to me that it will be of interest to a large number of our members. 

 If there are those who would wish it, if they will leave their names 

 with the secretary, it will be mailed to them. While this report 

 will relate chiefly to general forestry there will be much information 

 of value to the farmer. 



Within the past ten years much attention has been given to the 

 planting of roadside trees. The state of Massachusetts passed an 

 act providing for the planting and care of trees which makes it 

 obligatory on the electors to elect a tree warden who shall have the 

 care and control of all public shade trees in the town, except those in 

 the care of park commissioners. It provides for severe penalties 

 for the injury or destruction of roadside trees, whether they are 

 growing naturally or were planted. Towns may appropriate an- 

 nually a sum of money, not exceeding fifty cents for each voter, to 

 be expended by the tree warden in planting trees on the public roads. 



New Hampshire has similar laws which declare all trees in the 

 highways to be public property under the care and supervision of the 

 tree warden. 



Connecticut pays a bounty of ten cents for every tree planted and 

 protected on the highway, the distance to be sixty feet apart. No 

 tree can be removed without the consent of the tree warden. 



The Pennsylvania law provides that "Any person liable to road 

 tax who shall transplant to side of road on his own premises any 

 fruit, shade or forest trees of suitable size shall be allowed on road 

 tax one dollar for every two trees set out. No row of elms to be 

 placed nearer than seventy feet, and no row of maples or other forest 

 trees nearer than fifty feet. All must be living and protected from 

 animals." 



New Jersey, Ohio and Florida have similar laws for encouraging 

 tree-planting on highways. 



California and Minnesota have laws providing for planting trees 

 on the streets in cities and villages, but not on country roads. I 

 recommend that a resolution be adopted by this association requesting 

 the state legislature to pass an act providing for planting trees on 

 the highways in the state, the trees to be not less than sixty feet 

 apart and not less than fifteen feet from the property line. 



