PUBLIC PARKS AXD PLEASURE GROUNDS. 299 



or even ten years, would mark a greater change for the 

 better in the general appearance of our rural districts, 

 then has taken place since the lands were cleared. Such 

 an improvement would tend to greatly increase the values 

 of lands, and besides, who can measure the increase of 

 comfort to be gained for every living thing ; in summer 

 by abundant shade ; in winter by breaking the force of 

 piercing winds, not to speak of advantages as effecting 

 rainfalls and drouths. 



In some of the States of late, laws have been made to 

 encourage tree planting, by paying a bounty from the 

 State treasnry, to those who plant and protect trees. In 

 Connecticut an act provides, that any person planting 

 and protecting forest trees for one-quarter of a mile or 

 more along any public highway, may receive, for ten 

 years, one dollar per annum for each quarter of a mile so 

 planted. In some instances, public spirited individuals 

 have offered prizes of forty, twenty-five, twenty, and 

 fifteen dollars for the best and largest rows of trees along 

 any public road of a town, the award to be made by 

 three non-resident experts. It is shown that bounties 

 and prizes thus offered stimulate a great interest in the 

 work of planting trees on public roads. 



In planting street trees, the common arrangement in 

 rows with the trees at equal distances apart, is not the 

 only one, or perhaps not always the best. Too much of such 

 planting tends to monotony. Tlie rows should be broken 

 now and then, by setting the trees more irregularly, 

 placing some close together on both sides of the walk to 

 form clumps, and then leaving open spaces elsewhere. 

 In figure 107, and also in the lower half of figure 114, 

 this idea is illustrated. Monotony may be further broken 

 by introducing different kinds of trees, keeping each 

 somewhat by itself. 



A common fault in this work is, to plant so close that 

 the trees have no chance to develop their beauty. This 



