36 FORESTRY ALMANAC 



TREE-LINED HIGHWAYS 



Trees lining the highways making cool, green-shaded boule- 

 vards while they do not on the surface add to the forest assets of 

 the country, plant in the minds of the people an appreciation of trees. 

 With the rapid increase in automobile ownership and the extension of 

 motor highways throughout the United States, roadside tree planting 

 and conservation has become an essential part of this development. 

 Civic and patriotic organizations, property owners and many types of 

 associations as well as governmental agencies, are taking an active 

 part in this work. 



So widespread is the extent of this activity that it is difficult of 

 tabulation and summary. The Harding Memorial Highway, the 

 Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway and sections of the great Lincoln 

 Highway are instances of roadside tree planting by various public 

 groups, taking this means of creating durable and beautiful memorials. 

 A number of the states have embarked upon extensive programs 

 of highway beautification, and some of them exercise control over the 

 planting conducted by private groups along the highways. 



Massachusetts has planted more than 50,000 trees along her high- 

 ways recently. The State was aroused early in 1924 by the prospect of 

 withdrawal of funds for the upkeep of the hundreds of thousands of 

 trees already lining her highways, with the result that the funds were 

 not only forthcoming but were increased. The State of Washington 

 has inaugurated a program contemplating the setting out of some two 

 million trees. Pennsylvania and Michigan have large programs, and 

 New Jersey communities have shade tree commissions carrying on 

 this work. 



There is a growing appreciation of the need of certain regulation 

 of artificial roadside tree planting. General rules are being worked 

 out to govern the extent of the planting by the width of the right 

 of way ; to prevent the obscuring of intersections ; to give beauty by 

 natural groupings of trees instead of monotony by even spacing; to 

 make planting on curves safe and otherwise to direct this impor- 

 tant work. 



The following is a list of recognized highways on which projects 

 for roadside tree planting are contemplated or are under way, or 

 which offer opportunity for beautiful highway development : 



