NATURAL FEATURES AND RESOURCES 31 



The margins of lakes, once so beautifully wooded, 

 in many cases have become bare and disfigured 

 with huge ice-houses and other buildings. This 

 is even true of the banks of many of our larger 

 rivers like those of the historic Hudson. 



In the development of water power, large areas 

 of forest have sometimes been flooded and the 

 trees left standing to disfigure the landscape for 

 years to come with their skeleton-like trunks and 

 limbs. 



We have gone from bad to worse in the matter 

 of bill-boards, frequently bordering with them the 

 main lines of travel. 



We have disfigured the banks of small streams 

 and rivers and charming ravines with rubbish of 

 all kinds. We have gone along the country roads, 

 especially near cities and villages, and when we 

 have found the most charming spot, perhaps a 

 leafy slope leading down to a pleasant valley, we 

 have said "Aha ! here is a good place to dump 

 our loads," and have proceeded at once to smother 

 every vestige of vegetation with ashes and tin 

 cans ; then fearing criticism, we have stuck up a 

 sign "Dump no rubbish here" and have left the 

 ashes and the sign in full view for years and years, 



