126 Landscape Gardening 



roadsides in our towns and villages into a state of great 

 beauty and neatness if all would work together in the right 

 way. Perhaps the first and most important consideration 

 in roadside improvement is that all shall refrain from dump- 

 ing rubbish of any kind along the roadside, and the highway 

 surveyor or road commissioner or agent should first set 

 the example, and whenever trees are trimmed up or brush 

 is cut along the roadside, or stones picked up or dug out 

 of the road-bed, that all shall be removed entirely from 

 within the road boundaries. All accumulations of stone or 

 other rubbish should be removed, so that desirable trees 

 may be improved and undesirable trees, shrubs, or weeds, 

 can be easily eradicated. 



The expense of this work need not be very great, for 

 almost everywhere there may be found pond-holes, ditches, 

 ravines, etc., where such materials may be dumped and 

 covered up. The next important matter is the smoothing 

 and evening up of the surface of the roadside. Here again 

 those in charge of the repairs of the roads should take the 

 initiative, and all turf and loamy soil not suitable to be 

 put on the road-surface should be used for smoothing up 

 and making gracefully curved or sloping roadsides. 



Preserve Native Trees and Shrubs 



The native trees and shrubs should next have considera- 

 tion. No country possesses so many beautiful woody plants 

 as the United States; they are generally found growing 

 where they thrive best, and any desirable kinds found 

 growing by the roadside that can be made to produce a 

 proper form of growth should be preserved and improved. 



The laws passed by some of our States for the protection 

 of shade-trees, whereby it is made the privilege (it should 

 be the "duty") of the town or city authorities to mark 



