SUBURBAN AND COUNTRY ROADS. 57 



Either gas or oils of various kinds, are the articles best adapted 

 to Lighting roads ; and they should be provided for this piu'pose in 

 every suburban district, and in every populous village. In fact, 

 well lighted roads are absolutely essential to every community, not 

 only as means of comfort and convenience, but also as a protection 

 against " the evils that walk in darkness." 



Public highways of the best possible construction having been 

 provided, it then becomes a cultivated people to ornament them. 

 This is most fitly and usefully accomplished, by the introduction of 

 trees along their borders. If an}' one doubts the truth of such an 

 assertion, they have only to visit some of the older towns in our 

 commonwealth, more especially in the western portions, and along 

 the A'alley of the Connecticut, where they cannot fail to admire the 

 magnificent ekns and sugar maples that adorn the road-sides, which 

 the foresight of a former generation has provided for oiu' gratifica- 

 tion, and the presence of which gives a certain character to those 

 towns, which nothing else can supply. 



A proper selection of trees most suitable for the purpose must be 

 made, and as a general rule, those should be chosen which are in- 

 digenous to the particular district. Experience has shown that the 

 American elm and the sugar maple are more universally adapted 

 to road-side planting than any others. To these we may add other 

 species of maple, certain kinds of oak, the ash, hickory, and Eng- 

 lish elm. Care must be taken that the trees are not planted too 

 thickly, or in such a way as to overshadow the road to the entire 

 exclusion of sun and light , for although such a condition may be 

 agreeable to the passing traveller and his beasts, it is apt to create 

 a degree of moisture which is not conducive to the preservation of 

 the road-bed surface. 



Evergreens are in no way suitable for road-side planting, and 

 should never be allowed to occupy a position by which, the sun is 

 excluded, and whereby ice and snow are retained in the spring 

 months, long after their disappearance in other places, rendering the 

 travel difficult and dangerous. 



There are many roads, which may be truly called "country 

 roads " in contradistinction to the suburban, and the great thorough- 

 fares of the larger towns, which need no ornamentation beyond 

 that which Nature herself has amply provided in the trees and 

 hedges which have sprung up spontaneously along their borders. 

 The very seclusion afforded by this natural embellishment, consti- 



