236 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



cannot our village improvement societies zealously take up 

 this subject? Let us see if we cannot find one municipality 

 in Massachusetts that is ready to enter upon such a crusade 

 of tree planting. 



The Legislature has very wisely provided that towns may 

 furnish the means for such a work. Among the various o"b- 

 jects for which municipalities may appropriate mone}^ at legal 

 meetings, we find the authorit}^ to raise an amount, not ex- 

 ceeding fifty cents for each of its ratable polls in the pre- 

 ceding year, for planting shade trees in the public ways ; or 

 at the discretion of the tree warden, and with the written 

 consent of the owner of land adjoining such ways, at not 

 more than twenty feet from the way, for the purpose of 

 shading and ornamenting the roads. 



It is a matter of congratulation that injuries to shade trees 

 in the highway by men or animals are severely punished ; 

 for section 103 of chapter 208 of the Revised Laws, follow- 

 ing the statutes of 1859 and 1899, provides that whoever 

 negligently or willfully injures or defaces or suffers any 

 animal driven by him or for him or belonging to him, even 

 if it be lawfully on the highway, to injure, deface or destroy 

 a tree which is not his own, standing for use or ornament 

 on the highway, may be fined not less than $5 nor more than 

 $100, one-half of Avhich goes to the complainant and one-half 

 to the city or town. Besides that, the offender becomes 

 liable to pay damages to the owner or tenant of the land in 

 front of which the tree stands. This ought to be enough to 

 prevent the persistent horse hitcher from making a post of 

 eveiy tree that suits his convenience. 



Endowment of Roads. 



It is perhaps not generally known that savings banks, 

 under the provisions of the acts of 1875 and 1895, are 

 especially authorized to receive on deposit, to any amount, 

 funds in trust for the purpose of setting out shade trees in 

 streets and parks and for improving the same ; and also for 

 erecting and maintaining drinking fountains in public places. 



These funds are placed on interest in the banks, the divi- 

 dends being payable semiannually to the town designated 



