1893.] ESSAYS. 61 



1783. Its main thoroughfare is lined upon either side with rows of 

 ehus, extending nearly three miles east and west, and these elms com- 

 memorate the treaty of peace between Great Britain and the United 

 States, which terminated the Revolutionary war. Their planting is 

 the first work of this nature performed by the concerted action of a 

 whole neighborhood, of which I can learn, for it is told that well- 

 nigh the whole population helped in the work of planting the trees. 



The thoroughfare, upon either side of which are these elms, was, 

 at the time of their planting, a portion of the turnpike or stage road 

 leadiug from Boston to Albany, and was laid out six rods, or 100 feet 

 in width. That portion of it passing through Brookfield is, by act 

 of the town, preserved intact. 



The elm trees which line this highway extend from near the village 

 of East Brookfield westward to within less than a half mile of the 

 West Brookfield town line. Their termination on the west is on the 

 summit of Stone's hill, and directly in front of the present residence 

 of Mr. Warren H. Hamilton, which occupies the site of the parson- 

 age where lived one of the earlier ministers in Brookfield. There is 

 a tradition, and a flimsy one at its best, that the reason why the trees 

 were not planted farther west along the road and beyond the parson- 

 age, was because all hands engaged in the work of planting the trees 

 were, after those in front of the parsonage had been set, invited by 

 the minister of that day to take a mug of flip, and that this was 

 accepted so often as to unfit every one for further service. The fact 

 that West Brookfield was then a part of Brookfield, and in conse- 

 quence no town line existed, is quite ample evidence that the original 

 intention was to go no farther than the summit of the hill. 



The men who superintended the planting of the trees were Colonel 

 Oliver Crosby and Mr. Gershom Jennings. A daughter of the 

 second named, Mrs. Marcia Basslington, is now living at Brookfield 

 at the age of 83 years. She remembers events connected with the 

 planting of the trees told to her by her father. 



Nearly all the elms planted along the great road have assumed the 

 sheaf form, — that is, they resemble in appearance a sheaf of grain, 

 but as might be expected among so many, about every type of elm is 

 represented. As is typical of the sheaf- formed elm, most of the 

 trees have tall, straight stems, and with but slightly overhanging 

 tops. Practically, all are characterized by a great height, and some 

 among them have an immense spread. I noticed none less than ten 

 feet in girth at five feet, and they vary from this up to fifteen feet. 



About one-half mile south of the railroad station, in the centre of 

 6 



