1898.] ESSAYS. 07 



largely disseminated, and we have a tine array of floral decora- 

 tions in the gardens and very generally a goodly supply of fruit. 

 That applies to certain parts of the city. The most serious 

 drawback, the most insurmountable obstacle to the full develop- 

 ment of this great interest, as has been pointed out many times 

 by your late Secretary, is juvenile vandalism. "This evil," he 

 says, " is rapidly developing as our city grows in population, 

 with a portion of which it would seem to be an accepted theory 

 that there can be no private property in flowers or fruits. Their 

 cultivation will have to be abandoned, however reluctantly, until 

 juvenile trespass and theft can be eflfectually arrested." 



This is a matter the seriousness of which I referred to on a 

 former occasion, and it cannot be overstated for a city like this. 

 I have never lived in a city where the people are so pestered 

 by the juvenile population as here in Worcester. What are 

 we to do about it? What position is the Society taking in 

 regard to this matter, and what steps is it taking to remedy the 

 evil ? Do we realize fully that the best way to meet this difficulty 

 must be to encourage the children in the cultivation of flowers 

 and fruits of their own ? A child who has planted and reared 

 something of his own can appreciate, as he or she can hardly be 

 made to appreciate in any other way, the rights of ownership. 

 We may in this way, by encouraging the child's cultivation of 

 things, lay a solid foundation for conduct which no amount of 

 law, preaching and punishment can ever do. 



A second solid interest consists in our roadside and park trees. 

 It is a matter of profound regret that Mr. Draper in his excellent 

 discussion of trees for roadside decoration is obliged to rule out 

 the chestnut and the walnut on account of the clubbing and abuse 

 of the boys. It is a pitiful commentary on parental control 

 if that is the way we must settle the question of our roadside 

 trees, — in the negative against such trees as the chestnut. Now 

 the evil of just this thing is so widespread that we may dwell on 

 it for a moment. I have talked with a number of farmers and 

 the voice is universal, the vot^e unanimous, that we are ol)liged 

 to cut our chestnut trees, our nut trees generally, to clear them 

 out from wherever they may ofl'er temptation to trespassers. 



