1896.] ESSAYS. 51 



they sliall not ])e nearer than thirty-five or forty feet. If stumps and 

 stones encumber the ground, remove them or bury them out of sight. 

 I should not recommend cutting away brush that would leave the rocks 

 and rubbisli exposed to view for any length of time, for, in this case, 

 the " remedy would be worse than the disease," but make thorough 

 work each season as far as you go, and there let it rest until another 

 year. Having disposed of all obstructions, the grading and finishing 

 work comes next, and then, by seeding it to grass, our desired object 

 has been attained. 



Tlie building of the foot-walk and planting the trees is the next stage 

 of i)rogress, and the width of the walk will have to be governed some- 

 what by the width of the roads. Usually six feet or more in width can 

 be used for this purpose. Grading, smoothing and gravelling are the 

 three requisites for completing this work, and then we are ready to 

 locate and plant our trees. 



Where Shall We Plant Them?. 



Three positions are to be considered in this direction. The most 

 satisfactory effect is produced by planting them on the edge of the foot- 

 path, five to six feet from the boundary line. This means protection 

 to the trees by guards, which must be maintained for years to come, 

 and even then are subjected to more or less injury by being used as 

 hitching posts for horses, or subjected to wreckage by the hands of 

 careless teamsters. The second position is one foot from the wall or 

 fence ; here there is little danger from teams or road repairers, and 

 if the permanent grade of the road is fixed before the trees are planted 

 their permanency and safety is assured. The third location is one foot 

 inside the road boundary line, which brings the trees under the ex- 

 clusive care and protection of the owner, and there is no risk whatever 

 of injury from causes that exist when the trees are located within the 

 bounds of the highway. 



What Tkees Shall We Preserve and What Silvll We Plant? 



As already noted, if we find in the clearing-up process of our road- 

 sides trees already growing at a proper distance from each other, and 

 located where it is desira])le for them to remain permanently, they 

 should remain undisturbed if of a suitable variety. 



Under this classification I should name, as the most desirable trees, 

 the White Oak, American White Beech, Rock or Sugar Maples, Amer- 

 ican White Elm, Avlien space is ample, and American AVhite Ash. 



The objection to the Red Oak and Basswood or Linden is their sus- 



