1892.] ■ ESSAYS. 117 



ago, as the Executive Officer of the Massachusetts State Grange, 

 to recommend the observance, by the Subordinate Granges of 

 the State, of a fixed day in the early part of the month of May as 

 Arbor Day ; and in addition to the phinting of fruit and orna- 

 mental trees around the home, and trees for shade and shelter 

 along the roadsides, I urged the importance of cleaning the 

 (grounds around the buildings and alono; the roadsides of all 

 useless underbrush, stones, stumps or any other unsightly ob- 

 jects, and then grade the same and seed it down to grass. It is 

 gratifying to note how much interest was manifested in this 

 work, in many towns, and what great improvements were made 

 through this united, as well as individual, elfort. 



I am aware that many will assert that this kind of work does 

 not pay or that the activities of farming life will not allow time 

 for any such improvements. No one would urge any neglect 

 of their duties that at many seasons of the year become im- 

 perative, but there are many broken days or partially rainy 

 days in the course of the year, and even between the busy 

 seasons, that can be devoted to this work if one is so disposed. 



Have this road-side improvement as one object in view that 

 shall have a few days' attention every year, and in ten years 

 from now the suburban roads of this city and county would show 

 a most wonderful and pleasing transformation. 



"Will this work be appreciated?" may be asked. There cer- 

 tainly is no negative answer to this question. The number of 

 owners of teams for pleasure-driving in this city is increasing 

 largely every year and I question whether another city of equal 

 population to the city of Worcester, where so many teams are 

 kept for pleasure-driving, can be found. This driving is not 

 confined to our busy thoroughfares, to Park Avenue, or the roads 

 that have been sacrificed to the traffic of the horse or electric 

 railway systems. These are being largely avoided and resort 

 is taken to the rural drives, of which no city can boast of more 

 charming ones, or a grander or more diversified landscape. 



This is no new claim or assertion, for we find recorded in the 



History of Worcester hy Lincoln, that prior to the year 1836, 



Professor Hitchcock, a writer of high authority, said, "Apart 



from human culture, this geographical centre of Massachusetts 

 10 



