SHADE TREES. 29 



some of our cities and villages are well furnished with the best of 

 our ornamental trees. New Haven well deserves its reputation as 

 the ' Cit}' of Elms.' Norwich is almost as well favored ; and, indeed, 

 there are streets in all our cities that need nothing more in the way 

 of shade trees. Almost all of the river towns have more or less 

 well-grown trees, some of them dating back one hundred years or 

 more." I will venture an extract from another article in the same 

 journal, which speaks in unmistakable language, and as I can certify 

 to the truth of it, having been a resident of Hartford at the time, I 

 have copied so much as pertains to Vyfhat seems to be a prevailing 

 notion of our day. After speaking of the management of trees in 

 cities, and alluding to the fact that some noble trees had recently 

 been sacrificed in Hartford to the ruling passion of the Court of 

 Common Council to have wide sidewalks, unshaded and unob- 

 structed, it says : " A tree which cannot grow in half a century 

 can be cut down in an hour, and by the time another sultry sum- 

 mer has passed, our people will miss the cooling shade of the for- 

 est lords which have bowed to the axe-man's stroke during the 

 present week. We give a short conversation between two of our 

 citizens, which shows the current of public sentiment. ' Fine tree, 

 that,' said A to B, as a couple of Hartford men were passing the 

 glorious old elm that stands in the lower green in Wethersfield, 

 near the brick school-house, and in front of the old Webb place. 

 ' Yes,' said B, ' it is a noble tree ; if they had it in Hartford they 

 would cut it down in five minutes.'" Again, in another article, — 

 " Down with the trees. The large elm tree, in front of the old 

 Brace house, on the east side of Main street, just above Arch 

 street, fell this morning with a great crash. The tree is about 

 four feet in diameter at the butt, and was a shade and ornament 

 to the street ; the vandals are digging up the walks and destroying 

 the shade trees which many years cannot replace, and Council- 

 man's Herletschek's policy is being carried out. Said he last night 

 in the Council, ' If any pody want trees let 'em moofe out in de 

 coontr}^ I don't want no trees in de sitewalks.' " 



Is not this idea of the Hartford councilman entertained by many 

 of the inhabitants of our cities and towns to-daj^? It seems to 

 me, Mr. President, that the influence of this society cannot be 

 used to better advantage than in encouraging among our members 

 a new interest in this department of our work. The influence of 

 a few spirited individuals in every town and city would in a 



