29 



age in which we live, contributed to secure our sovereignty of 

 the seas. The present navy of Great Britain has been con- 

 structed with the oaks which the genius of John Evelyn 

 planted." 



13. The economic bearings of this subject claim attention. 

 The money wisely expended for the adornment and improve- 

 ment of a town is a good investment. It pays in many ways. 

 Such improvements help to retain in a town its wealthy and 

 public-spirited citizens, whom a narrow and unprogressive pol- 

 icy would repel. Dr. Bodwell, who was long a resident in 

 England, took a deep interest in this subject, when professor in 

 the Theological Seminary of Hartford, and after journeying 

 widely through Connecticut, said, "This village improvement 

 all over our State is of great promise in a variety of ways. 

 One most valuable result will be that a larger proportion of 

 the enterprising young men will stay at home and cultivate 

 the farms and make it a good thing too, with their intelligence 

 and improved methods, and then the maidens will stay of 

 course, and weddings will multiply, and the old homes will 

 again be full of rosy children as in 'the ages past,' and the 

 commonwealth will make a new and noble start in the career 

 of riches and honor. In traveling over the State, one is con- 

 stantly greeted with new surprises in the discovery of charm- 

 ing landscape pictures, with the finest possible sights for delight- 

 ful residences; such as merchant princes might envy. Eng- 

 land in its natural features is not comparable to Connecticut in 

 wide variety of the picturesque and romantic. How exceed- 

 ingly beautiful our little Commonwealth is destined to become 

 at a future day, by the culture which is every day extending 

 under the lead of village improvement associations, and in the 

 erection of elegant country seats, is a thought continually sug- 

 gested." 



In the history of our towns public improvements and growth 

 often stand related as cause and effect. Immigration from 

 New York is one source of the increase of these towns. Since 

 the solution of the long-vexed problem of rapid transit by the 

 elevated railroads, Connecticut has the opportunity of inviting 

 or repelling desirable residents in greatly increasing numbers. 

 Growing rapidly as New York now is, where shall its swelling 



