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EMBELLISHMENT WITH TREES AND SHRUBS. 219 



Discussion. 



Rev. A. B. Muzzey said that he had from childhood felt an in- 

 terest in trees ; his grandfather's home was nearly surrounded by 

 them, which was a rare thing at that time. He was surprised to 

 perceive indifference and ignorance on the part of many other- 

 wise intelligent people in regard to tree planting. Superintendents 

 of city streets seem uneas}- as long as there is a tree that can be 

 cut down. The chestnut tree celebrated by Longfellow stood at 

 a point in a street where it obstructed an alderman's view, and 

 s6 it had to come away ; and after that the poet walked on an- 

 other street. Lovers of trees have had U) entreat city authorities to 

 spare fine trees. Boston Common is now well planted with trees, 

 which have been skillf uly set in good soil ; but much too large 

 a proportion of them are of one kind, the Linden, which is very 

 beautiful in itself but not to be planted to the exclusion of others 

 equally beautiful. Even in country places, where we should ex- 

 pect to find a love of nature and an appreciation of the beautiful, 

 people are very careless about tree planting, and when they at- 

 tempt to do something b}' way of improvement it is often done in 

 so unintelligent a way as to be useless. 



The subject is important under another aspect ; forest destruc- 

 tion is going on rapidly, and the suppl}' of lumber is diminishing. 

 From necessity we must destroy many trees, but too many are 

 wantonly destroyed. The speaker hoped that all present would 

 use their influence to create a public sentiment in favor of plant- 

 ing and preserving trees. All have influence in regard to planting 

 trees around their houses. In New Hampshire he had seen trees 

 neglected by farmers, or planted so as to cut off the owner's 

 prospect. The Sugar Maple might be planted more largely to 

 advantage. 



0. B. Hadwen said that it had been exceedingly gratifying to 

 listen to the two papers read today, treating of subjects so near 

 the heart of every intelligent farmer and horticulturist. Mr. 

 Strong's list of shrubs includes the best kinds. The speaker's resi- 

 dence is at Worcester, at an elevation of five or six hundred feet 

 above tide-water, and he had taken much pains in planting trees, 

 having in the beginning all those indigenous to that part of the State. 

 He had since added others, such as the Magnolias, Purple Beech, 

 and Black Walnut ; the latter when swaying in the wind is the 



