^m^m 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



^ 



PUBLISHED BY JOSEPH llltKCK & CO., NO. 52, NOKTH MARKET STREET, (Aob.cultur.l Warehouse.) 



VOL. XVI. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MAY 30, 1838. 



NC. 47. 



^'©SiIS<2WJ£,S'W2Si^J£,a 



BANGOR ORNAMENTAL TREE SOCIETY. 



We present to our roailers the annexed rejiort 

 and extracts from the ron.siitution of the Bangor 

 Ornamental Tree Society, ami we hope it may 

 prove an incentive to tlie organization of such so- 

 cieties in every town in the Commonwealth. 



Wliatever our good friends, who can see no re- 

 ligion out of the line of their theological dogmas, 

 may tliink of it, we shall take the liherty cf placing 

 it atnong the benevolent and |ihihintliropic socie- 

 ties of the day. It aids to provide in a direct man- 

 ner for the innocent happiness of mankind. In 

 multi|ilying the.se sources of pleasure and these 

 varied forins of beauty, we diffuse an immense 

 amount of the purest gratification. We do much 

 to refine and improve the taste ; and to cultivate 

 a love of rural life and scenery. We draw men 

 off from the gratification of the lower senses and 

 J|)petites, to the cultivation of the more refined 

 |)leasures of the eye, the taste, and the imagina- 

 ion. Every thing that God has made, as it comes 

 "iom his creative hands, is as beautiful as it can 

 )e made. 'J'he house of the mother of pearl is 

 idorned and polished with a rainbow magnifi- 

 :ence. The stalactite cavern is lighted up with 

 iryslal gems. 



streets, she is starting in advance of older cities 

 in providing for the embellishment of her streets. 



"Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, 

 And wastes its sweetness on the desert air." 



The land forest and the deep ocean's coral 

 rroves are full of brilliant glories. There is every 

 phere throughout creation a prodigality of beauty, 

 ■et not man permit himself to mar but seek to 

 nhance this beauty. Let him make the house in 

 rhich he lives and the little spot of God's earth, 

 'hich he is permitted to appropriate to himself 

 )r a time, as attractive and beauli/ul as he can 

 mder it. He is thus fulfilling the appointment 

 'his Creator who has given him ta.ste and skill ; 

 III multiplied arouml him examples for imita- 

 Jn ; and let him read in every form of beautv in 



nature or art which presents itself to hisobser- 

 ition or rises under his forming hand, a lesson 



the divine beneficence, whose sole end in these 

 lautiful formations was to impart pleasure and 

 ho thus presents to the reflecting mind the most 

 'ecting excitements to a grateful piety. 



It is eminently to the honor of the youthful 

 y of Bangor that while yet scarcely a quarter of 

 lentury old, and while the stumps of the origi- 

 I forest are yet scarcely removed from ber 



The Committee appointed to take into consid- 

 eration the propriety of forming a Society for thi- 

 purpose of setting out Ornamental 'I'rees in our 

 streets agreeably to the recommendation of the 

 Mayor in his late address, beg leave to 

 REPORT: 

 That, in their opinion, the subje<>t of transplant- 

 ing the trees of the forest to adorn and ornament 

 our growing city, merits the higlie5t consideration. 

 .As the attention of our <:itizens has been so exclu- 

 sively devoted for the few past years to works of 

 public and individual enterprise, the present state 

 of the business community renders it a fit oppor- 

 timity to commence in the maiiner proposed, the 

 too long neglected work of beaulifying and em- 

 bellishing our streets and avenues. When we 

 consider the inducements for engaging in this 

 pleasant undertaking, it is a matter of much sur- 

 prise that the subject has not hitherto enlisted a 

 greater degree of attention. It has been justly 

 remarked that the trees of American forests are 

 'unrivalled for their variety, size and magniti- 

 cence.' Within the iii.mediate range of our vis- 

 ion, opportunity is afforded for gratifying the most 

 fastidious laste in the selection of ornamental trees. 

 Were the fact otherwise, w-. siiould, perhaps, have 

 manifested a more eager desire to avail ourselves 

 of their pleasure and comfort. 



The peculiar position of our forefathers may 

 account, in a measure, for the gen«ral want of 

 arboricultiiral taste at the present day. Thrown 

 as they were, upon a wilderness of interminable 

 (extent, the demands of nature required that the 

 face of the earth shoidd be |n-ej)ared to sati.sfy its 

 wants by levelling the towering lords of the for- 

 est. What was iIkmi a work of necessity has been 

 continued, even to the present day, without a 

 proper regard to the comfort and embellishment 

 of the future. The 'lofty pine, the graceful elm, 

 and the majestic oak,' too often fall victims to the 

 indiscriiTiinate rapa('ity of the invader of the soil. 

 Hut this disposition should be checked, and a 

 taste for the agree.ible judiciously blended with a 

 desire for the useful. 



Much has been accomplished among our Euro- 

 pean brethren, who have been stimuhited to the 

 cultivation of a rural lasti: by the strenuous and 

 unremitted efl'orts of learning and wealth. On 

 this point, a distinguished gentleman* of New 

 England, whose labors for the advancement.and 

 proiriotion of natural science entitle him to the 

 gratitiule of the present and coming generations, 

 remark.s. 'Bacon, Milton, TempU, Pope, 



tlie great avenues, squares, and public grounds, 

 and improving the general aspect and comfort of 

 the whole country, by extensive parks and other 

 plantations of forest trees. With Evelyn, they 

 deplored the waste and cheerless appearance of 

 large portions of their admired Isle, — the denuded 

 condition of the once celebrateil forests of Sher- 

 wood, Dean, Woodstock and Windsor, and elo- 

 quently appealed to (he patriotism, intelligence, 

 taste and interests of the princes, nobles, and gen- 

 try of the realm, to unite in advancing this inter- 

 esting and valuable species of cultivation ; and 

 now, there is scarcely a land proprietor in Eng- 

 land, Wales, Scotland or Irelanci, who is not ar- 

 dently engaged in clothing the bleak hills, barren 

 downs and long neglected moors, of his domain 

 with superb groves of timber and ornamental 

 trees.' 



' The imnortance of establishing new parks and 

 public squares, either within or near all the cities 

 and large losvns, has recently been a subject of 

 Parli.-inientary inquiry ; and a very intensling 

 and able report was made by a Committee of the 

 House of Commons, in which it was urged, as a 

 measure indispensable to the health, comfort 

 and innocent recreation of the inhabitanls ; and 

 especially to the industrious classes, who were 

 confined iiiost of their time, by mechanical, man- 

 nfai-turing or other occipiiii.ins, requiring exclu- 

 sion fiorn the open air— and this, too coinmonly, 

 in the most narrow, densely pofiulated and insalu- 

 brious streets ' 



till 



Addison, and Shenstonc,' says he, ' zealously en 

 deavored both by precept and exainple, to awaken 

 Uieir countrymen to a just perception of the beau- 

 ties and niagnificence of rural scenery, and the 

 necessity of vigorous efforts being made for en- 

 hancing the value of private estates, embellishing 



* Hon. H. A. S. Dearborn. 



' Notwithstanding great expenditures had been 

 made during the last half century, by enclosing 

 and planting with tree^ several capacious parks 

 and [niblic squares in London, the committee ear- 

 nestly recommended, that others should be com- 

 ment'ed, (ui extensive plans, net only in that city 

 but in every considerable town in the kingdom.' 

 They consideh such places of general resort, for 

 exercise and innocent recreation so necessary, 

 that they should be speedily provided, either by 

 the national government, the various municipali- 

 ties, or the liberality of the afiluent; that this was 

 den;an(ied from motives of humanity, as well as a 

 regard to the be.st interests of the country, as being 

 not only eminently conducive to the general 

 health, the improvement of the irioralsand the re- 

 finement of the manneiis of the people, but as ad- 

 ministerrng, ia aii especial manner, to the happi- 

 ness of those, who, after days of unceasing labor 

 have no other means of participating in the rural 

 enjoyments, or of even indulging in that solitary 

 yet tranquillizing morning or evening walk, which 

 the green fields, hawthorn lanes, refreshing groves 

 and shaded avenues of the country afford to a 

 large mass of the po[)ulation, and which is so de- 

 sirable to all.' 



Such are some of the benefits that would arise 

 from the cultivation of forest trees in our public 

 walks and stieets, and your Committee are dee|)ly 

 impressed with the importance of beginning the 

 work now. The author, just quoted, well adds 

 that ' none are too young to. commence, and that 



