156 MASSACPIUSETTS HORTICULTURAL, SOCIETY. 



Leverett M. Chase had beeu much pleased with the lecture. He 

 felt a deep interest iu the subject aud believed there was need of 

 some action to educate the people up to a love for trees that will 

 ensure their protection. In foreign countries he had seen with 

 delight the trees which adorn the streets ; not only ornamental 

 varieties, but rows of fruit trees, the fruit of which the owners can 

 gather, their rights being protected aud respected, even by 

 mischievous boys who take delight in stealing fruit. Often certain 

 trees are marked to show that the public are welcome to their 

 fruit. The protection of owners' rights is an encouragement to 

 the extension of such planting upon the streets. As a contrast 

 to this system, he cited a case in this city, where a man bought an 

 old barn, for fifteen dollars, and moved it three-fourths of a mile, 

 over streets lined with old shade trees. Of these, thirty-one were 

 mutilated more or less ; in one case, a branch about eight inches 

 in diameter was cut off, disfiguring that tree greatly aud perma- 

 nentl}'. The aggregate damage on that route amounted to very 

 man}' times the value of the building, and all might have been 

 prevented had the authorities in that case received a right educa- 

 tion, and possessed a true appreciation of all the circumstances^ 



The selection of trees for street planting is also very important. 

 Mr. Chase said his favorite was the maple : and among others, 

 he liked the American elm and birches. He would have all prun- 

 ing of trees done by trained men. Ignorance of proper times and 

 methods of doing this work causes the destruction of many fine 

 trees and shrubs. By pruning fruit trees without due regaixl to 

 the time of year and also to the balance between roots and foliage 

 — the latter serving as both lungs and stomachs — not only the 

 quality and quantity of fruit has often been diminished, but many 

 valuable trees have been destroyed. ~\Ve, as a people, are far 

 behind the ancients in love and reverence for trees. Xerxes 

 placed golden ornaments upon a fine plane tree, and detailed a 

 guard to protect it while his army was passing by, in order ta 

 secure its preservation as an ornament, and its grateful shade for 

 that place in coming time. Even in the old mythology we often 

 read that trees and gi'oves were held sacred, and the gods are repre- 

 sented as punishing those who wantonly destroyed, and rewarding 

 those who strove to save or protect, these vahied productions of 

 Nature. The cases of Erisichthon and Rhwcus were cited as 

 illustrations which perhaps were not wholly embodiments of mere 



