82 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



large number of the wardens were present and helped to 

 swell the attendance, which was larger than at any previous 

 evening" meeting of the Society. 



Mr. J. H. Hale of South Glastonbury was the presiding 

 officer at this session, and in opening the program said : 



"The Connecticut Pomological Society with its more than 

 600 members having done much to stimulate the production of 

 better and more beautiful fruits in greater abundance for all 

 people of the state, is glad to turn aside for a single session at 

 its annual meeting and take up the subject of our highway trees. 

 While Connecticut's tree warden law was first enacted in 

 1893, it was not until 1905 that it was made obligatory upon 

 all towns to elect a Tree Warden, and the great and good 

 work of protecting our highway trees and encouraging the 

 planting of others, has now been put on a solid basis in every 

 town in the State. 



"Since the notices have gone out for this meeting, I 

 have receved a number of letters touching on the sub- 

 ject. One came from a good old lady in the western part 

 of the state, and she said she was glad we were getting 

 together for the protection of our shade trees. Just at that 

 moment the telephone compau}- were running a line by her 

 house, and the man in charge had told her that the magnifi- 

 cent old maple in the highway must go, and that some trees 

 within her borders w'ould have to be trimmed, and she sent 

 out a cry for help. I at once took the matter up wdth the 

 Southern New England Company, and was able to notify her 

 within a few hours that another pole or two and a few rods- 

 of wire would be used, and they would get around the tree. 

 Another letter on the other side came to me here, and the gen- 

 tleman asks that his name be not given, and for the sake of 

 his feelings in the future I will not give it. He says : T 

 question the authority to set shade trees in the highway 

 beside cultivated land either by the town or state, and should 

 seek damages in the courts if such was done. The land is 

 worthless in and alongside shade trees for cultivation. Trees 

 are valuable in their proper place, and the writer can show- 

 that he appreciates their worth for shade and timber, but he 

 does not propose to have his valuable land damaged by mis- 



