No. 4.] EURAL LAW. 203 



We worked on the bill for two months, and this was the best 

 the ^Massachusetts Forestry Association, and the secretary of 

 the Board of Agriculture, and tlie gentleman who was at tlie 

 State House in the interest of the grange, and everybody 

 who was interested at that time, could make of it. I do not 

 think we need to borrow very much trouble about this law 

 being too strict. In our town we have a tree warden, and I 

 do not know but he is as good as many other towns have 

 elected. Since this law was passed I have seen at least four 

 or five shade trees cut down, and nothing done about them. 

 The law is to protect shade trees. You cannot exempt a 

 rural district. 



You have to have a law to cover the briers and bushes, or 

 some man will cut the most beautiful shade trees. Put 

 everything there is in the hands of a warden. The town does 

 not want the wood, it w^ants the shade trees. In the case of 

 a tract of wood land, the owner and the warden could select 

 a few trees for shade, and the rest could be cut. 



I hope the combined wisdom of the tree wardens and the 

 State Board of Agriculture will not spoil this law, and make 

 it worse. I hope they will make it better and stronger. 



Mr. Adams (of Barre). I have listened to the various 

 remarks in regard to this law. It appears to me, as it did 

 in the committee, that it would have to be changed at some 

 future time, I am pleased to see the highway trees cared 

 for. I found that the Forestry Association had some ideas 

 at variance with the ideas of the committee. Some wanted 

 all ])riers and bushes left, so that it would look natural. The 

 tree wardens will prol)ably have the interest of the towns at 

 heart. I hope that in time we will get the law into proper 

 shape. At the present time I do not feel that it is quite 

 what it should be. 



Mr. Howard. One question in regard to Avater. "A" 

 owned a farm, and allowed " B " to go on it and put a lead pipe 

 to the s})ring. The spring furnished water for his cattle in 

 the pasture. " B " put the pipe in and run it while he lived, 

 and at his decease the water ceased to run. In after years 

 •' B's" place changed hands. " C" came into possession of 

 it, and all the time "C" lived there, — two, or three, or 

 four years, — he had no water from the s[)ring, although the 



