August 5, 1891.] 



Garden and Forest. 



363 



Colony, or the New .York & New England, to Readville 

 Station, in the town of Hyde Park. The two stations are 

 within a few hundred feet of each other. From here it is 

 an easy walk of something over two miles to the place 

 where the Canton turnpike crosses the westerly shoulder 

 of the Big Blue. There are also carriages always to be 

 had at the railway-stations at reasonable rates. The way 

 to the hills is over pleasant roads. It is only a short dis- 

 tance to the Neponset River, which is crossed by a 

 picturesque stone-arched bridge. Passing the river we 

 come into the town of Milton, one of the wealthiest and 

 most beautiful in the neighborhood of Boston. It is filled 

 with fine country-seats. The land is mostly in large hold- 

 ings, the cutting up into small lots and the encouragement 

 of a numerous population having been discouraged by the 

 residents. The consequent effect is to give the town a 

 peculiarly English, park-like character. 



The Blue Hill range is chiefly in Milton, though a large 

 portion lies in Canton, the next town to the southward, 

 and in the city of Quincy, to the eastward. It is not gen- 

 erally known that it is to these hills that the common- 

 wealth of Massachusetts owes its name. The country 

 about the bay was called by the Indians living hereabout 

 "Massachusetts," a word which in the Algonquin tongue 

 literally means "the Great Hills Place." Thus it was that 

 Massachusetts Bay received its name ; thence the colony 

 and the province of Massachusetts Bay, and finally the 

 commonwealth of Massachusetts. It seems appropriate 

 that the last remnant of the Indians hereabout, the Pon- 

 kapog tribe, lived on the southerly verge of these hills at 

 the place that still bears their name, and where possibly 

 some of their descendants may yet be found absorbed in 

 the rural population of the neighborhood. 



Even merely for the sake of commemorating the origin 

 of the name of the great state from which has arisen the 

 glorious fabric of our mighty republic, with its free insti- 

 tutions — aside from the remarkable beauty and picturesque 

 character of the region — it would seem to be extremely 

 desirable that this noble range, which thus gave Massachu- 

 setts its name, should in some way be forever dedicated 

 to public uses. The best way to accomplish this end 

 would seem to be for the state to take the entire region 

 occupied by the hills, which is still for the greater part in 

 a wild, woodland state, and make a permanent forest- 

 reservation of it. " The Massachusetts Forest " would be 

 an exceedingly appropriate name for the place. 



It would require a special legislative act for the purpose. 

 Action under the Public Forest Law — under which, by the 

 way, nothing has ever yet been done — would be hardly 

 practicable, as it would be difficult to get the three com- 

 munities in which the range lies to unite to this end. If 

 the matter were properly brought before the legislature the 

 patriotic purpose underlying the proposition, which should 

 appeal to every true son of Massachusetts, ought to be 

 sufficient to secure favorable action, to say nothing of the 

 great benefit which would be conferred upon the entire 

 state by the creation of so beautiful and valuable a public 

 domain. Within sight of these hill-tops there lies more 

 than half the population and more than half of the prop- 

 erty value of this thickly peopled and rich common- 

 wealth. The establishment of such a public forest would 

 greatly advance the happiness and health of this popula- 

 tion, and would thereby, in increasing the attractiveness 

 of the region, correspondingly enhance its prosperity. 



A special act, taking this region for the purpose, and 

 providing the means for its administration and improve- 

 ment, would, therefore, be necessary. It would probably 

 be a good idea to place the domain in charge of the newly 

 created society called "The Trustees for the Preservation 

 of Beautiful and Historic Places." The task could be en- 

 trusted to no more willing and capable hands. 



The cost would not be great. The land is rough and of 

 comparatively little value. Much of it would probably be 

 given by the owners for such a purpose, as was the case 

 with the Great Woods of Lynn. Trie rest could be ob- 



tained at low figures, either by ordinary purchase or under 

 the right of eminent domain. 



The improvement of a tract of such a nature would be 

 comparatively inexpensive also. The most that would be 

 needed would be to protect it from fires and other devas- 

 tations, and to secure a forest-growth where desirable. Then 

 a system of good roads, winding along the slopes, with 

 vistas opening out through the trees here and there, and 

 with branches to the summits, should be created. This 

 system, connecting with the nearest railway points, would 

 render the range easily accessible to the great population 

 of the city and of the entire surrounding region. It would 

 form one of the most beautiful drives, and a service of 

 popular conveyances could be arranged for at cheap rates 

 that would take passengers from one end of the range to 

 the other, going by one railway route and returning by 

 another. A round-trip ticket, covering the entire excursion, 

 would bring it within the means of the multitude. 



Favorable sites for hotels, sanitariums, restaurants, etc., 

 could be leased to the right parties, under proper condi- 

 tions, and, possibly, these might be approached by lines 

 of electric railway connecting with the suburban services 

 of the steam lines. With such conveniences these institu- 

 tions could not fail to be liberally patronized, with a long 

 season, lasting from spring-time well into the autumn. 



By all means, then, let us have our " Massachusetts 

 Forest." To that end I would suggest that persons natu- 

 rally interested in bringing it about — such as the members 

 of the Trustees for the Preservation of. Beautiful and His- 

 toric Places, or of the Appalachian Club — take the matter 

 definitely in hand, inform themselves as thoroughly as pos- 

 sible on the subject, including the character and conditions 

 of the region, and unite in bringing it to the attention of 

 the next General Court of Massachusetts. 

 Boston. Sylvester Baxter. 



How We Renewed an Old Place. 



XV.— SUFFERINGS FROM DROUGHT. 



ON the south shore of Massachusetts Bay almost every sum- 

 mer sees a long period of rainless weather. The thunder- 

 storms that gather portentously after hot days are apt to drift 

 away to the north, with only the tiniest sprinkling of our dusty 

 roads and parched fields, to pour their wealth upon the crags 

 of Swampscot and Lynn, Beverly and Marblehead. With 

 jealous eyes we watch the rain descending upon our opposite 

 neighbors of the north shore, while we continue to dry up for 

 want of it. 



This period of dry weather usually begins about the last of 

 June and continues well into August, which is ordinarily wet 

 and muggy, but the spring and summer of 1891 seem disposed 

 to defy precedent. April, which from time immemorial has 

 been depended on for showers, this year completely spoiled 

 its record, and only gave us an inch and attraction of rain. 

 This was followed by a dry, cold May, and then came the first 

 half of June without a drop, culminating in two days the like 

 of which we seldom see, the mercury touching ninety-seven 

 degrees in the shade. Then, at last, down came the floods with 

 a rush, and refreshed the parched and thirsty earth for days, 

 the first continued rain-storm for three months, sorely needed 

 by the suffering hay-crop and the dwindling trees. 



During a rain in this locality, where the soil is light and 

 sandy, the care of lawns and gardens has to be incessant. 

 Fortunately our old town has a fine supply of aqueduct water 

 brought from a nearly inexhaustible pond within its limits, 

 and the hose can be brought to bear with effect upon the 

 worst places ; but this, like other restoratives, must be used 

 with moderation. Too much water cakes the soil and draws 

 the roots to the surface, so that, once begun, it must be con- 

 tinued or the plants die. It is better, we find, to water heavily 

 two or three times a week than to keep up a continued sprink- 

 ling. If the water plays upon trees and shrubs during hot sun- 

 shine, the leaves are apt to scorch and shrivel, and the same 

 is true of vegetables, which are well known to resent being 

 watered on a hot day. 



At Overlea the garden, which lies low along the edges of 

 the meadow, can get along very fairly without watering. Even 

 this year the strawberry crop, which is very sensitive to a lack 

 of moisture, did not suffer from the dry weather, possibly 

 owing to heavy mulching with straw while the ground was 



