FISHERIES, GAME AND FORESTS. 355 



No. V. 



Tree Planting. 



TREE planting is one of the best expressions of altruism; for the man who 

 plants trees is thinking of others rather than himself. If by his act he en- 

 courages other people to do the same, he develops "the highest altruism."* He 

 assists people to gratify their love of the beautiful, to enjoy better health, to become 

 more prosperous, and so makes the world better and happier for his having lived in it. 



Trees should be planted because they purify and cool the air, increase the value of 

 surrounding property, and gratify our love of the beautiful. They should be planted 

 along the highways, on our village and city streets, on lawns and in parks, on school- 

 house grounds, on the farm, in the dooryard, and wherever shade or shelter 

 may be needed. 



Highway platitittg. Trees should be set out along every road for shade. In 

 addition, the farm lanes can be profitably lined with fruit or nut-bearing trees that will 

 bring money to their owner and add to the attractive appearance of his surroundings. 



Objections may be made in some localities against placing trees along a public 

 road because their shade would tend to make it wet and muddy. If such conditions 

 exist the fault is in the road, and not in the trees. When a roadbed is properly 

 constructed, drained, and ditched, the trees will do no harm. On the contrary, they 

 will furnish a grateful shade to the traveler, preventing dust without creating mud. 



One of the finest, smoothest roads in the State may be found in the Adirondack 

 Forest — from St. Hubert's Inn to the Ausable Lakes — , and yet it is completely shaded 

 by trees that meet overhead, shutting out the sun except where the road is flecked 

 with light that streams through the interstices of the leafy cover. But this road was 

 constructed in proper shape and of suitable material. 



There are roads along which no trees are allowed because the sun is needed to dry 

 up the mud and sloughs which in spring make travelling slow and difficult. But in 

 summer the sun baked mud is pulverized under the wagon wheels, creating clouds of 

 dust that are worse than the mud. With a well built road, shaded by trees, both of 

 these nuisances would be avoided. 



Even a poor road will permit of one row of trees, which should be placed on the 

 south or west side as its direction may require. 



The law of 1869, which is still in force, provides that any inhabitant liable to 

 highway tax who shall plant by the side of a public road "any forest shade trees or 

 fruit trees" shall be allowed in abatement of his highway tax one dollar for every four 

 * Herbert Spencer. 



