THE BOULEVARDS. 



129 



was cnt at about nine feet from tlie ground ; but tbis bad tbe 

 bad effect of preventing tbe top of tbe tree from being 

 straigbtj and tbe practice bas been given np. Tbe ti'ees 

 are next staked and tied witb ^rire ov<er a neat ^rad of 

 straw^ wbicb prevents all injmy to tbe stem. A protecting 

 cage^ neitber beavr nor very expensive^ is placed round tbe 

 tree to prevent accidents ; and if tbe weatber be at all diy 

 at tbe time of planting,, tbe trees are copiously watered. As 

 for tbe making of tbe roads and streets^ it is admirable, 

 as many readers may bave learnt for tbemselves. T\'Tien 

 tbe repairing or making a road in Paris is finisbed, tbe sur- 

 face is as level and crisp as tbe broad walk in tbe Regent^s 

 Park, so tbat tbe borses are spared mucb pain, and car- 

 riage movement greatly facilitated. Stones of about tbe 

 same size as we spread on tbe roads are tbrown down, and 

 tben comes tbe beavy steam or borse-drawn roller, making 

 but a sligbt impression at first, as migbt be expected, and 

 indeed it bas to be passed over many times before tbe work 

 is completed. All tbe time, or nearly all tbe time tbat 

 tbis rolling is going on, a man stands at tbe side of tbe 

 footway in cbarge of a bose on little wbeels, and keeps 

 swisbing tbe stones witb water, wbile otbers sbake a little 

 rougb sand on tbem between tbe rollings ; and so tbey wasb 

 and roll and grind day and nigbt — tbe result being tbat tbe 

 Parisian roads are as comfortable for locomotion as could 

 be desired. But it would be a mistake to suppose tbat 

 tbeir system of road-making is otberwise superior to ours. 

 If we took tbe trouble to grind down tbe rougb and sbarp 

 stones used in repairing tbe streets, tbere would be little 

 to complain of as regards tbe texture of our roads ; and it 

 would probably be impossible to find more perfect examples 

 of roads tban tbose in Hyde Park since tbe introduction 

 of tbe steam rollers. 



It is not an uncommon impression among us, tbat since 

 bis access to power tbe Emperor bas most industriously 

 employed bimself in remo^'ing all tbe paving stones from 

 Paris, so tbat tbey may not be used against bim in case of 

 an insurrection. Tbis is an error ; for, altbougb tbe wretcbed 

 old system of paving is being done away witb — greatly to 



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