3^4 



OUR PUBLIC HIGHWAYS. 



ROADSIDE PLANTING, 



Roadside planting is another phase of this question. 

 The highways of Germany and many other parts of Eu- 

 rope are often made beautiful and comfortable for many 

 miles at a stretch by the planting of roadside trees. Na- 

 tive forest trees are frequently employed, and extend in 

 magnificent lines for long distances, affording shade and 



far better plan would be to plant a dozen species, mass- 

 ing each one by itself. There need be no system in the 

 planting beyond having it understood that it is better for 

 all not to plant alike ; then let each planter be guided 

 largely by convenience — only he should plant some kind. 



How shall the trees be arranged in planting ? To most 

 persons it would seem that to set them in lines on each 



Formal Style of Roadside Planti 



beauty in summer and breaking the force of gales in win- 

 ter. In some localities fruit trees, usually sour cherries, 

 are grown ; their fruit is sold every year to the highest 

 bidder, and the proceeds applied to the maintenance of 

 the road. 



It would be well to consider the systematic planting of 

 highways at the earliest possible moment in this agitation 

 of the road question, for the reason that it takes a long 

 time for trees to reach maturity after planting. The 

 expense of planting trees along highways would not be 

 great. It would only be necessary to interest land- 

 holders in planting trees along their highway frontage. 

 That this would not be a difficult undertaking is shown 

 by the fact that many farms are so planted without the 

 stimulus of public agitation. 



The money spent for trees would be a small item. A 



1,'- ^ 



side of the road, at an equal distance apart, would be the 

 proper way. An objection to this is that it tends to mo- 

 notony. When roadside planting becomes universal, the 

 monotonous effect of two straight equidistant rows of 

 trees will be more apparent than it is now. 



In the engravings given, fig. i shows the effect, on a 

 small scale, of the last-named style of planting. Fig. 2 

 is designed to represent the same highway planted with 

 the same number of trees, but these are set somewhat 

 irregularly, placing some close together on both sides of 

 each grass-plat, and leaving more open spaces elsewhere. 

 One good point in the latter system is that trees standing 

 back from the road, either about the home-buildings 



%IM ^ -1^- 



Irregular Style of Roadside Planting. Fig. 



farm with 100 rods of frontage would require but 50 trees 

 for one side, if properly set at a distance of two rods 

 apart. These trees can usually be obtained from neigh- 

 boring clearings or from nurseries at a cost of from 10 to 

 40 cents apiece. 



In the selection of kinds of trees for highway planting, 

 those that are indigenous to a locality are best. No 

 more suitable trees can be found for this purpose than 

 our native elms, maples, lindens, oaks and beeches, with 

 some coniferous larches, pines and spruces sparsely min- 

 gled with them here and there. It would not be desir- 

 able to have an entire township planted with only one 

 kind of tree, as this would give a monotonous effect. A 



lanes, or in fields and along fence-lines, harmonize very 

 much better in effect with the highway trees than when 

 the latter are arranged in stiff lines. 



Unquestionably the judicious planting of the roadsides 

 is no small factor in the improvement of our roadways 

 and rural districts. This work would be in the line of 

 forestry, and make some amends for the past ruthless 

 destruction of our forests. It would tend to increase the 

 value of all farm-land, the beauty of the general land- 

 scape, and the comfort of man and beast, by providing 

 shade from the sun in summer and protection from 

 winds in winter. Besides all this, the advantage of tree- 

 planting as affecting rainfall is well known. 



