THE BOULEVARDS. 



129 



was cut at about nine feet from the ground ; but tliis bad the 

 bad effect of preventing tbe top of the tree from being 

 straight, and the practice has been given up. The trees 

 are next staked and tied with wire over a neat wad of 

 straw, which prevents all injury to the stem. A protecting 

 cage, neither heavy nor very expensive, is placed round the 

 tree to prevent accidents ; and if the weather be at all dry 

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

 I for the making of the roads and streets, it is admirable, 

 as many readers may have learnt for themselves. When 

 the repairing or making a road in Paris is finished, the sur- 

 face is as level and crisp as the broad walk in the Eegent's 

 Park, so that the horses are spared much pain, and car- 

 riage movement greatly facilitated. Stones of about the 

 same size as we spread on the roads are thrown down, and 

 then comes the heavy steam or horse-drawn roller, making 

 but a slight impression at first, as might be expected, and 

 indeed it has to be passed over many times before the work 

 is completed. All the time, or nearly all the time that 

 this rolling is going on, a man stands at the side of the 

 footway in charge of a hose on little wheels, and keeps 

 swishing the stones with water, while others shake a little 

 rough sand on them between the rollings ; and so they wash 

 and roll and grind day and night — the result being that the 

 Parisian roads are as comfortable for locomotion as could 

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

 their system of road-making is otherwise superior to ours. 

 If we took the trouble to grind down the rough and sharp 

 stones used in repairing the streets, there would be little 

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

 would probably be impossible to find more perfect examples 

 of roads than those in Hyde Park since the introduction 

 of the steam rollers. 



It is not an uncommon impression among us, that since 

 his access to power the Emperor has most industriously 

 employed himself in removing all the paving stones from 

 Paris, so that they may not be used against him in case of 

 an insurrection. This is an error ; for, although the wretched 

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



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