The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-12-20 00:00:00

torrespottimue.

THR TREES.
To the &War.

illir,—The glory of Dorchester ie her beautiful avenuw,
without which the town would be nothing. What would
not the people of Weymouth give for even one of them !
I see, however, la your paper V.at snot r onslaught is
meditated in the name of "necesiory pruning, tc.
Now, some of the tress may jeopardise the house' near
thorn, certainly, but, as someone CV s'tely remarked,
" The tree. were there before the buns.' Aod if every
one who pleases te to build • hon., owl •r tho tre,s, and
then the trees are to be " removed " because they en.
danger the said house, the walks are at tie mercy of an/
and everyone who chooses to p Joh hi. tent near them,
and would, I ammo." ultimately disappear altogether,
like tho primeval foretts of America, ant the Red Indian.
before the onwoiii march of civilieettoo (I). and give 'deco
to what is, perh.p.. much more beautiful in the eyes of
sonae—brieks and mortar !
Why not cut them all down at once, ai build rows of
cottage. instead I—Make • cican sweep t Perhaps some
people would then be satisfied I
If, on the other hand, there is stall enough of the love
of nature left in this utilitarian age to wish to preserve
them, why nct let it be clearly understood that the tree.
are warmed, and that if anyone chrrists to build • house
near them, he does so ethic own risk, and with the di.'
Meet understanding that the trees will not be interfered
with in his favour? . . _

It appears to me that the trees only require letting
alone—gave the ripening of such es are quits witaersd
not constant pruning. like fruit treee ! When you come
to cut away meetly hell of an orustorpol tree in the name
of " necessary pruning," and rivet the operation often,
it @tends I. reason that the tree will c•ase to bo very ou
Pimentol and at length vani•lo .Itogether ! I do not
think any one can gainsay that I Yet, that seems to be
the kind of "pruning" to which our beautiful trees are
perindioally eubjcved I
Toe trims on **Beggsr'e Knee" have at lengthdir
appeared to make way for the " impervements,
And all the king'. hone., and ail the king'e men.
C not put one of them up again."
Bat what "improvement. " are responsible for the
wanton destruction of the trees along the Loodotrroal,
and the ruthless manner in which they have been touti•
listed and disfigured I Some of them—notably those emir
"Grey's Bridge "—ere entirely spoiled; and that, too,
where, being the end tree., there warn plenty of room,
and could not be the slightest peetext for moleeting them:
but where the farther they grew out the hotter, and
the more beautifnl. Nor they are perfectly hideous I
Fortunately, the and trees next the town were not
served in the some manner, or the appe.rance of the en•
trance of the avenue would have been quire spoiled, as
other partt of it are. Let everyone who can and does
admire beautiful avenues more than brick walls, raise a
protest against the destruction of a single tree.
Hoping y.,u will find room for this plea in behalf of the
chief ornament and attraction D irchester, the trees,
and apologizing for ita length, I rectum air, yours very
truly,
Bert°.
December 14th, 18S1.