Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1849-04-26
TRANSFORMING Tres.

L
of planting shade trees by the roadside.
If the men and boys of entire neighbor-
hoods would turn out in a body, and
spend two or three days every Spring
and Fall in this laudable work, it would
soon be accomplished. By such con-
cert of action, not only vast deal more
would be done than by individual effort,
but the time employed would be agree
ably spent, and the community or neigh
borhood would feel more especially in
terested in protecting them. We notice
that in one fourishing town in Massa-
chusetts the town-authorities have taken
the matter in hand, and have advertised
for "two thousand thrifty young elms.
In other places Societies have been form
ed for this object, and thousands of shade
and fruit trees have been planted along
the highways by them. On former
occasion we alluded to the fact that the
stately and venerable trees which lined
the principal thoroughfares Of England,
formed striking and peculiar feature in
the scenery Of that country. A recent
/ traveller there informs us that his journey
led him "for hundreds of miles through
magnificent avenues of trees of every va
riety, some of which appeared to have
withstood the storms of centuries. =" Ours
is young country compared with Eng
land; and trees with us which have stood
"for centuries had their origin far back
in the aboriginal forests, when the red
man was the sole lord of these lands and
lakes. 1t took thousand years for the
Saxon race to make our fatherland
what it is-beautiful in its outward as
pect, glorious as the nursery Of genius
yet reeking with wrong and sorrow. We
would not initiate her in all things-but
we would vie with her, and outstrip her
if we can, in the race of physical, intel
lectual and moral improvement.
How glorious might our land become,
if the taste and skill ard enterprise of its
people were called into vigorous exercise
in identifying and adjoining it! Who
will take the lead in so praise worthy a
task True, we of this generation may
not live enjoy all the benefits of our la
bors, but those who come after US soiH.
We eat of the fruits and walk beneath the
shadows of trees planted by other hands.
Let us do our share in the great work of
making the world pleasanter and the peo-
pie in it happier and better.
The Maine Farmer recommends the
planting Of Fruit Trees by the roadside.
"By SO doing,' it remarks, "you adorn
the country, and make it pleasant for
yourselves and others who travel thai
road so adorned. If you select good
fruit, you will in few years have from
these ornamental trees, some profit, mas
much as the fruit so obtained will come
from source that would otherwise be of
no great avail to you. Trees thus plant
ed will not deprive you Of any grass or
other crop, and then roots will draw
nourishment from asoil which would 9th
erwise be of no use."
A few suggestions as to the best meth
cd of setting out trees, will not be out of
place here. The Massachusetts Plough
man says, "Where the ground is hard,
the hole should be dug large, for the soil
should be made light in every direction
where the roots are expected to run.
Good garden mould is the best compost
we have everfound to put next the roots
Of the young tree. The tree may be set
as low as in the nursery, and not lower.
Most people are inclined to set young
trees too low; they wish to prevent the
drying of the roots, and they bury them
too deep to grow. Litter from the barn
yard or old stack hay around tree is
good to keep the earth moist. If the lit.
ter is light, place some fiat stones on it
they will help support the trunk, and
prevent its being racked by the wind
Stones on the surface never make the sol
heavy. The ground under old stone
walls is lighter than in the open fields.
A. J. Downing, Esq, the celebrated ag.
riculturalist and fruit-grower. says, I" In
every instance the hole must be large
enough to admit all the roots without
bending. Shorten and pare smoothly
with knife, any bruised or broken roots
Hold the tree upright, while another per