The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-03-10
From the Southern AgriculturisL.
PLANT A TREE.

God plants over the fair face of tho world.
The sprouting acorn, the winged seeds Of
the pine, and tho maple, and tho ash, tho
bright red berries of the dog-wood, tho
holly and the hawthorn, the blue clusters
from the evergreen cedar, and the pearly
fruit OF the mistletoe, high up in the old
oak-top, al! find spot as a birth bed, in
which to take root and flourish. Some
grow in the mellow mould, whore shade
and moisture protect and ihvigorato their
tenderness-some, with the plying spirit
OF an angels guardianship, seek their rest
ing-places where man has wrought all his
ruin, on the bare bosom Of tho earth, and
strive 10 hide her naked dcformity by out.
spreading their evergreen arms-somo cling
with their viscid coverings to the rough
bark of ancient trees, as if they wished to
add newer and grecnor chaplcts to their do
caying crowns-some seek the crcvices Of
the barren rocks, and, creeping up ruined
walls, bind together the assures gnawcd by
the cankcred tooth Of time, in their tender
embraccs-all obey those laws Of vegcta-
bIe creation, which are ever active in re.
moving what waste, and hccdIess inconsid-
erateness, and prodigal destruction, have so
ruthessly ravagcd. Go, then, lover of ma.
t"rc' to the scathcd hilltop, once crowned
with tho Drawn of mighty forest kingdom,
and plant clustering knot of oaks and
cedars. Go to the sun scorcl,cd brook, as
1t glides noiselessly, like motion lead,
through your fields, and protect its bright
waters by the friendly shade of graceful
naples and wide.spreading brccchcs. Go
to the road side, and people those monoto
nous plantation lines with the walnut, the
rcd'fruitcd mulberry, and the maronia-
their shade will gladden. the heart of
the traveler-tlcir fruit will cause unborn
children to bless
"Thc hand that planted these old trees"
Add living monuments, and multiply
them upon the earth. 1t was Il beautiful
custom, that, when tho bethrothed planted
each tree, standing side by side, through
years that come, their branches intcrlockcd
-thelr flowers kissed each other, and keep
ing vigils oflove through storm and through
sunshine-they remained living scntinels
over that affection which never dies. We
once knew two Of earlh's better spirits,
gentle in their natures, lovely in their nm
gellc semblance, bew,tching in their beauty,
and thus they planted their affections, side
by side, in front of the old homestead
those emblem cedars grew, and when the
tar hands which had planted them were
tw'ning wreaths with the cherubim around
the altars Of the blessed, they still stood
f'ourishing over the decay of tho past.
But the old homestead has passed into the
hands of strangers, the beautiful lesson
taught by those trees has been forgotten.
and to make visible the glaringncss Of
modern, improvement, they, too, like their
sweet emblem-spirits, arc numbered among
the things that once were upon this
earth.
And again when a child is born birth
day tree should be planted. We know an
elm which marks the natal hour of mat
ron in neighboring village, and we never
pass that earlY.budding tree without thank
ing the honored father who taught us les
son when he set its roots in the mellow
! soil before bis door.
The hot, sweltcring walls of our cities
call for trees-trees to feed upon the vapors
which spring from over peopled quarters,
and convert them into healthy y-Lrealhing
atmosphere. The shade of trees is more
genial and grateful to the pent-up dwcllers
of cities, than it is to most of those who
ramble in sylvan groves, during the free
and unrestrained years of life in the
country. Let those, then, who are forced
to dwell in the busy marts of the world, be
blessed by shade-shade in the streets,
shade in capacious parks and pleasure
grounds. God made trees enough, so that
every human being could revcl in their
shade. The tawncy savage seeks his lcafy
home under the Titans Of this Western
world-the sons of the desert bless Allah
for the refreshing shades Of the graceful
psalms, and the white man, who claims to
be civilized, alone evinces, thoughtlcss
spirit Of tree struction. For him there is
no bound or limit, and the whim of mo-
ment is frequently g'atifiel at the expense
of centuries of beautiful forest growth.
Is that new era coming, when we are to
he planters instead Of ravagersa Will the
few examples of ornamental Landscape
adornment and improvement be copied and
become working texts to the millions
Are we to hear of forest plantations to he
reared upon our old feIdsl Are the glar-
ing eye.stEaining white houses of the, land,
to he soon hidden by graceful forest.uees,
such as abound within the reach of every
cultivator of the soil 7 Is our country to
L