Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-01-31

These are the beneficial effects IN enhancing
the beauty Of the country aud homes where
we reside, and in cultivating the finer feel.
ngs and arousing the nobler faculties of our
nature-those godike powers which make us
more than mere intelligent animals. These
silent but ever ennobing effects, pregnant
with Importance to the morality and happi-
ness Of the human race, cannot be expressed
in dollars and cents, neither can they be
gauged according to any system Of weights
and measures, yet they are none the less sub
stantial and palpable.
A country destitute Of trees cannot be in
high degree beautiful. No element of
beauty is so easily obtained and so complete
y manageable as trees. Each tree has its
own peculiar and distinctly marked charac-
ter which affords an agreeable exercise to the
mind in discriminating between them. The
Epan.er who is studious Of the effects Of land
scape has inexhaustible resources in the nu-
merous trees and shrubs composing our for
ests. Trees TO be planted about house
should be selected with reference to their
size, height, colors and variety of their flow.
ering. In fields ut a distance from the
buildings owing to the difference 10 the size
Of trees, almost any desired effect can be
produced Thus a miniature mountain can
I Is, ko do ln,n L. L.. H.,
tance the tall elms, pines and sycamores will
appear to occupy the summit Of hill, the
naples, hickories and others to invest its
sides, while the broad oaks, spreading beech
es, hanging birches, aud the smaller trees
and shrubs will form the gradual descent to
the plain. Such collections of trees scattered
over the great prairies of the west would be
as refreshing to the eye as the appearance of
verdant oases in desert. A very few trees
in certain situations will produce striking
effect These, with the shrubs and climbing
vines which may be trained upon their stems
in cultivation, the lichens which paint their
trunks with brown, white, yellow and green,
and the MOSES Of brilliant green and purple
velvet which grow about their bases, all form
an endless study for the landscape gardener.
These properly arranged will add immeas-
urably to the pleasure of the contemplative
man who traverses the country in autumn,
with the eye of painter and the feelings Of
a poet. A single tree by farmers house
protects it, and to which be there added
shrubbery and flowers, gives it desirable
air Of seclusion, rest and peace.
Within such homes will generally be found
persons Of refinement and taste 1t will be
noticed also, that large proportion of our
best and most intellectual men and women,
our authors, poets, moralists and phila nthro-
pists, have been lovers of the beauties Of
nass4e not only in the vegetable but also in
the animal and mineral kingdoms. The rea-
son for this is obvious. The observation Of
natural Objects especially trees, has an en-
nobling effect upon the human mind. 1t
soothes the passions, allays pride and selfish
ness, brings into action the perceptive facul-
ties and reason, and awakens friendship, ben
evidence, veneration and all the nobler in
stincts of mans nature for by contemplation
of the innumerable products of nature man
takes broader and higher views of life and its
duties. He sees in every existing object. aRi-
mate or inauimate, an adaptation to a certain
purpose. and learns to regard all mankind as
brothers, forming together one grand portion
in the great design of creation. Thus in
spirit he rises n contemplation " from nature
up to natures God" and learns Of his Great
or and the ever expanding life Of man. But
enough has been said. | will not further
tire the patience of my readers by the recital
of facts which must be manifest to any un-
preiudced mind on reflection. This paper
has already been tediousy prolonged to q
cumbersome extent without exhausting the
subject yet the writer believes that facts
enough have been cited to prove the great
need of preserving and cultivating forest
trees.
In conclusion would say to farmers and
all others concerned, cultivate less land and
} cultivate it better; cut less timber and cut
} it closer, and finally, plant useful trees and
shrubs in every available spot. Every one
} can do much in private way to prevent the
disastrous consequences that will arise to oul
! country if it is denuded of its forests, bu
more must be performed in different man
ner. The preservation and improvement O.
forests requires joint. action, and can only b'
fully accomplished on a large scale by somt
} wise system begun and long continued by
men of one generation for those Of the next
, This can only be done through the effort
of those persons who are expected to repre-
sent our interests in our legislative assemblies
both state and national. 1t is wise in 1
t government not acting merely for the present
: to take this great question into consideration
, and generously make its present knowledge
! and wisdom an invested capital for futur
use. Many of the European countries hav'
, done much in this direction, but in thi
, country believe little or nothing has beeI
done for the encouragement of forestry, ex
cept by agricultural societies in some of tn
$ Western and other states through the medi
Q um of premiums, bounties, &c. Let us theI
, through our legislators, enact such whole
l some and philanthropic laws that they of iu
I ture generations in looking back to our day
y may say we have done just what we shoulC
have done in regard to the matter breaches
in this essay which is now drawn to close