Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-04-29
Plant A Centennial Tree.

A very excellent movement Is on
foot in Connecticut, under the di.
rectiOn of the Secretary of the Board
of Education, to induce the people
to plant Centennial trees this spring.
Everybody who owns q plot OF
ground favorable for the purpose or
who lives by country road, is call
ed upon to plant ut least one tree OF
q species adapted to beautify the
landscape, such as an elm, oak, ma
pie, ash or walnut. Prizes have
been offered in some cases TO induce
school children and others to plant
trees in the vicinity of there own
homes or on the public grounds aud
highways. If u little enthusiasm
can he awakened on this subject, a
work may be done this Centennial
year which will make our towns and
villages grow in beauty throughout
the coming century.
The benefits OF the work will be
manifold. 1t will be an exercise OF
foretllought aud "a labor for the flu
ture, which will in itself have the
most benefcent effect upon those en-.
gagged in it. There is nothing more
enObling than the consciousness Of
doing something for future genera
tions. But it will not be work oi
seIf.sacritice by any means. There
will be a perennial pleasure III
watching the growth of these trees,
and long before the youthful gene
ration Of the present time had pass
ed away they will have attained sui
ficient size to add greatly tO-the at
Effectiveness of the places in which
they are planted. Suppose all oul
country roads, the grounds about
school. houses and public buildings.
the demesne Of private dwellings,
and all public squares were to be
literally planted with ornamental
and useful trees this year. what
would be the effect produced in fifty
years from this time? How great
ly would the beauty and attractive
ness of our cities and towns be en-
HANGED! The whole State might be
almost transformed into a beautiful
park, and the eye of the traveller
would everywhere be greeted with
pictures of verdurOus loneliness.
The associations connected with
these trees would grow in interest
from year to year and from genera
ton to generation. The centennial
tree planting of 1876 would be re-
membered with perpetual gratitude.
Families would have new ties bind
ing them to their homes, and con
Meeting the thoughts of the children
with the kindly foresight of the
fathers.
And the value of the work would
not be merely esthetic or sentiment
tai. There is practical utility III
trees out of all proportion to the
cost of planting and fostering them.
Not only have they an immediate
value of property on which they
stand, but the growth and prosper
ity of town depends largely Oh
the attractions which it presents as
a place in which to live. Many OF
our most fourisbing towns owe the
rapidity of their development to the
fact that they had picturesque and
inviting appearance, which induced
people to select them as the place
for their labor and enterprise. A
generous rivalry among the towns
Of this or any other State to present
all attractive appearance by we'll
ordered public grounds and shaded
avenues, would do much to promote
their growth and prosperity. There
is no investment of labor that would
pay so well as that expended in cen
tennial tree planting.-Boston Globe.