The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-01-31
Tree Planting.

EMPORIA, Jan. 20, 1879.
EDITORS EMPoRIA NEws:-I am glad
to see the subject of tree planting being
agitated in your columns. And is there
not need of agitation? A town of over
twenty years of age, with scarce a tree to
shelter it from the winter blast or sum
mer sun! Where is the difficulty? We
all know that the chief attractions to any
home are the well-kept lawn and fine
ornamental trees and shrubs. These are
the things which first attract the atten-
ton of strangers of taste and are of far
greater importance than the costliness of
the home. A vine-clad cottage, embow-
cred with trees, surrounded by a small,
clean, lawn, Is always a thing of beauty
Is it because the people of EmpOria have
no taste for any such things that the
town to-day is not better provided with
beautifYlng trees and grass-plots or is it
on account of the sterility of the soil of
this much-lauded town? l believe that
if the people had a mind to work in this
direction, and would use little good
sense in planting trees and improving
their lawns, in five years. time Emporia
would be noted for its beauty. Most peo-
pie in planting trees seem to ignore the
fact that tree is not fence post, but "A
thing of life, and if the conditions of Its
life are not regarded it cannot live. Nine
ty-five per cent. of all trees planted should
live and grow and be a permanent i'm.
provement to the town as well as the
owners property. But probably not five
per cent. ever do make out to live even.
Now, if man really wants row of street
trees around his lot let him use judgment
and procure good trees of some OF, the
varieties as were suggested by your last
weeks correspondent (for 1 fully agree
with him), only would place the white
elm as No. every time for street plant
ing. Then let them be. planted with as
much care as you would use in planting
premium hill of corn or melon. II
may take a man q whole day to plant
four trees. But what of it? He. is
doing work for q century and why not
take time and do it we'll. Next to trees
in importance is the lawn. Great care
and attention is essential to success herr
also, vet nothing pays better There is
scarcely a we'll kept lawn in the whole
town. What is the matter, and why is
it that the people do not wake up to this
subject, and commence with the opening
of spriug and do something in this di
rection to make amends for the past years
of negligence? Let every man work ovel
against hls own door, clear away the
rubbish in front of his premises, and not
forget the alleys either. Let the city ia
theirs make q small appropriation and
have the school lots cleaned up and q
row of nice trees planted around them
and what different appearance Empo
ria would present in an incredibly short
time. Your correspondent is stranger
in this state and cannot say with much
certainty what can be done, but if tree.
and grass will not grow want no NOR,
of Kansas. have had much experience,
in New York and Illinois and never fail
ed in growing fine trees and beautiful
lawn But they both are the reward O
vigilance and great care 1 would glad
ly and freely give any one the benefit o
my experience in constructing a law
and planting trees, only let the worl
commence and go on. Yours
]. II. WRIGHT.