St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-05-30
Rural improvements.

committee.
Rural Improvements.
Prof. B. G.. Northrop of Connecticut
gave very interesting and instructive
lecture at Athen8um Hall on Monday
evening on the above subject. He was
introduced in few fitting words by
Gov. Fairbanks, and spoke for over an
hour in an easy and graceful manner,
not being confined at all to the manu-
script which he had before him. He
began by referring briefly to the great
value in many ways of the adornment
of towns, villages, cemeteries, parks,
roadsides, and especially the home; the
beauty of trees-fOrest, shade and fruit
trees-and the love of the ancients for
trees. From this introduction he went
directly to the matter of tree planting,
and the delightful way this is of per-
petuating ones memory after he is
gone, but more especially gifts value as
an educator of the beautiful, and for
pecuniary results. He would have
every roadside lined with trees every
public ground set with trees and shrub
berry every dooryard adorned with
these ornaments, which enhance not
only the beauty but the value of every
place. He does not advise planting
trees of large capacity too near the
hOuse-fOr "where the sun cannot come
the doctor must" He spoke of the
value to the nation of making its homes
attractive. No country need fear social
lists or nihilists where the people owned
and adorned their homes, however
humble they might he. He referred to
Switzerland and Japan as striking ex-
amples of this statement. There are nc
homes so beautified with flowers as
those of the Japanese, and there are nc
people more attached to their homes
than are this people. The influence OF
the love of nature and art upon charac-
ter, was enlarged upon, and a tribute
of respect and love rendered the mothers
in the homes of this land. He urged
upon the youth in the schools and else
where study of trees and flowers nc
country has chOicer or greater variety
of trees than this, but he recommended
the introduction of the European larch
for the rocky and rough hillsides, and
the Scotch pine for the sand barrens
Some instances which he gave of the
increased value of real estate where
these trees had been planted, were quite
remarkable. The national and in some
instances worldwide reputation O
places where a few years ago some
thoughtful people began this system o
rural adornment, was mentioned sucl
us East Hartford, New Haven, Abbots
ford in Scotland, etc. The town o
Stockbridge in western Massachusetts
is a remarkable instance. Twenty-Five
years ago a lady was the means o
: forming Il society for village improve
ment: Every person who joined the
association was to keep his frontage OF
the street clean from rubbish, neatly
grassed, and lined with trees. Thai
town was then an ordinary country
village. Now its beauty and neatnes.
is heralded all over the land, and CAPT
| teiist- - II $1,000 r.>-.-- lob
have gone there and located and bull
nice houses just because the town ha.
been made so beautiful, and all hIougl
the influence of that one lady. And
the Influence did not stop there al
the towns about are initiating Stock.
bridge, and the infection has spread
into other states, and is still spreading
The lecturer spoke quite at length o.
the dignity of labor, urging upon the
young men of the country to cultivate
the soil and the mind or to learn ;
trade, and not be seduced into cities
and temptation, or into professions fol
which they have no talent or fitness, OF
into stores now over-run with trades
men.
| Iuo w Sath nv vi JIliS ltC'
ture, which was, as we wrote at first
full of instruction, valuable thought,
and hints, and should have been hearC
by all students, mechanics, professional
men, and every body who has an in
terest in the prosperity and beauty o
the home, the town, or the country.
Barnet.
Miss Margaret Galbraith, who ha,
been dangerously i'll for some time, wa.
no better Wednesday. Her brother
DR.. Galbraith from Pennsylvania, ha,
come on to see her.
j. d. Abbot has recovered his healtl
so as to walk about the village.