The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-01-21
PUBLIC SHADE.
Penalty For Removing 1t.

PenalCy FOR reuONihS ~
It may not be generally known that trees
along the highway, whetherplanted for shade
trees or growing there naturally, are all
under the protection of the law, and cannot
be removed at the will of the adjoining land
owner alone. Such, however, is the fact, and
that the law should be enforced against GER
tain ruthless destroyers of the public shade,
is palpable enough, and we call attention to
the subject for that very purpose, and with
the additional object of preventing further
destruction in that direction.
If the good people of Michigan, and espec-
tally of Van Buren, county, will carefully read
the section of the highway laws entitled
"Shade Trees in Highways, they will dis
cover first, that shade trees are to be planted,
where there are none, along the highways;
second, that all trees now growing along the
side of any highway-this includes the
beautiful, thrifty, rapid-growing and much
enduring oaks, as well az hickories, etc.
" shall be preserved and shall not be disfg-
" ured or Semored, unless by direction of the
" commissioner of highways, aud with the
" consent of the owner of the adjoining
" land, unless such trees shall interfere with,
" or obstruct the travel of the highway" 1t
will be observed that it takes two parties to
remove these trees, that is, it requires the di-
rection Of the commissioner and the consent
of the owner, and neither nor both may do so,
travel in the highway.
The belief or superstition that trees
poison" the land or injure crops near them
in the field adjacent, is not legal reason for
their removal, nor is the fact that they will
make good posts, rails or fire-wood. Such
trees growing on the margins of the high
ways, are public shade and cannot, legally,
be injured nor removed, except they obstruct
travel
This fact being planted in the minds and
memories of our readers, may it not be rea-
sonably expected that it will grow and bear
of the state, as it has of all civilized coun-
tries, to cultivate and preserve forest trees as
wind breaks, as protection against floods, for
the prevention of droughts, as well as for
pleasure, ornament and comfort?
Trees conduct moisture d0lon into the
ground. The moisture follows the limbs to
the trunk and the trunk to the roots and by
the roots it is distributed and held back in
the earth. Trees throw the Winds up causing
the snow or moisture to remain undisturbed,
or, IN other words, 10y warding of the winds
and throwing them mp, prevent the carrying
off of the moisture of the earth. They like
wise prevent the cold winds from penetrating
the surface of the earth and freezing the roots
of grain and grasses. Sections of France
and other countries of Europe, made desolate
by the removal of forest trees in the past,
have once more been made fruitful by
jadicious restoration of forests and forest
trees. But without enumerating further the
benefits and value of forest trees along the
highways, we again call attention to the fact
that they constitute the public shade and are
protected by law, the penalty for injuring or
removing them being fine of from one to
twenty-five dollars for each ofense, which
may be recovered at the suit of the owner or
tenant of the adjacent lands, or at the suit of
the overseer of the highways for the benefit
of the highway fund. If certain oycrseers
of highways in Van Buren, County should,
just now. set about it, they would have no
difficulty in finding parties who are culpably
exposed" to sundry such fines, the collec-
ton of which might prove very beneficial to
the depleted treasures of their respective
road districts. A word to the wise is usually
Sufficient.