The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-05-19

mas struggled Tor half century 10 con-
ceal with bush and shrub, and a stunted
growth of elm or birch or maple, and
by their gnarled and twisted trunks
and limbs she has transformed it into
picturesque feature of the landscape.
Its outlines delight the eye and its
shade is grateful to man and beast.
This thing to-day lie, but tomorrow the
traveller passing that way finds in its
place a beggarly pile of knotty, crooked
faggots. Brush strews the rocks, the
ugly outlines of the spot are all re-
vealed and one of the attractions of
drive along country highway is with
drawn and hideousness reigns in its
place. Fire is apt to complete the
work of destruction, the mould which
decades of decaying vegetation had la
boriously deposited there and which
might in time nourish new growth is
burned away, the place will be a desert
forevermore, and all for little misera-
BILE stove wood that ought to sour the
disposition of the most amiable house
wife and which was not worth half the
labor of cutting. This thing, on a
larger or smaller scale, is happening
every year, on all the highways, all
over the State, and is one Of several
other things that from year to year is
tending to make Vermont less attrac-
tive to strangers, and to resident Yer
monters themselves. 1t is proper
matter for Arbor Day exhortations, by
the Executive and other preachers. 1t
is as desirable to preserve what trees are
already planted by the roadside as to
plant new trees for some future vandal
to hew down.
Another proper subject for practical
Arbor Day work is the determination
of the caterpillars that make their nests
in the wayside greenery and extend
their ravages to the neighboring fruit
trees. A ride along the highways of
Vermont in May and early June, in
many localities, is passing amid dead
forms of nature wrapped in their wind
ing sheets. From stump to topmost
branch trees are shrouded in the spec
trail weaving of the loathsome insects
that infest them, and the blossoms and
tender verdure have persisted. The
admonitions of His Exeellency, or the
commands of the law, ought to be d.
rected toward the determination of
these hideous defacers of the landscape.
1t should be Arbor Day every day in
the week till these pests are destroyed.
1t is better to preserve from destruction
a tree that is grown than to plant new
victims for the unconquered marauders.
Every land owner should study and put
into execution the best means of rid
ding his own premises, and the sides of
the highways along his possessions, of
the disgusting invaders. There is no
nonsense about this sort of Arbor Day
work. 1t is intensely practical and one
of the most important that can be urged
upon Vermont people.
1t is all right for the railways, the
people and their official representatives
to print pamphlets and issue proclama-
tions about the rural attractions of Ver-
mont and the Importance of making the
State more attractive. This gives the
printers work to do and the officials
publicity. But the observance, the
year around, of little hard sense in
the matter of arresting vandalism, ex-
terminating the enemies of rural beauty
and enlightening the people who despoii
the landscape is of greater practical
value than the development of Arbor
Day gush and sentiment ON one day in
the three hundred sixty-fve. The
average man has no use for tree ex-
cept to hew it down, either from malice
or for gain. Respecting trees and
shrubbery, and other things that beautify
the landscape, the average man is very
much of barbarian. While the State
is spending money to inculcate the
preservation and development of its at.
fractions, this barbarian is doing what
he can to defeat this purpose. He
needs, for his subsection to the policy of
the State, some more aggressive missile
than Arbor Day grass. Some brick
bats in the shape of legal definition as
TO what he can or cannot do, especially
along the Kings highway, might pro-
mote concert of action between the
State and its citizens in this particular.
AT present they are working somewhat