Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-06-15
MAKING ROAOSIDeS BEAUTIFUL.
Address Before the Massachusetts Horti.
cultural Society.

Tucker Of Newton, Mass. presented liz
following paper:
Scientific roadside treatment is closely
related on the one hand TO the science Of
forestry and on the other to the science
OF good roads, but belongs to A more hd1
Thhctd stage Of civilization than either.
f9r as long as tree growIn is regarded
Sole4y as an remembrance to the ground
70 be got rid Of fast as possible or of
NaIue only as measured in terms Of cord
WOOD or board feet. and while roads are
allowed to remain nearly or quite impass-
able during a large part Of the year
while thes" conditions represent the nor
fndl standard Of a community, one is
plainly too far IN advance of his times
VINO calls public attention 10 the beauty
or even tries 10 discuss the utility Of any
roadside growth. But W. i'm MaSsachu-
sets as well as in many other parts OF
the country. have passed the primitive
stage when We can look with equanimity
on indiscriminate destruction OF trees ana
forests or submit tamely to the incou-
Etilences OF interrupted travel arising
from bad roads.
Now with our forest ana park reserva-
tons our schools and chairs OF arbOr-
culture, and the greater or less influence
n our ArDOf daE, our forestry assOcia-
TONS the literature ana general Unfit
cnce and information disseminated by all
lheSc forces; with our highway cOrhrnis-
SION ana the more than 30 miles or state
roads ana the many more miles of first
class town and country roads due to this
state object lesson ana to the earnest ef-
forts ana cooperation Of the H. A. W.
with all this pioneer work. we are surely
ready 10 begin what has never yet been
attempted, a systematic ana artistic
treatmEnt of the rOHdsides. the connect
inE link between road-making and for
estry.
IN this discussion we shall contine our
selves almost entirely to country road
sides. noticing suburban ROADS and park
ways. only incidentally. and shall try to
answer three questions. I. What is the
actual condition and treatment Of our
uf4.ra .TsaH.
ciplcs u any. underlic this treatment?
il. What Constitutcs-0r would COnsti-
tu'e, i We had it-a treatment al once
artistic ana practical; In other words, IN
IN" hrpddest sense scientific. that Is.
founded on knowledge Of conditions and
Of ends to be served ana the best means
~ attaining those ends? Ill How may
such scientific treatment be attained?
First. as Ia actual conditions ana treat
ment ana the principles thereof. With
out doubt the rural New England pOpu-
ldtIon. both as towns and as individuals
generally answer the question. ''onan we
allow or encourage anything but grass
to grow beside the road" by emphat-
MI, We Will not have tried to find
onnositiOn to roadside growth ana will
XIV" You the result nf my investigation.
!. Conversation Many farmers keep
the roadside close cut for no tangible rea-
son whatever except that they and their
ueighbors and their ancestors have al
ways regarded il rs a proper thing e do.
The most casual observer driving through
country roads can hardly fail to be struck
with what seems to be two opposite ten
denotes in the trCa tment Of the road
side. one is to make clean sweep of
everything that grows So far from
planting trees Or anything else, there
seems to b. q special spite against every
scrap Of vegetation, and growth wheth-
er blade IF grass. daisy, a fern. rasp-
berry, alder, Or seeding oak or maple
every thing rs periodically clipped as close
IS SCythe can cut ID. The other is the
let alone tendency. on roads where this
prevails there is no more attempt at tree
planting than i'm the other case. but
neither is there care OF effort Of any kind.
ana All SORTS Of growth flourish widely
luNuriaut, SO luNuriant indeed as often
90 interfere rather seriously with the
travellers hat or carriage top. In many
parts Of New England the latter tendency
seems 70 H. rapidly gaining ground in
count for This by the decay Of aEriCul-
ture and abandonment Of many farms.
and consequent partial disuse on some Of
the roads IN almost every town. also ny
the fact that many farms are taken by
foreigners without New England tradi-
tion IN the matter.
. Untidiness The New England love
for order and tilincSS led the Old-timC
farmer to look upon roadside bushes
ana weeds as untidN. and to clean up
the sides Of the roads Just as his wife
swept her floors and arranged the chairs
in straight rows against the walls, and
the conservatism just mentioned has kept
him and his descendants doing the same
thing ever since. \ farmer who did not
Keep his roadside clean was looked a
askancc as ''shiftless" and more or less
unthrifty, whatever redeeming traits he
might display.
g. Tramps | haV, been told that the
greatest objection to roadside ShruhDery
is that ii harbors ana encourages tramps.
This cannot. however, be taken too scrl-
ously. as the same objection might be
made 70 building barns.
I. Shade. Roadside trees beside cult
waited fields are opposed on the ground
that they shade the crops ana also be
cause of the nOurishmcnt which they
withdraw from the soil at the expense
Of the crops.
g. Seeds Another objection urged
against roadside growth is that harmful
scattered over neighboring fields, thus
producing weeds which are pest to the
farmer.
S. Insects Roadside growth ~ opposed
also as the breeding place Of many insect
pests injurious to the crops.
:. Grass. Some farmers wish to utilize
their rOadSidcS for grass, which they Cut
as an additional hay crop, and oppose any
growth which interferes with this end.
$. Dust. IT is objected from an aesthet-
iC point Of view that dust from the high
way settles 50 heavily upon wayside
shrubs ana plants as to make them un-
slightly and disagrceable, whatever
beauty they might otherwise possess.
.. Dampness. Trees ana tail shrubs are
discouraged by some on the ground that
by their shade they prevent mud from
drying and in some localities keep the
ground generally damp.
10. Drifting. This is by far the most
serious objection raised To roadside trees
ana shrubs, but there Is the greatest pos
sihlc difference of opinion, even among
the most strenuous DIRECTORS. as to what
constitutes right or permissible conditions
in the matter. The most radical declare
that all trees. bushes and plants Of ev-
cry kind on every road should be cut re-
GardlesS Of location: others assert that
only certain kinds of trees cause drift
ing: some that trees trimmed high do not
affect drifting conditions: others that
they should be trimmed low. many say
that trees do no harm, but all other
growth should be cut off. some insist
that any growth on the north or east
side of the road is protective; others say
that both sides should be kept cut or
shaded. These are but few of the many
points of dispute connected with this
branch of the subject.
In view of all these objections to road
side adornment. our second question,
What would constitute a treatment both
practical and artistic? seems rather com
plicated | should settle il by systematic
treatment of rOadSideS according TO local
conditions. All roadside growth is beau
tiful in its place, and that place can be
found by the scientific artist. These OBJ
jections can be met by judicious arrange
ment and management. For instance,
beautiful plants bearing harmful seeds
can be encouraged only in placps yhpra