The Republican journal., 1904-10-20
RURAL IMPROVEMENT.

j
The imp rovement;of rural homes and
their sur roundings began over fifty
years ago, as specific movement, under
the advice and influence OF the Down
ings, followed by Scott, Barry. Root, Asa
Gray and others of like enthusiasm.
While A. ]. Downing devoted himself
to lawns and gardens, Charles Downing
gave a tremendous impulse to better
fruit growing. These men mark an era.
| On both the lines indi Gated great chang
es have been wrought, and greater must
follow. 1t was not surprising that pub
lie taste in the United States needed ed
ucation. Our people, with old English
instincts, had planted New England,
but were already hurrying on to take
possession of the whole continent. 1t
was impossible that they should FURNISH
up the wilderness into old English home
steads and parks as fast as they conquer
ed the forest 1t needed great agrlcul-
tural education, accompanied by lessons
in rural art.
Rural art societies began to be found
ed about the middle of the last century.
That at Clinton, Conn.,, slightly antlcl-
pated that date; that at Clinton, N. y,
followed soon after. There were one
or two other societies in Massachusetts
with an origin nearly or quite as early.
They included in their membership at
the outset mainly professional men, but
gradually widened their fellowship to
take in the whole people-as many as
could be aroused to an interest In rural
inn tho ma of tho
founders are such men as Theodore
Dwight, the famous jurst; Oren Root,
whose ideal gardening became famous;
while the name of Northrup at Clinton,
Conn.,, was identified with village i'm
provement throughout the whole coun-
try.
These societies soon began to plant
trees, cnt down diseased trees, teach the
people how to select lawn trees, estab-
fish village parks, and in all ways under
took the betterment of social conditions.
They discussed indoor affairs as we'll as
outdoor, and reports of their doings
were published in The Tribune while
Horace Greeley was its editor. That
they are not published to-day is simply
due to the fact that the movement
has spread so widely and the number of
societies has SO multiplied that their do
ings have lost the character of novelty.
Much Of their work has recently been
taken up by experiment stations and ag.
ricultural colleges. From Cornell Uni
versity has gone out a tremendous i'm
pulse in the way of more beautiful home
steads, as we'll as more beautiful vii
lagos and better shaded highways. New
trees have been recommended, better
adapted for park system or for high
way utility.
Only those societies have survived
which adopted practical methods. Dis
cussion without application will always
wear itself out. Those who find out how
to do thing must 60 on to the doing of
it. The present form of rural improve
ment should be associated very closely
with the schoolhouse. Meanwhile diff
ferent forms of improvement have be-
come specialized. Highway improve
ment has become department., where
that subject. Tree planting has devel-
oped into forestry, or rather forestry is
now recognized as including street trees,
farm groves and parks. Enlightened
treatment places these under charge of
town experts. Tree WardenS, thorough
ly educated to understand planting, cul-
ture, trimming, ETC., will be feature
of the future.
Still, the work is very much behind
where it should be. Only few of our
villages present creditable appearance;
the vast majority of them show lack
of knowledge Of rural art or neglect OF
it's application. The Grange is doing a
good deal in some sections; but it must
be allowed as a special defect of that
/ powerful organization that it has done
very little to care for village streets and
town highways, except to advocate bet
ter driveways. In some parts of the
country there is evidence of positive
deterioration. York Tribune