The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1904-05-13
VOL. XIX. NO 81.
A Plea For the Forests.
HAaER Hill, KY.

HAGER HILL, Ky.
Under the hungry, despotic rule
Of the dollar there ls little disposl-
lion for anything which smacks OF
sentiment. Yet there are d few
high spuls Ike your correspondent
of East Point, who regards the des-
ttucllon four forests as little short
OF desecralion. Our forests gone,
onr minerals sold, there Is little
left for home pride. Once the land ,
Of fruit aud flowers and game and
fIsh, IL will soon be bleak waste
OF barron knobs unless our people
can be shocked into staying their
ruthless hands.
Can we replant our forostsY Can
wo preserve the purity OF our
mountain slroamss Can we re-
gain our fruits and flowers and
birds aud fishes? Can We have
pretty homes nesting among the
hills? Can VIZ have splendid roads
wlndlng along the little valleys.
Yes, these things may be, and this
is the highest good OF the people.
How much happiness one cozy
homu meansg
The mail Is almost due aud |
shall ask you TO print the follow
ing from Farm Journal;
ROADSIDE TREES
Letter From Germany From One
of Our Own Folks,l-l was much
Interested iu the letter to our friend
Harriet In tho January number OF
the Farm Journal. May tell you
the system OF roadside tree plant
Ing over here, for, although farm
lug In my native land il far more
advanced than over here, when ]
see something that strikes me as
good, / feel as II should like to
tell Of IL.
Through the systematic planting
oI fruit trees In Austria, no one
feels loss through theft, even
though the country is much more
thickly populated +; and in village
Of iifty.elght houses with eighty
two school children between tho
ages Of six aud fourteen, there are
few complaints about fruit, o, any
ring else, being stolCn.
But Il IL Of roadside fruit trees
that / want to tell. The public
roads are, OF course, all In tho care
OF the government, and road sup
crvisor, usually prominent man'
IL appointed over a given district.
Each supervisor In turn appoints
road.k keepers at convenient points
each OF whom has section TO keep
In order,--thc bitches open, gravel
spread, etc. On each side OF tho
roads Is n grass strip two TO Ave
yards wide, before the adjoining
tield, no fcnces, and consequently
no cattle at large.
Under the reign OF the Empress
Mario Theresa, almost all the turn
pixies were set with poplars about
twelve yards apart, which gave q
stately appearance, but nothing
else. can not say at what tint
war was declared against the pop
lars, but In this district In thu
year 1856 they were s,ill standing
aud In 1890 not one was TO be seen
The road supervisor, then ahou
sixty Ave years OF age, WIS still on
terprising enough TO have the pop
lars follod aud replaced In tho In
termedlate spaces By apple ant
pear trees, OF good kinds for cook
Ing aud cider, not fine table fruit
but hardy varieties suited to tn,
soll and climate.
The trees on each road.keepor'
stretch were given into his charg
for ton years, on the agreemen
that he care for thcm--by keepin
an open circle around the roots
tho trees properly tied to stake
free from caterpillar nests an
whltewashed In the fall TO proteC
from harps. The fruit during te
years also belong to him. The fir'
years OF course gave no return, bu
In the fourth year he had tho firi
small crop, and on tho succeedIn
years such good returns that o
the eleventh year, when the fru
was sold at auction, In June, III
road'keeper took II aCa good prlc
which WAS proof that he kne
what 1t was worth. Tho mon,
from the fruit goes every year
the road fund. Tho grass alor
the roadside also belongs to Il
keeper and ia usually enough
keep a COW, or a goat.
The result OF this system is we
kept roads, straight, well,cared-f 4
trees and nice, well.cared-f
srp OF grass. II Iftravelers do h G
themselves to few apples, tn,