Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-09-21


ing by the roadside be carted into the
place and buried. When this has been
smoothed over no one would know that
anything had been taken out, the road
side would be cleared Of stones and two
expense Of one.
DID any one ever hear of picking
rocks by the roadside? From the time
when the roads were laid out 1t seems
to have been the custom to throw
everything from the road into the gut
ter or over the gutter into the grass or
bushes. II the man owning the land
adjoining does not clear away the rocks
they soon become so numerous that
the grass can not be mown, bushes
come In and these must be cut several
inches from the ground. Very soon
rough place overgrOwn with scraggly
bushes Is the result. Every year the
rocks roll into the gutter, the machine
scrapes them into the road, and they
are thrown out again. A team cannot
be driven over the gutter because Oh
the rocks and brush. The place Is I'M
slightly and unattractive. why not
take a cart and pick up the loose stones
nv thu. roadside and instead of throw
ing more out with them, have them
hauled to some suitable place and
dumped? The bushes could then be
kept down to better advantage and the
roadside could be mown with a scythe
Why would it not be a good scheme 10
have the roadside mown once every
year? The Maine Central Railroad
hires men to NOV the space between
the railroad and the fences each year.
The grass and bushes are burned and
the space is kept open and clear. Why
not do the same with the carriage
roads? The cost would be only trifie
and it would be saved in the lessening
of the expense of keeping the road
clear of snow in the winter.
| 1t is a common custom in Maine to
| let the grass and shrubbery. and BUSH
es grow by the roadside for a few years
unnolested then. when the bushes be-
come large, overhanging the road, and
| impede the travel, to cut everything
clear to the wall and leave it to grow
| up again. If instead of this the place
could he mown over each year and the
small trees which would make good
shade trees should be carefully trim
| med and preserved. such places might
of the country. Notice how much care
| is taken in planting trees and shrub
berry about a city and what beautiful
effects are sometimes produced there
but consider how much more beauti-
| ful effects might be produced with lit
tie care in places where such things
grow spontaneously.
Nature is herself the great beautifier.
Leave heap of rough stones and she
socn gilds them over with bright
mantle of goldenrod. Leave a jagged
stump and she soon hides it under
coat of green foliage. If the same
amount of energy were used in aiding
her that is usually used in thv'arting
her we would soon be surprised with
the result. A stranger in riding from
Augusta to VassalbOro several times
remarked, what a gloomy. lonesome
road'' and yet visitors to parts of
Central Park. New York. where only
the natural trees and shrubs grow, and
the hills are nearly as steep. continu-
ally speak in glowing terms Of the
beauty Of the scenery, and the only
real difference is that in Central Park
the underbrush and loose rocks are
picked up. the shade trees are allowed |
to grow. and nature is allowed to show
her fairest work
Why go to other states to see beauti- |
full trees and shrubs? We have them |
at home as beautiful as anywhere, and |
while in New York City one has to run |
up to Central Park to see something |
beautiful. why not let every roadside |
be little park. and soon we shall have |
paradise at home. The Maine forests |
and fields are always pretty and who |
docs not like to see field where an |
old stump fence has been taken away, |
the bushes cleared UP. and the road
side plouEhed? The stone walls in |
many places are tumbling down and |
are not of themselves particularly pref
ty but il the rOadsides were cleared up
and made little more attractive by
picking up the scattering stones. cut
ting the bushes, and trimming up the
trees which would make good shade
trees. instead of being made a general
dumping place for everything insight
Il. there would be no pleasanter drives
in New England than those in the rural
sections of Maine.
In the ma jority of cases the question
in caring for the roads seems to be.
What will be the expense and what
the result for this particular year and
for our immediate use?" Let every
man who has charge of a piece of road
consider what will be the most perma-
nent and lasting value and at the same
time give stranger the best impress
sion of the locality and. having acted
accordingly, let him receive the sup
port of the community instead Of being
kicked by everybody because he has
done little different from what the
people of the last generation have done.
and there will soon be a marked i'm
provement. Over in neighboring
town 1t is said few years ago a man
was hired to run the road machine. He :
was such a far-sighted. level-heatied !
fellow and built the roads so well that .
he failed to cover as much ground as .
had been covered the previous years. ,
Everybody was dissatisfied and he was
not wanted the next year Better do
little and do it well than to run over a
whole township doing nothing of real %.
genuine good.
Is it not worth while then to give a
little thought to the matter and in