The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-07-09
PROTECT THE ROADS,
Value Of Planting Trees Along
the Highways.
SAVES AND BEAUTIFIES THEM.
sh,de. Says an Authority, Keeps the
Surface Of q Highway Moist, Pre-
venting Wear and Dust-Trees Also
Act n Windbreaks.

Surface OF Q HIGHWAY MOIST, Fre-
venting Wear and Dust-Trees Also
Act a. Windbreaks.
That many men sincerely believed
that trees which shaded the public
highway were not worth a fair rental
OF the ground they covered was proved
BY their toiling to destroy every tree
that stood on that strip of land, says
Good Roads Magazine. But in those
days the highway was undrained ex-
cept by q shallow gutter, more or less
open. and little was then known and
even less was done about making the
public thoroughfare much more than
q lane, which was muddy in wet
weather and a barren, sunburnt and
dusty strip in dry times. Having no
way by which to run off, water stood
In the shade Of the few trees which
were allowed to reach their arms out
over the driveway. Narrow fires cut
deep into the softened earth In such
spots, and lasting. mudholes were thus
made.
Farmers found that the shade of
trees standing beside the highways de-
layed when they did not wholly pre-
vent the growth of crops near the
road, but this may have been largely
because little or no thought was given
to saving or to planting trees of the
right kind or to trimming the trees
50 as to get the benefit they could
give, yet avoid the injury they might
do by shading ground that might have
produced food for man.
New light has come in this country
on the subject of roadmaking, and now
me truth Is known that good drainage
Is the first essential of good roads
Well made earth roads have no place
where water can stand, as it stands
through weeks or even through months
wnefe there is bad management of
roads Today the plan is to keep the
foundation Of all roads dry by good
drainage and the surface slightly moist,
YET never let 1t become 50 wet and soft
nat wheels can cut 1t badly.
Shade trees Of the right shape beside
road tend to keep the driveway so
moist that swift wheels cannot easily
SUCK up much Of its surface to scatter
in clouds Of dust over the neighbor-
nood. Roots of such trees bind the
earth OF the ditch sides and ever the
bottoms Of the bitches, the banks Of
GUS and slopes Of fills, and by so doing
ie'ard II they do not entirely prevent
Tue washing away that melting SHOWS
ana peltlng rains would cause but for
these roots.
ny their shade such trees hinder II
tney DO not wholly stop the growth Of
weeds that would choke the bitches,
.umoer the roadsides and seed down
ue helds of the farmer, and by prevent
ing such harmful growths they save
unle' labor and money that otherwise
must go to maintain the road or to de
"eeuS among the crops.
AS wlndbreaks such trees help to
Aeep gales from picking up the finer
particles from the road to scatter them
v'er grass and fruit and grain, to sift
~en over flowers and food, clothing
anu furniture. They help to hold the
.now on field and road when, but for
'neill, 1t would be blown from sod and
sralh held to bank behind stack and
renee and building, where it does no
sood. In springtime such trees check
.ue melting Of the SHOWS and so help to
seep them from washing away the
u.rlVeway, securing out the bitches and
iro.h hoodlng the lowlands.
Aiees or suitable kinds along the
.oads attract people who have means
" get what they want, leisure and cul-
'ute mat enable them to value and
snIoy the comfort and beauty Of a
.oau 80 adorned, money with which to
10y ,and and pay for it's improvement,
:. influence which can often induce
we powers to leave undone those
~. lungs they ought not to do and to do
..ose thlngs they ought to do for the
sood OF the community.
"en trained by long experience and
=" ~ study to use their money shrewdly
" get the biggest possible returns
~'eerful'y pay large sums to get labels
~ packages that will catch the eye and
~ x.sase 'lie taste of possible buyers Of
w &Qaa those packages hold. Such