TREE PLANTING ALONG HIGHWAYS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 70, 16 July 1873, Page 3

TREE PLANTING ALONG HIGHWAYS.

(From Farm Gossip in Weekly News.) Two or three years ago, when the Colonial Government began to give assistance to the various highway districts in each province, a good deal of rejoicing ensued. A great amount of good was effected by the money granted for this purpose. In some of the Highway districts a considerable improvement might have been made as to the manner in which the money was spent, but upon the whole I think public money was never more fairly spent than was the amount granted for the use of the Road Boards. In a few instances the trustees were so selfish, and so far forgot the public trust reposed in them, that approaches to their own farms and residences — frequently not the most needful pieces of roadmaking in the district —were first attended to. Such conduct, as might be expected, produced at the time a good deal of angry feeling, and caused many hard things to be said at the next annual meeting of ratepayers. But, upon the whole, the plan of subsidizing the Road Boards has worked admirably, and the exhibition during the year of a few cases of selfishness of the nature to which I have alluded, only proves that mankind have not yet arrived at a state of moral perfection. But now that considerable lengths of road have been made in districts where there is a considerable amount of traffic, another difficulty is beginning to stare road trustees in the face. How are they to keep the roads formed in repair ? Good roads draw traffic over them, and the greater the traffic the greater the expense of repair. In some instances these repairs make a sad inroad upon the year’s receipts of the Board, and leave but a small amount to be devoted to extending road-making within the district. Some plan must be devised to preserve the roads when made from rapid deterioration, and it has been suggested by a correspondent in the Massachusetts Ploughman that planting trees along both sides of the road will have a preventive effect. Roads lined with trees would afford a grateful shade during hot weather. "Who does not admire the beauty of an avenue between two rows of overhanging trees ? And if trees were to preserve our roads to the same extent as the following extract would indicate, Highway trustees will have it in their power not only to save our roads from rapid destruction, but to beautify the landscape at the same time. When trees Are planted some time will be required to enable them to afford shade and shelter, and send a net-work of roots across the road ; but every year aids in good offices, and Road Board trustees should prepare for the future as well as meet the difficulties of the present. Here is the extract from the Ploughman I referred to : — “ Standing one day in a street lined with elms, a superintendent of highways remarked that on that street there had not been expended a dollar during the last 20 years. The street was an eighth of a mile long, smooth, and needed no repairs. The Superintendent, having been inquired of how he accounted for the fact, replied he could not answer. From what has been said anyone might have answered the question. The explanation is simply this: The roots of these trees have constructed a natural bridge under the road. There lies continually a network of strong, elastic fibres, permeating the ground in every possible direction. By the action of these fibres the roadbed is gradually raised higher, and what was formerly a wet swamp is now a dry road. So the natural wear is more than compensated for by the annual growth of these noble elms. Then one may ride over a natural live bridge, self-sustaining, economical, perpetual that will not break through, however great or heavy the travel.” This fact should not be lost sight of by Highway Boards, for preserving the roads under their care from destruction should be as pleasant a duty as to repair them when sadly cut up. When roads are kept so rough as to occasion accidents resulting in the sacrifice of the life of a human being, as was the case last week, the reflections such events cause cannot be pleasant to Highway trustees. If shading the road, on each side by trees were to make it more durable, it is time that, vigorous measures were adopted to give general effect to such a scheme. One thing may be relied upon; tree planting along our roadways can do no harm, and it may do mueh good, besides adding vastly to the beauty of our rural districts.