Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 December 1883 — Plant Trees on the Roadsides. [ARTICLE]

Plant Trees on the Roadsides.

Mr. Orange Judd advocates tree planting along the highways, in the American Agriculturist. He says: Trees may ,be planted at any time be fore the ground freezes solid, or as soon as it fully opens in spring. Early spring would be preferable on some accounts; but if left until then, the hurry of work, often delayed by cold and wet weather, is likely to interfere. It is better, therefore, to get every hardy tree possible into its permanent growing place now. And every year it is delayed is no trifling loss. A hundred trees can be set at a cost of ten to twenty dollars, or for almost no’cost, if one has spare time and the saplings are easily available. These may in ten to fifteen years grow to be worth three to ten dollars apiece for needed timber and fuel, or for the fruit or nuts prodnced* It would be greatly to the advantage of the country, its 'climate and its beauty, if the sides of our public highways generally were planted with trees that furnish shade and ornament while growing, and supply at no distant Seriod wood for various purposes, ome years before they mature sufficiently to be cut down for use, new plantings alternating with the older trees can be coming forward to take their places, or slow and quick-growing varieties may be set,_sb that when the latter are removed the former will be large enough to soon fill the gaps. -It is desirable, however, to have together those that somewhat resemble each other in form at the top. We have in mind a broad street, ninety feet -wide, where twenty-five to thirty yearg ago various oaks were set, thirty to forty feet apart, ten feet. from the outside, and between these, in a line with them, quick-growing maples were planted. Becently the maples were all removed, furnishing a cord of wood apiece, with considerable useful timber, and the oaks now stand in two beautiful rows.

As to loss of land from spreading rootspaqd from shade, if planted a few feet from the fence, the roots can be kept from the crops by a deep furrow alopg the inside of the fence every year or two, and the shade will nqt be a serious detiiment —none, at all from trees on the, south side of roads running easterly and westerly. Those on the northerly side of the road furnish a very desirable shade to animals in the adjoining pastures. ,