TREES OR NO TREES?—No. I.

Ashburton Herald, Volume I, Issue 238, 4 January 1879, Page 2

TREES OR NO TREES?—No. I.

[Contributed.]

In places where, during the heat of summer, violent winds, clouds of dust, and bright glare of sunshine prevail, every wayfarer, whether on foot, mounted; or on the uncovered seat of a carriage of any kind, desires shade, shelter under the lee of something, and relief for smarting eyps. The weary foot passenger wants, besides these, rest in a cool place for his tired, -heated feet, irritated eyes, and perspiring body. All these wants are in a great measure supplied wherever public trees arc planted and public seats placed beneath them. Paris had been long celebrated for her Boulevards, lined with double rows of trees ; her shady walks in the Tuileries and Jardin des Plantes, and rides in the Champs Elysees and Bois de Boulogne. In her resistance to the Prussian invasion of 1870, and her subsequent civil war, many of the old trees in those localities were destroyed. It was one of the lesser horrors of those bloody conflicts. Bordeaux oives much of its beauty and agreeableness as a residence to the trees of the Quinconces and other public places. Boulogne is much improved as a sojourning place by the trees and public seats on its boulevards, High Town ramparts, and Tintifferies. Hundreds of miles of high roads in France are planted with double rows of shady trees on each side. Berlin has its fresh green avenues of lime-trees “Unter der Linden.” Philadelphia’s streets and squares were not only named after, but liberally planted with, English trees of various kinds by its Quaker founders. London itself has grown round the timbered and grassed parks, studded with public seats, once on the outskirts, but which are now crowded thoroughfares, and have been for many years fitly termed “the lungs of the metropolis. ” The '- shade and greenery of the snares give coolness and eye-rest to the poorest frequenter of the neighbouring streets, as well as to the highest folks in the land who have keys of the enclosures, and eat ice creams in carriages under their shelter. The Thames Embankment is being carefully planted along the greater part, if not the whole, of its length. Who that has visited New York in May does not appreciate the fresh verdure of the horse-chesnut and other trees bursting into leaf up each side of Broadway, hr the Castle Gardens, Bowling Green, City Hall Park, and other places, simultaneously with the beginning of the scorching summer ? Even in Algeria the French conquerors... have achieved their greatest victories over aboriginal foes by staying fever and sunstroke with plantations of the eucalypti, or Australian gums, in great quantities, and over a great extent of country. The “ American Agricultural” informs us that 40,000 trees have been recently planted in the avenues and streets of Washington, some thirty kinds being used. Numerous other instances might be cited, showing the general belief in the advantage; of planting trees in the streets and open places of crowded and especially otherwise unhealthy cities subject to heat, wind, dust, and sun-glare. The. public authorities of the rather unhealthy city of Christchurch, with regard to the much-vexed question of “ let grow” or “ fell and sell,” have recently adopted a course diametrically opposed to that of their earlier municipal selectmen. When the Horticultural Shows used to be held, with band playing, on .the. Godley statue side of Cathedral Square, that space was enclosed by paling, barren, hot, windy, and dusty. Poplars and gum trees were planted about twenty years ago, on the west or statue side, and quincunxes or quadrilaterals of poplars on either side of the entrance to the Cathedral. The North and East Belts and surroundings of Hagley Park, and either, or in some places both, banks of the Avon from the N. W. corner of the Park to far below, the East Belt, were planted with graceful wallows weeping into the waters, and various other British trees. The Domain Gardens, the North Town Belt, and the two divisions of Hagley Park had public seats provided in shady places. The authorities of that era seem to have cared for the comfort and rest of their humbler fellow-creatures as well as their own —especially for that of such of them as could not afford saddlehorse or vehicle, whose business took them far from their homes in the outskirts or suburbs of. the city, and who were either unwilling to enter a public-house, or too close pressed “ to make both ends meet ” to buy the luxury of shelter or rest even.in a temperance refreshment shop. Many working-men used to rest, and some eat their dinners, on the pediments of the windows through which the great Temple of Mammon —the Bank of New Zealand—receives light. They were not long, however, allowed to pick up the crumbs of relieved fatigue from the rich man’s door. Spikes—-revolving cheveux de frise—such as are set to prevent malefactors from breaking out of jail, were placed by the dispensers and gatherers of “ filthy lucre,” so that, whether Lazarus or an industrious workman at his mid-day meal, or willing workman out of employ, the plebeian was made to feel that he had no permission to sit down even on the outer stones of Plutus’s favored abode. The priests of that worship would not encourage a congregation of “loafers!” Sedentary pursuits were not only tolerated, but somewhat unpleasantly prolonged inside. But the “ outsider!’ must feel that it is no use “kicking against the pricks.” “Move pn ” w r as presented in even more practical form than that of the over-zealous policeman who warns a weary woman off the only alternative in Christchurch—a welcome wooden door-step ! The spiked-out beggars for rest found refuge on the grass and big trees and roots under the shade of the trees oil either side of the central public place. Then began the raid upon the forestry. Tlio days of Gladstonine tree-

chopping- were at hand. “ Bulgarian atrocities ” were nothing to the wholesale outrages; on, and massacre of, foliage which signalised the dominion of a new dynasty of municipal oligarchs, chiefly elected by a plurality of votes, exercised by those who could afford the shelter of a house or close carriage, hired or private, .to. protect them from sun-burn, savage 1 whirlwinds, sand-spouts, sore eyes, hatless head and aching brow, and irritated skin and temper—fatal to success in money-grubbing negotiations. Fii'st went the poplars next to the Bank of New Zealand, under which the express-men used to enjoy some measure of shade. There was some excuse.for this, since the space was partly occupied by a tank of artesian spring water, supplemented by a few firs,, etc., which refuse to grow big, for fear they, too, should be cut down. But even that was soon railed in'from the pollution of the “ profane vulgar! ” . . [To be Continued.]