Village Squire, 1977-11, Page 18Requiem for departed beauty
BY G.P.
When we go out for a drive around our own county of a
Sunday, or if we move further afield to go shunpiking the entire
distance from Windsor to Ottawa, gond old Southern Ontatio no
longer has the eye appeal it had in the past.
No one whose memory stretches back to the 50's or beyond
can avoid shedding a silent tear for the departure of that most
magnificent of trees, the American Elm. Everywhere we
travelled the elm was with us, magestic and ever -varying in its
subtle shape. It was as much a part of the landscape as our
countless lakes and the blue sky above them. The virulent Dutch
elm disease is still with us, untamed, but there are those who
feel that an all out effort in the beginning could have contained
it. Now it seems too late.
Something else is being pushed out, as we bow to the wishes
of the automobile. We are removing those miles on miles of
lovely maple avenues that were the past glory of our autumn
landscape, as well as the spring source of many a bucket of sap
for eager youngsters. Where along the road do you see
replacements being planted along the widened roads?
To add still further to a neutral landscape, farmers bent on
extracting the last ounce from their land are ripping out and
leveling off the rows of trees and wild shrubs that used to form
the boundaries to smaller fields. It is simple to forsee that with
the destruction of trees and shrubs on all sides, the bird
population will decline. With fewer birds the insect population
will increase and the need for pesticides will grow. But as the
gentleman said, "that's another story."
Wherever you place the blame and it is up to you to form your
own judgements, travelling around this province of ours is not
the eye -filling and soul renewing experience it once was.
Fall isfA
Fashion r�
\Th
/Q
The Vested Look
is First in Fashion
for Fall '77.
See the newest in
Suits, Sports Ensembles
All Vested...
At
MAIN CORNER,
CLINTON
Campbell's
Men's 14tar
16,VO.LAGE SQUIRE/NOVEMBER 1977.
Make Someone
REALLY HAPPY
Let Us Help You
Select Your Christmas
GIFTS
WIDE SELECTION OF GIFTS
TO SUIT EVERY BUDGET
COME IN AND SEE
FOR YOURSELF
rAy
Gemini
Jewellers
Rdka6,
LISTOWEL, SHELBURNE, WINGHAM