New Englanders have always had a dependency and a great respect for trees. Wooden objects have always been a major part of early lifestyles and important in many ways. In addition to their respect, many early settlers and many of today’s residents have a special love and concern for our trees.

Poets have written about trees and they have figured in the stories about New England, such as that of the Charter Oak, whose Connecticut history was once preserved and immortalized in that tree.

My older family members mourned for years the extinction of the chestnut trees, which had much importance to early settlers. Later, the elm disease wiped out another important species which was well loved for its decorative grace and beauty. Early postcards and pictures often showed off this tall tree that was often found abundantly on town greens and in other public places.

It was encouraging to read in a news item daughter Laurie sent me recently that the city of Burlington, Vermont, planted 33 sapling elms this year for the first time in 50 years. They are a variety of disease resistant elms, newly developed to resist the Dutch Elm disease.

Fifty years ago, Burlington had 10,000 elm trees. Today only 16 are living.

Elm trees grow tall. They have no branches for 20 to 30 feet in the air, which makes it a great advantage to have them growing near power lines, along roadsides, and near other low objects. In 1932, a load of logs is said to have been the beginning of problems when they arrived from Norway, bringing the elm bark beetle.

Replacement elms are expensive – from $150 to $275 per tree. Burlington has established a free fund and tax deductible tree donations are helping restore the fine old trees which have been gone for over 50 years. What a great way to help the city budget and the tall, proud elm trees. City arborist Warren Spinner is a motivator of the Vermont effort.

There is no end to the number of things that need attention, repairs, and improvements around home. Small emergencies often send the homeowner hurrying to a hardware store to buy a can, bottle, or package of a proclaimed remedy. Not only do we sometimes have no idea how to fix or repair the problem, we don’t know what will correct the problem.

FMC and A, a publisher in Peachtree, Georgia, have published a new book, Uncommon Uses for Common Household Products.

I saved an article about this book from a college newsletter in New York State. The company promises a gift if the book is ordered by September 3. To be learned are such things as using a dollop of shaving cream to fix a squeaky hinge, or what to put in the bag when you freeze a loaf of bread to keep it from being soggy. Instead of expensive hair products, it is possible it might save the cost of $15 including postage to get such a book.

We are back to tropical weather again for a few days. I keep thinking about October and its bright blue skies, fluffy white clouds, and brisk autumn breezes. That’s known as being optimistic.

The birds are still enjoying the suet cake I have out – the only summer feeder. It is also filled with seeds in the suet and is not supposed to drip in this hot weather. It doesn’t.

Woodrow Wilson was the author of the words at the end of last week’s column.

Who said, “Ay, Sir; to be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand”?