The achievements and conclusions of some of the research carried out on the establishment of roadside vegetation and. sand-dune control from 1962-1977 are reviewed. Fall and early spring seedings of basic grasses-creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra), Kentucky-31 tall fescue (Fertuca elatior var. arundinacea), ryegrass (Lolium spp.), redtop (Agrortisalba), and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis)-and a legume, white dover (Trifolium repens), are successful for erosion control and vegetative cover on roadsides properly limed and fertilized. Hay, excelsior mat, wood cellulosa, and wood· chip mulches provided excellent erosion control and assistance in seedling establishment. For more~ rmanent cover, low-maintenance leguminous species that can be substituted for grasses are crownvetch (Coronilla varia), flat pea (Lathyrus sylvertris), and lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata), but they require more precise soil preparations of liming and fertilization for establishment. Methods were found of establishing woody species quickly and inexpensively through the use of root cuttings of sweet fern (Comptonia peregrina), bristly locust (Robinia fertilfs), and sumac species (Rhus spp,); spot seeding of other woody species and even legumes is successful and inexpensive. Proper wood-chip depth is important. Moving sand dunes on Cape Cod initiated experiments that showed that American beachgrass (Ammophila breviligu/ata) can be successfully grown by machine planting with the use of a complete fertilizer; during the second season, the area was completely covered with beachgrass. Coastal panicgrass (Panicum amarulum}, weeping lovegrass (Eragrortis curvula). and tall fescue provided good cover after having been seeded with a grain drill modified to plant the seeds 2 in. deep. Woody species such as pines (Pinus spp.) and bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica) can be planted on stabilized dunes as climax vegetation.

With the rapid expansion of the us Interstate system of highways, the Highway Research Board in 1932 created a joint committee to help guide the practical application of roadside development. some years later, another committee of the same organization was formed to consider the technical and research aspects. Roadside development, then, is concerned with the many facets of a progressive highway construction program, including the historical background of an area, aesthetics, conservation of natural resources, rest areas, scenic overlooks, erosion control, landscaping, safety considerations, rightof-way ramifications, and future development (1). From 1962 to 1977, the University of-Massachusetts was involved in a roadside development research program, the purpose of which was to test new methods and materials for practical and economic stabilization on roadsides in the state. Field studies showed the value of fescue grass species for stabilizing sandy slopes. The seeds of some of these species were incorporated into the grass slope seed mixture and the per-acre rate of seeding was cut to 100 lb from the previously used 180-lb/acre rate. The value of lime and fertilizer for permanent slope cover, especially for legumes like crownvetch, was investigated and recommendations were accepted by the Department of Public works. As wood-chip use increased for erosion control on slopes, investigations were directed to the seeding of legumes, shrubs, forbs, and trees into mulched areas. Root cuttings for shrub establishment in mulched areas were also studied. The re-