The best quote I can find of Hale referencing the
countryside occurs in these words:
Excellency, there are orphans wandering from
house to house; abandoned cattle bellow on the highroads, the stink of rotting crops
hangs everywhere, and no man knows when the harlot's cry will end his
life.
I will respond assuming
this is the quote to which you refer. I think this is not just symbolic but a direct and
literal description of the countryside during this time. If you need it to be a symbol
of moral and spiritual desolation then let's look at it a little differently. These
signs are of emptiness, inefficiency, and abandonment. The term "rotting crops" in
particular calls to mind the fact that a spiritual or moral life requires planting,
fertilizing, and watering to grow. When these disciplines aren't followed, the result is
foul. This is happening in the society. Cattle are generally easy to please animals, but
if they "bellow on the highroads" this demonstrates a loss of home and loss of
nourishment from their masters who cared for them. This town is no longer receiving
fulfilling nourishment from the minister, nor is it at home.
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