Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-05-13
ksOys side 2Eees,

The season, with its pleasant show
oi fresh springing graes in the city
conrtyasas--where here and there a
golden chain Of the ForSythia bangles
along the woody stems makes us
think again of pleasan, drives along
country-roads, which, without the
shadows of occasional trees, and the
play Of their lealy spray upon the air,
would be sllorn ofhalf their charms.
= VMage-s,reets, too, we can hardly
think of as wearing their most enga
ging aspect unless the trees hem them
III somewhat disorderly array, giving
covert to the birds, and shadows tc
the cleanly raked door-yards.
Throughout our suburban cities.
too, we gratefully welcome the same
reminders Of the open country, and
greet the red bloom Of the soft maple
and the chocolate, sober blossoms OF
the elm, with spring thanksgiving.
When we have named the sugar
maple, the silver maple, the red maple,
the linden, and the elm, we have
named what seem to us the best for
street service but the elm, it were
well to remember, is more sensitive
to gas leakagea, to pavement repairs,
and to the drouths which are intcnsi
fed by good city sewerage, than
either Of the others.
Again, it is well to remember that
trees cannot be planted with the same
freedom in suburban cities as in vii
lagos or along country high roads
Close-built houses do not admit OF
free circulation OF air;a wall OF
buildings to the south of town
street keeps away the sunshine for a
goodly part of the day. The mud
does not dry the wind does not have
free course the moss grows upon the
roofs. Aud wherever this comes
about, the trees are too dense, and
sanitary considerations should compel
thinning out.
There are beautiful provincial
cities which are suffering woIully
from this cause to-day and inhabit-
ants wondering what is the occasion
of the great increase Of typhoid
ailments and low feyers which their
own trees are provoking and nourish-
ing. All the doctors in the world
could not do so much for them as a
woodsman who should cut away a
half oftheir superintendent foliage.
Where clean payements exist
inequality Of surface, and perfect
sewerage, the i'll effects Of great
masses of LEAKAGE overhanginS the
streets are not so apparent but upon
fiat surfaces, where a close, sticky
mud holds every rain for days, the
injurious results are positive and
instant.
Nobody who has a soul likes to
sacrifice grand old tree; but, for
the m st part, it is not the grand old
trees that do Tie injury we speak Of.
Grand old trees, for their develope
ment, must have open spaces about
them, and stand very widely apart !;
..e most serious effects come from
those close set iines-separated ty a
distance OF only fifteen or twenty
feet-in narrow streets, whose tops
form 4 dense hedgerow, and where
cioseness f"rhids any thing like
symmetrical individual devvelope-
ment Forty feet makes the least
distance which should De allowable
between large shade trees OF the
street.
II is to be hoped that. in the pro-
grcss of our civilization, we shall
come in time to have sanitary COM
missions in all our cities, who shall
make inquiries in regard to the sub
ject matters We suggest out Of the
province of politics, and establish
some reconcilement of the laws Of
health and of the laws Of taste.
Oddly enough, while trees which
are in military line, and which by
their density of shade are doing their
typhoid work along the lines of city
houses,ar vigorously spared, the mo-
ment an Improvement" mania reach
es toward the open country or out
lying villages, every grand old tree
which is only by foot or two within
or without some arbitrary line 0! de-
marcation is hewn down, and the
suburb despoiled Of Its chiclest gra-
ees.
Here the air has free swoop; the
houses are low and with wide gaps
for the breezes between them; the
veteran trees give charm and char
acter to the village street; but the
pesky city surveyor finds the messy
bole of one within range of his theod,
oliie, and straightway it comes down.
1t makes q stupendous change; it
makes all garish and bald where
there was an air Of pastoral quietude
and inviting shadows. Unfortunate
ly the directors i'll such enterprises
usually reckon change and improve
ment convertible terms. The greater
the change, the yaster the improve
ment. It's only the lack OF tempta-
ton and the fear of hanging that
keep such vandals from the murder
that goes by its own nane.-XcarM
k Home,