National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1872-12-07
TREES AND sIIRrnRERY.



Board Of Public Works to compose a parking |
commission, and who by their ONCE have entire |
charge Of the trees and shruhbery Of the District
have prepared the following interesting report, |
which was transmitted TO the board few days
ago:
smg In answer to your request for detailed
statement Of the operations Of the parking com
mission for the year ending October 81, isf2 l
have the honor to submit the following report:
RESERVE NURSERY.
One Of the nrst steps taken by the commission
was directed towards securing tract OF land as
q reserve nursery, for the preservation and prep
aratOn Of trees and shrubs for street, avenue
4 portion Of The grounds attached to the aims
house having been appropriated TO this purpose, |
II was at once put In fitting condition by drain !
Ing, maturing and deep and frequent ploughings.
The advantages derived from this arrangement
are many and important. Trees can he produced
more cheaply when purchased In quantities, and
those not required Tor Immediate planting are
stored for future use whore they are continually
improving In value. by this means larger Sc
lection Of choice subjects are constantly AZ dis
posal the risk Of loss after the plants are placed
minimum when they are removed Immediately
from the reserve; Tor, even with the greatest
care In lifting and packing, many trees will fail
to grow after undergoing the casualties Of dis
tant transpOrtatiOn-mOrC particularly In the
case Of large trees and thus greater degree Of
uniformity, both In the form and future growth
Of the plant Is, by these means, secured.
SELECTION or TREES.
In making selection the following quallnCa-
tons were deemed essential In a tree for Ordl-
nary street and avenue planting;
First. A somewhat compact stateliness and
symmetry Of growth, as distinguished from low
spreading or pendant form, so that the stem may
reach sutt,cient height 20 allow free circulation
Of air below the branches,
second. An ample supply Of expansive foliage,
Of bright, early spring vendure, aud rich In the
variety Of cOlOrs and tints assumed during
autumn.
Thiri. Healthness, so far as being exempt
from constitutional disease, a. well "a by mala-
dies frequently engcndered by peculiaritles Of
soil and atmospheric impurities,
Fourth. Cleanliness, characterized by per-
slstency Of foliage during summer, freedom from
fading flowers, aud exemption from the attacks
Of nONiOus insects.
FIN. It should he easily transplanted, Of mod
entely vigorous growth, and not Inclined to
throw up shoots from the roots or lower portion
Of the stem. A tree Of extremely rapid growth
Is generally shOrt-llyed.
Sixth. The branches should he elastic rather
than brittle, that they may withstand heavy
storms; and lastly, there should be no offensive
Odors from foliage or flowers.
There IA no tree that lls all Of these conditions
so emlnently well as does the silver maple (doeT
ddsgcdrpUn.) The American linden, gaia Amer
inuRd,) European sycamore maple, (door pSt,eio-
plntdHus,) and the American elm (Himus Amsri-
rand) also meet all the requirements where the
latter Is not subjected to the attacks Of insects.
The tulip tree, (ifriotsHdron fHiiplfcrdO sugar
maple, (dcrr sdcchdriHUtHl sweet gum, Vfrtitdm-
Der styrdcidHd) and the red maple, (dccT rubruBiO
are among the most beautiful Of trees their only
drawback being that OF not growing freely after
tTansplantlng, unless specially prepared for the
operation; with this precautiOn they are fault
less. For certain positions the norway maple,
(1oer parliamentary the negundO, ydosr heguidO,l
aud the American ash Ur1TinHs ABterfodHd) are
quite satisfactory. For wide avenues, with proper
Treatment In the matter OF pruning when young,
the buttOnwoods tpldhtdnus occideHtdiis anil
pidHtdHus OrieHtdiis) are rapid-grUwing and eff
feCtlve trees. The European ash, (Frdrfniu
e.posisOr) European Linden (TRid BUropcd,) and
several Others Of similar merit, may OCCASION
ally be Introduced by way OF variety.
SIZE 90 TREES.
The commission has met with great dlfficulty
In procuring trees Of such age and size as they
deemed most desirable. The formation Of parks
In many Of our large cities, and the constantly
Increasing suburban improvements In Others
have OccaslUned demand for large nursery
grown trees far beyond the supply. To those
whose experience has taniliariZed them with the
comparative merits Of transplanting large and
small trees, this may he looked upon as a bless
! ing in disguise; hut while this may he conceded,
| the peCuliarities existing In this City-the ample
width Ot the streets, anil still more spacious
hreadths Of side parEngs-enhanced the desir-
ability Of procuring trees NJ the largest available
| size, and this, 10 far, has been done.
NUMBER OF TREES OK HAND.
The number Of trees Of all kinds at present In
| the reserve nursery amounts tn seventeen thou
sand one hundred and ninety-siN, UT,lp6)
These consist principally Of the best species Of
naples, elms, ashes and lindcns. Tulip-trees
and sweet gums are also well represented.
! The plants vary In size from two feet to nine
| feet In height. In addition Ia the above, several
thousand young oaks aud other native trees, pro-
| duCed from seeds In the botanic garden, have
! been donated to the city by that establishment
! NUMBER or TREES PLANTED.
! Daring the year two thousand anil thirty
! (2,O3U) trees have been planted In the sidewalks
aud strect-parks, and, notwithstanding the un-
usual dry summer, have succeeded very well. A
few sugar naples have succumhed, this tree he
Ing one that can only TIC quite satisfactorily
| planted In a city thOrUughfarC after proper pre-
paraliOn In the reserve nursery, and which, In
this instance, could not he accomplished.
Ina nNNp Fta In. ItttIif aIfr
! ings, nnt In consequence many trees have been
preserved that doubtless would otherwise have
been lost.
PREPARATIONS FOR PLANTING
| With the view Of giving the trees good start
In life the holes for their reception are made Of
ample size. full cubic yard of subsoil Is re-
moved from each and Its place supplied with an
/ equal quantity Of good surface soil, which has
previously been COmpnsted with street manure.
A little over three thousand 5000 holes have
been prepared In this manner. Having obtained
permission from your board TO secure all the good
! surface soil from streets to he graded, several
thousand cubic yards have been removed and
stacked up In suitable and convenient localities,
and Is being mixed with street manure for future
/ use.
BOxING rREEs
! During the past summer a series Of cheap tree
| boxes were furnished as a temporary protection
/ TO newly planted trees. II was deemed advisa-
lle, also, TO protect all the healthy young trees
throughout the city ~ far as practicable, and
many hundreds Of these have been boxed. This
seemed essentially necessary, owing to the injury
they were receiving from the nibbngg Of goats
and horses, evils that still require to he closely
watched
PRUNING rREEs.
Trees In cities serve other purposes hesdes
that OF furnishing shade, Indeed, so far as
dwelllng-hOuses are concerned, shade Is much
more Injurious than beneficial. A free CirCula-
ton OF air and plenty OF sunlight are sanitary re-
! qulremCnts OF the foremost Importance.
! one Of the most valuable incidental benefits de
rived from narrowing the streets Is that Of per-
hitting the line Of tree planting to be placed at
thus shading the prOmenades without over
Swallowing the dwellings. This Is an improve
ment 70 city planting which will probably be
more thoroughly appreciated In the future than
1t II at present The ornamental effect Of trees
as relief and contrast to city architecture IL an
artistic feature worthy Of far more consideration
than II usually receives. Owing to the formal
distribution and position Of the trees, as well az
70 the character Of their surroundings and aC-
compartments, the best effects cannot he pro-
duced unless the branches exhibit a certain de-
gree Of regularity and uniformity Of growth,
which Is easily secured by proper attention 10
the plants during the period Of their first decade
hut difiicult to establish on trees that have been
neglect.
With a view TO improve, In some degree, the
present condition Of the older trees throughout
the city, they are being pFuned, which, with
proper attention In the future will add to their
appearance, az well as recuperate many that
Three thousand a, OOO trees, situated In various
portions OF the city, having already been pruned,
and the work II still progressing.
MOVING LARGE TREES.
At the urgent request OF property -hulders sew
eral large trees, which stood In the way OF I'M
prOyements have been lifted aud replaced In posi-
tiOn. About sixty trees, Of various Sizes many
| Of them weighing over ton, have been removed.
30 far as street planting Is concerned this opera
ton cannot ne very successful, and Is not CON-
mended; not, however, from any difficulty In the
mere operation Of removal, but large roots can
not he placed In position near CuTbstOnes without
great liability to injury.
WILLIAM SAUNDERS, Secretary.
/ (SlgncN WV. X. SMITH,
JONI Saul,
WILLIAM SAUNDERS,
Commission.
Hoa, 4. r. SLIh,ri, Vice rrsshisa' Hoard ~ Public
Work..
RAILROAD ACCIDENT.