Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-10-19

Editor Morning Aelos: Our sister, Spring
field, of the Old Bay State, seems to be ex-
ercised by the question Of shade trees as we
are in Savannah, judging from the Spring
field Rendition of the 10th, which contains
two excellent discussions OF the subject
one contributed, the other commenting edi-
torially on the contribution.
The question is of the highest importance
TO cities. towns and villages within the lin
its of abundant vegetation, and particularly
to those of the more southerly ATTITUDES
where abundance runs into luxuriance.
Whatever influences declsivelY the health
of a city, town or village, and consequently
is a forcible agent in determining the
| PHYSIQUE of its inhabitants, Is a matter too
serious to be negigently treated. Inc hrst
| difficulty encountered in graphing with
municipal arboriculture is, as the Republican
remarks, ''that it takes more wisdom
| than the average officials are apt to have
| to know when tree ought to be cut down
| and when it is a Wanton outrage to disturb
it.' And we say of Savannah as it says OF
Sprinefeld, ''there are not few streets in
| this city along which an axe might be en-
ployed with great advantage, provided
| iudcious head should guide the hand that
yields it." Mr.. Gardner, whose opinion
seems to be Of some authority, and whose
| article is commented upon by the Repu6
| LicGa throws out some excellent ideas, which
agree so well with our own, that we give
| give them in brief:
There are two things, he says, that no
man, woman or child can live without
light and air; and that whatever diminishes
the quantity of air and sunshine or impairs
the quality of either, is sure to make us suf-
| fer. Certainly" he says, ''it is great
| calamity to any country to be deprived Of
| its forests, but that is not good reason for
| living in dampness and shadow. A tree"
he continues, (Which throws its shadow On
a human habitation through the sunnlest
| part Of the day is dangerous member OF
| society, and ought to be destroyed without
remedy. DIR. Bowditch long ago pointed
out the intimate relation between
shaded homes and pulmonary diseases, and
| there is not an intelligent physician any
where who will not cry 'amen' TO the in
vocation for more sunlight"
| ''Shade trees so near to our houses, and so
dense of foliage as to prevent bright colored
| flowers from blooming underneath them,
| and the grass from turning brown in seasons
| of drought, are a sure promise of mold,
mildew and malaria outside-not to mention
mosquitoes, worms, slugs and all sorts Of
| cold, clammy creeping things-and, inside,
| of damp walls, musty linen, rheumatic mer,
| nervous women, and pale, puny children.
/ Mr.. Gardner does not insist that we shall
! cut down all of the trees, and walk and sit
| in the sunshine, but aims a. the ViG media,
the middle course, of common sense that
regulates the planting of trees near houses,
with due regard to the actual and relative
/ value of sunshine and shade. "By all
MEANS" he says, "plant trees where there
| is room for them; in the wide avenues, In
the parks and squares, by the corners of
| streets, but remember that trees grow" and
| for the sake of the trees themselves, II not for
humaDitY's sake, give them room to grow.
4 Do not live in the shade OF trees
that were bean poles when your venerated
/ ancestors planted them, and which might
have been cut down years ago, but by using
your common sense, by seeking and follow
| ing the best light of the present time, which
| in this connection is sunlight"
Another evil Of too many shade trees in
| Savannah is the deleterious influence OF eX-
| cessive foliage upon the atmosphere. In the
/ day time plants absorb carbonic acid and ex-
hale oxygen, but In the night this process is
to a degree reversed. Carbonic acid is alb
sorbed as in the day, but there being no IN
| fuence of light, the carbonic acid is return
| ed to the air we breathe unchanged, sur
charging the atmosphere with it beyond
the amount per cent.-which can be
| healthfully breathed, and causing it to act
more or less as a narcotic poison.
The recent cyclone was blessing In dis
| guise, by thinning out cur shade trees, as
many of onr intelligent citizens now see,
and yet the axe may still be judiciously ap-
piled in many streets, and IN Forsyth Park
| without the imputation of vandalism-for
| to remove tree noble work Of God as 1t isl
that is injuriouslY placed is good taste as
well as good sense. H. G. W.