Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-06-03
THE TREES IN WASHINGTON.
A Mighty Forest Growing Within the
CITY,
A SPLENDID SCHEME FOR PROVIDING SHADE
AND BEACTIFY1NG THE STREETS SUCCESS
FULLY CARRIED OUT


Washington Correspondence New York Times
Standing upon the dome of the Capitol at this
season of the year one overlooks a vast laby-
rinth of leafing trees probably unequaied in
tent, variety and symmetry in any other city
In the world. In few years capital will
become prominently the forest city of the ma
ton. Trees all around you, in platoons. i'm col
umns, in ranks, single, double, and quadruple.
they shade and ornament with their luXuriant
foliage not only the magnificent avenues where
fashion takes its daily airing, but equally the
squalid and unimproved streets inhabited by
the very poor. There are trees of many varie-
ties-the stately plume.crowned elm, symmet-
rical, tender-leavcd Carolina poplars; sprawl
ing. much-bebuttoned sycamores, in iveries of
white; rare and distinguished looking
glnkgos, lifting their spare trunks heavenward.
like lofty church SPIRES soft, green, umbra-
geous maples-the peoples favorite-and gen.
erous, broad-leaved lndens and catalpas. There
is no more striking sight in Washington than
may be seen by standing in the center of one
OF the small parks called circles, situated at the
intersection of sometimes eight ten streets
and avenues, and then letting the eye range
along the rows of growing trees of many species,
OF similar height and beautiful ASPECT, which
radiate from you for miles in all directions like
spoSeS frun the hub of Il wheel. And one needs
only TO notice some hot August day the pedes-
TRANS do1ging from tree tu tree to escape the
clustering sum- the horses picking their way
where the trees shade the street, and little chill
dren continuing their play at noontide beneath
their grateful shelter, to be convinced that they
have an important bearing upon public health
| and comfort. These facts led your correspond
ent to hunt up one of the originators OF this
great Improvement, Mr.. William Saunders. SUI
perintendcntofth the propasating garden, depart
mcnt of agriculture. for Information, and Mr..
saunders impaired these facts:
There are about 10000 trees in the streets of
Washington. Our streets are provided with
l25 mics of shade, exclusive OF parks and pub
lie gardens. We intend that every graded
street, whether inhabited or not, shall have Mt
least two rows of vigorous growing shade tree>
and many of the wider avenues contain four
Set out in single file twenty-five feet apart, our
trees would extend from here to New York city.
Planted in grove allowing only twenty-four
feet space between the trees and they would
| form forest covering 500 acres. Our naples
sugar orchard with which to sweeten the public
temper. Probably no other city in the world
has provided so munifcenty and systematic
Satiy for its citizens in the matter of shade
This city is the pioneer and most successful ex-
ample Oh the application Of arboriculture to the
| improvement and ornamentation of public
streets. When carrying out the extensive
scheme OF public improvements about the year
| 1870, great complaint was made because of the
! street grading. II was suggested to the author
tiles that the citys parking should be put into
! plant Quick-9rowing trees to supply the places
| OF those removed. and thus quiet public dis
content content, The suggestion was acted npon, and
William Z. Smith, John Saul and William
Saunders were appointed parking commits
sion, who should act as an advisory board to
| plan for and superntend the setting ont of
suitable shade trees. These gentlemen were
| practical nurserymen. The annual eypendi-
ture for this department has been 5000.
The parking commission has not had the hand
/ ling of the money, their duties being wholly adj
| v.sory and experimenting. During the first
| few years of our administration the principal
outlay was for purchasing and setting out trees
AS soon as practicable two nurseries were
started and planted with the seeds of approved
| varieties of shade trees and by this means of
| at minimum price and little loss.
"As the number of trees under our charge in
creased it was found that the boxing and proper
| care of those already planted absorbed the
| funds to such an extent that only two or three
thousand new trees could be planted annually.
| Our tree boxes cost us Is cents apiece, and by
| their peculiar construction serve not only TO
protect the trees from outside violence. but also
afford adequate support to the young trees
! against the high winds which often prevail in
this section and to which, from their isolated
| position, they are peculiarly exposed. Under
favorable conditions a tree box Will last six or
| eight years. The employment Of six or eight
men with three horses is required, throughout
tree boxes alone. 1t is amazing how many enc
mics properly planted tree has to contend
| with in its laudable efforts in behalf of public
comfort. Every runaway horse is sure to fetch
up against a tree box, TO their mutual hurt and
destruction. Drunken men find them safer
and far more convenient resting place than the
proverbial lamp post. Rain and wind storms
In connection with excessive growth produce a
large annual crop of accidents. Two thousand
storm few years ago. Besides no tree
| is exempt from its hereditary foes
in the way of bugs, beetles and worms. The
police report daily all mishaps to trees and
boxes, and we keep a team busy throughout the
growing season repairing damages, such as
moving broken limbs and worms nests. 1t re-
quires large aggregate of labor to simply care
for forest OF sc, 900 trees for such ii really is.
During the planting season, Of course, much
tory of a tree depends almost wholly upon the
skill and pains bestowed upon it at planting. A
| street having been designated for the setting,
we dig holes at intervals of % or 30 feet. accord
ing to the variety OF tree, from which three cart
loads of dirt are removed and carried away.
The trees are then brought from the nurseries
in a wagon especially built for that purpose,
care being taken that the roots shall not be-
come dry, which, as you know, Is the chief
from some far distant nursery. The head
having been suitably cut back, the tree is de-
posted in the hole, which is then filled with
three carloads of good soil, prepared and en-
riched for that purpose AS each tree involves
the handling OF six carloads OF soil, which
must often be conveyed long distances, and at
an average expense of so cents per load, you
perceive that the main expense is not the tree
itself, but the planting 1t is also often needful
to water the newly planted trees during the dry
heats of summer. With such careful and scien-
tfic treatment the loss reaches the astonishing
an established tree is found to be less than
So as against SO, the average cost in Paris.
M MAN s ws tbe
ming The Almighty never intended that
| tree should be pruncd, agricultural wiseacres
to the contrary Notwithstanding. Hence we
never trim a tree without good and sufficient
reason. Some varieties Send down long pendu-
lous branches which interfere with the hats
and umbrellas of paSsers by, and require to be
removed. Others grow a mass OF foliage
dense as to offer solid front to gales of wind,
and must be thinned out to prevent their over
throw, a fatality to which the isolated trees of
the streets are far more liable than those
planted in parks. 1t is also necessary to clip
Off the twigS infested with worms nests, &c.
This pruning can be safely intrusted only to
only at rates beyond that which our appropria-
ton authorizes us to eXpend; hence we are
much embarrassed in this branch of the SER
vice. Sometimes we are asked to remove the
tops of thegrowing trees because they interfere
with the telegraph wires, but we do not do it,"
the tavorite and best shade tree, evidenced by
experience and popular approval, is the maple,
of which seven distinct varieties are planted.
Most of them are slow growers, but do not
easily break, are seldom troubled with insects,
and and olisr Symmetrical a,;de and plea,
there is plenty of room, preference Is
shown for the sycamore-a favorite shade tree
in Europe, though not SO popular here-and the
linden and elm. Massachusetts avenue is trav-
ersed by four rows of linden trees for a distance
OF nearly five miles, and some day will become
a noted promenade on account OF the magnifi-
cent shade these royal trees will afford. The
elm does very well in this climate, though sub
1t entirely of foliage, and to destroy which no
sufficiently economical apparatus has yet been
devised. The Carolina poplar is extensively
utilized, its quick growth, pyramidal shape,
clean bark and glossy green foliage compensat-
ing for some minor disadvantages. The spind-
ling but beautiful leaved ginkgo has been
planted, with striking effect, along the avenue
leading through the park in front of the Agri-