The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-07-10
WASHINGTOn'S TREES.
Our Nations Capital Leads the World in
Shady Sidewalks Their Effect on

The air OF Washington IS full, at this
season of year, of a white, downy sub
stance. II you open your mouth to
talk about offices, writes correspon-
dent of The Cincinnati Times Star, it
flies into it; if you wink at a pretty
girl on the avenue you get it in your
eyes. 1t flies into the white house on
the wings of the wind, and rolls up in
fluffy white balls in the corners of the
great yestibule through which the dis
appointed offioe-seekers go out from
their calls on the president. 1t does
not stop there. 1t penetrates to the
rooms of the private secretaries,
and the cabinet-room, and even
the Office of the president himself.
1t attends the cabinet meetiHgs, flies
In the faces of the stately heads
of the departments, and tickles the
nose of the president. 1t looks like
down, and to the stranger who is not
accustomed to the ways of Washington
it appears to be down, perhaps COM
ing from the ''downy beds of ease'' in
which all statesmen and government
employees are supposed to spend most
of their time. But it is not. 1t is
fine cottony substance coming from
poplar trees with which many of the
older streets OF the city are lined.
Cottonwood poplar is the popular
name of this somewhat unpopular
tree.
1.-The poplars ought not to be an un-
popular tree in Washington said one
of the park commissioners, talking of
them to your correspondent. "They
have good deal to do with making
the city of Washington one of the
healthiest in the country, as it isl
"How so?''
''Because they prevent malaria.
They are a great absorbant, both as to
root and leaves, and are one of the
best preventives of malaria that is to
be had.''
elbow do they compare with the eu-
calyptus, that have been so extensive
ly used for this purpose in Italy in the
last few years?"
''They compare very favorably here,
for the eucalyptus will not thrive here
or in any part of the country, except
probably southern California. We
have tried them and have become sat
istied that they will not do for our
purpose. Our climate and soil do not
suit them"
care there many poplar trees in the
city then?" -.-... ......
Eyes, something in the neighbor-
hood of a thousand of them.''
''And what proportion is this of the
total?' ..- ...... .....s
'sOh, less than 10 per cent You see
we have more than hundred thou
sand trees in the city of Washington.
''More than hundred thousand?'
eyes, considerably more; probably
the total now reaches about 125, 900 in
streets and parks"
elbow are they divided between
streets and parksp''s
'.About equally There are over
5000 on the streets alone, and nearly
Or quite as many in the parks. There
are no streets of any consequence
without trees, and on many of the
wider ones there are four rows of
.them- row on each side of the side
walk" ...-s. ... -
."'How many miles, then, of trees are
there on the sidewalks, about?"
@tPretty nearly 15O miles of them.''
@'And how does that compare with
other cities of this countrv?"
alt surpasses that of any other city
of this country or OF the world -
''Of the world?"
'-Yes. There is not a city in the
world that has as many trees in pro-
portion to its population as Washing
ton has i have madeothis study
for many years, pretty nearly all my
life indeed; but especially in the last
fifteen years IN which I have been a
park commissioner, and have visited
and obtained statistics from all the
great cities, and 1 AM sure that Wash
;ngton is far ahead Of any of them"
s'How long. has, this, accumulation of
health and beauty been going onp"
..Well there has been more or less
tree planting here. ever since Wash
ington was city, OF course. But the
systematic work was begun under
Boss Shepherd in 1871. There was
some opposition to it at first, of course.
but everybody sees the value of 1t
now"
..And the work is still going for
ward?"
Eyes. We set out six or eight
thousand trees q year, and are able to,
furnish many more. We have hum
dred thousand young trees which we
expect. to furnish for the flats as they
are needed. We set out several thous-
and of them last season. r. ta
What is the cost of the care of
these trees and the yearly adding to
themp' IS @
'sAbout $4,000 year only. We
have studied it carefully, raise our
own trees from seeds or clippings, and
reduce the cost to minimum.
ssWhat do you find the greatest part
of the work of caring for the trees?''
1.-THE pruning. This is as serious
task to us as the pruning Of the SER
vice IS to tho new administration. In
deed, no subject connected with their
operations has given the park COM
missioners SO much concern as the
matter of pruning trees Tree prun-
ing is at all times an operation which
demands skill in the operator, and
can only be safely trusted to experts,
a class of laborers whose services can
not be secured except at wage rates
which the present appropriations are
unable to meet. The necessity of
pruning may be referred to three sa-
ient reasons. First, that of the re-