The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-06-26
~wAsHlsGros,s E
Our Nations Capital Leads the World IN
shady Sidewalks-Their Effect ON

WAsHlNGTON,S TREES.
Our Nations Capital Leads the World II
shady Sidowalks-Their Eject ON
Health. 5
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 a correspon-
dent of The Cincinnati Times Star, it
hies 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 vestibule through which the dis
appointed oftice-seekers go out from
their calls on the president. 1t does
not stop there. 1t penetrates to the
rooms of the private secretaries,
and tho cabinet-room, and even
the office of the president himself.
1t attends the cabinet meetings, 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 sppears 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. It is a
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.
Tho poplars ought not to be an I'M
popular tree in Washington" said one
OF the park commissioners, talking Of
them to your correspondent. .'They
have Il good deal to do with making
the city of Washington one of the
healthiest in the country, as it is"
'.How sop"
because they prevent malaria.
They arc a great absorbant, both as to
root and leaves, and are one of the
best preventives of malaria that is to
be had"
"How do they compare with the Gu
calyptus, that have been so extensive.
~ used for this purpose in Italy in the
last few years?"
"They compare very f%avorably 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"
"Are there many poplar trees in the
city them"
Eyes, something in the neighbor-
hood of a thousand Of them"
And what proportion is this of the
total?"
'Oh, less than 10 per cent. You see
we have more than a hundred thou
sand trees in the city of Washington"
More than a hundred thousands"
Eyes, considerably more; probably
the total nov reaches about 1926, 900 in
streets and parks.n
elbow r they divided between
streets and parksp"
''About equally. There are over
1000 on the streets alone, and nearly
or quite Us 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, a row on each side of the side
walk
"How many miles, then, of trees are
there on the sidewalks, aboutpn !
pretty nearly $50 miles of them.r
"And how does that compare with
other cities of this country?"
''lt surpasses that of any other city
of this country, or OF the world"
''Of the world?"
Eyes. There is not a city in the
world that has as many trees in pro.
portion to its population as Washing.
ton has. L have made this a study
for many years, pretty nearly all my
life indeed; but especially in the las
fifteen years IN which l have been
park commissioner, and have visited
and obtained statistics from all thu
great cities, and l am sure that Wash
ington is far ahead of any of them"
"How long has this accumulation o
health and beauty been going on0"
ssWell there has been more or les
tree planting here ever since Wash
ington was a city. of course. But the
systematic work was begun unde
BOSS" Shepherd in 1871. There wa
some opposition to it at first, of course
but everybody sees the value of /
now"
And the work is still going for
wardp"
eyes. We set out six or eigh
thousand trees a year, and are able t
furnish many more. We have a hun
dred thousand young trees which w
expect to furnish for the flats as the
are needed. We set out several thous
and of them last season."
What is the cost of the care
these trees and the yearly adding t
them?"
"About s1s, 900 a year only. w
have studied it carefully, raise ou
own trees from seeds O clippings, an
reduce the cost to a minimum"
"What do you find the greatest pal
of the work Of caring for the trees?
"The pruning. This is as serious
task to us as the pruning of the SCI
vice IS to tho new administration. IL
deed, no subject connected with the
operations has given the park con
missioners SO much concern as til
matter of pruning Trees. Tree prur
ing is at all times an operation whic
demands skill in the operator. an
can only be safely trusted to experts
a class of laborers whose services ca
not be secured except at wage rate
which the present appropriations ai
unable to meet. The necessity I
pruning may be referred to three s,
fient reasons. First. that of the I,
moval of branches and twigs whic
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