New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-08
TREES IN THE STREETS.

Some portions Of New-York are handsome
enough to rank it with Paris among the beauti-
full cities of the world others are almost
wretched and dirty enough to class it with
Constantinople. 1t is strange tumble OF spen-
dor and squalOr, beauty and uglness. AS a
rule, however, the portions inhabited by the
rich and well-to-do classes will compare favor
ably with the similar portions of almost any
city in the world, and some of our noble streets
cannot be matched anywhere. The chief de-
fects in these sections are the lack OF parks,
and the still more glazing lack of trees In the
streets London is studded all over with pri-
yate squares, which are selfishly reserved Tor
the families living about them; but they do
form precious breathng-spots, and if the poor
children cannot go inside they can at least
play on the sidewalk underneath the few tree
branches that hang over the ratings. These
numerous parks 90 far to redeem the black
ness and uginess of London streets. Paris
has not so many parks, but trees flourish almost
everywhere in its streets, and make them de-
light to the eye. Washington, once shabby
Maryland village. now conspicuous among cap
itals for its beauty, owes a large part of its
charms to tho far-sighted policy that planted
a hundred thousand trees along its broad
avenues. But New York, which has fewer
parks by far than it should have, is almost abb
solutely devoid Of trees. The stranger, drv-
ing up Fifth-ave., looks with wonder down each
street he passes seeing only long tunnels of
brown. stone, and not tree, nor so much as
sprg of anything green to break the mOnOtony.
general system of tree planting would in
few years transform this city with its great
array of handsome houses into city that for
statelness and beauty would be the talk of
the world
The presence Of a large number Of shade
trees in New York would do more than crafty
the sthetic sense. II would temper the eX-
ceSsive heat Of summer, and be a safeguard to
the public health against many injurious in
auences The architectural weekly. Build
ing" recalls the fact that DR.. Stephen Smith,
when member Of the New ork Board of
Health becoming impressed with the need Of
shade trees in The city, made a number of tests
to show the benefits that would be derived
from them For example. he tested the tenn
perature Of the pavement in town on hot day,
and found it to be 300 Fahrenheit. He then
went to Central Park, and found the temper
cording to the density of the foliage. For
ests and even single trees" he says in his re-
port, have a marked influence upon the sur
rounding temperature, especially during the
summer, and they evidently tend to equalize
temperature and prevent extremes both in
summer and winter Hence they become of
immense value as sanitary agencies in presery-
ing equality Of climatic conditions" He says
further: "They are also of immense value
owing to their power to destroy or neutraize
malaria, and to absorb the poisonous elements
Of gaseous compounds, while they emit the
oxygen. The conclusion from the foregoing
facts is inevitable-that one of the great and
pressing wants OF Newly or1 City is an ample
supply of trees. 1t is evident that the shade
trees Of proper kinds. and suitably arranged,
supply the conditions necessary to counteract
the evils Of excessive heat.n
There is a superstition that trees will not live
in the New-Yorlk streets-that the gas kills
them, etc. 1t is more likely, however, that
where they have failed it has been for the want
Of intelligent care. Every tree should have n
considerable open circle about it, so that the
earth can be loosened frequently around the
roots, and this space should be watered per-
sstenty. The preservation of trees should
certainly be as easy in New-York as in any
other great city. A beginning must be made
at some time. The longer it is put off the
longer our streets will look like lanes in
desert Of brownstone Who will be the first
to set the fashion of planting trees?