Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-11-11
sACRAMENTo's SHADE TREES.
horticultural vandaIism-A Remedy De
mandeh.

horticultural Vandalism-A Remedy De-
manded.
EDS. RECORD UNION The fact that
deem the street shade tree matter of para
mount importance to Sacramento city is
the excuse for intrudipg upon your col
umns few ideas and suggestions on that
subject 1 observe frequent notice in your
local columns lately of the cutting down
and destruction of street shade trees, for no
reason apparently but TO satisfy the whim
or caprice of some cranky property holder
who fancies that his street view is too
much obstructed, or that the rays OF the
sun are diverted in some particular direc-
ton thereby, or some other frivolous or
nonsensical objection. Your issue of Mon
day noted the ruthless destruction of as
fine row of Lombardy poplars as ever
graced a street block on this coast-healthy
vigorous trees of quarter OF century's
growth, that might and should have
ornamented that section for a century
hence. In various portions of the city like
horticultural vandalism is perpetrated al
most weekly. Now l think it time to call
halt in this matter. 1t requires time
years and years-for tree to grow; it
takes but few minu1es to utterly destroy
that tree.
This is subject in which a whole COM
munity is interested; it does not concern
the individual property holder alone by
any means. Whatever tends to make at
tractiVe, beautiful, desirable and comforta-
BILE in a community is matter of general
Government. Take from beautiful Sacra-
mento its shade-trees, shrubbery and flow
ers that now so profusely adorn it, and for
at least six months of the year it would be
about as undesirable place of residence as
the Desert of Sahara.
In many of the Eastern towns and cities,
notably in New England there are munic.
ipal laws governing the culture of shade
trees, in which their removal or destruc-
ton is strictly prohibited except by per-
mission of the town government. Such q
law should obtain in Sacramento, and
should be rigidly and impartially enforced.
This city has now on its statute books an
ordinance prescribing the exact location of
trees lining sidewalks, the precise dis
lance from the street curb line; but
this fact would hardly be credited
by the observer passing through our
streets, who notes the hap-hazard, razzle.
dazzle, zig-zag style of tree planting
on many of the blocks. Their position
varies all the way from six inches to six
feet-some of them, in fact, so near the
outer edge that three or four years growth
must damage or destroy the curb and in
iure the cutters, and multiplying that aspect
of beauty which symmetry and uniformity
produce. venture to assert that that ordi-
nance like many sthers) has been violated
with complete impunity; that there has
never been even an attempt to enforce it.
There is room for considerable improve
ment in shade-tree ornamentation about
some of the school lots, to which the atten-
ton of the Board of Education is respect
fully directed. Take, for example, the
block at Ninth, Tenth. P and Q streets. At
P and Tenth for half block, a double
row of splendid elms, outside and inside
the walk, delight the eye and add to the
comfort of the pedestrian. The entire
block should be similarly treated, as well
as the other school lots in the city When
trees decay. die or languish, it would seem
to be the part of wisdom to renew them.
1t is the general impression that it is the
especial province of the State Gardener of
the Capitol grounds to attend properly to
the shrubbery of that splendid park, and
when trees die or are accidentally de-
stroyed, that they should be replaced as
soon as practicable. Does he do it? Let
the ''aching voids' answer. N. ks.