Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-18
BEAUTIFYING THE CITY.
Miles Of Shade Trees Which Adorn
Washington Streets.

L
| THE CARE REQUIRED BIZ YOUNG TREEs-son AND
| CLIMATE ADAPTED TO MANY vARrRrrEs-rpH Al
SHADE rREEs-PLANs OF CHE PARKING COM
| MIssIoS-THE CATERPILLAR AND THE sPARRows.
| Almost the first thing the stranger in WASH
ington remarks upon when he arrives in the
city are the trees, and about the first thing the
Washingtonian notices when he visits other
cities is the absence Of them. The capital is
one great forest; no other city in the world is
80 abundantly supplied with trees, and they do
more, perhaps, than any other one feature to-
ward making this the most beautiful city in the
world No other place is 80 well fitted for the
lavish planting Of trees. It's wide avenues and
generous streets have room and to spare for
them, and few other places have this advan-
tage.
THE PLANTING SEASON.
This is the busy season for the people who
attend to the street trees Of Washington. 1t is
planting time with them, and during the past
month nearly 5000 young trees have taken root
along the avenues and streets, bringing the
total number Of trees planted along the streets
and avenues of the city mp to something like
| 10000 This enormous number is made up of
| about sixty varieties. coming from almost every
part Of the globe. Washington is the neutral
ground, the grand meeting place where they
| ali grow and flourish together. The SOIL the
climate--everything seems peculiarly adapted
for the cultivation of almost every variety of
| trees, and on the streets one can see the hardy
pine Of frigid Norway locking limbs with the
| cypress of the Florida everglades, and the ali
anthus of China with the chestnut of the Adj
rondacks. 1t is splendid convention Of the
tree world, and in no other place can it be seen
, as on the streets of Washington.
! THE PARKING COMMISSION
Nature never makes mistake, and it is for
tunate for all lovers of the beautiful that she
has, in the members of the parking commits
sion men who are students and admirers of
her, and who go to such pains to carry out her
dictates. Tree planting in Washington is COM
paratively new thing, and it was only in 1872
that 1t was begun on any extensive scale. 1t
was under the Shepherd board of public works
that the parking commission was organized.
| The same men who were then given charge of ii
have been retained, and it is mainly to the care
which they have exercised in every department
that the plan then decided upon has proved
such a success. The planting Of a tree
requires certain skill which few men possess,
| and fewer still know
| THE ART OF NURSING IT
through the tender years Of its childhood and
youth until it reaches an age when it can take
care of itself. If the soil where the tree is to
be planted is not of the very best, hole Q feet
| deep and feet in diameter is dug and into
this is placed soil best suited for that particu-
lar variety. The same soil that is life to one
variety is death to another, and where a maple
| would flourish catalpa would fade away and
die; they have to.be handled with the same
care that an infant requires, for any damage or
| injury which they may receive when but sap
ling grows as does the tree, and may in time be
the cause OF its death. For two years they
must be nursed; after that they require little
attention.
| IDEAL SHADE TREES.
The planting of trees in Washington has
hardly as yet outgrown its experimental stage.
1t has not been definitely decided what varieties
are best suited to the soil and climate. for
| while nearly all do WE'LL of course some do
better than others. The maple is favorite
| shade tree for the streets and there are 80 ,252
planted, or nearly one-half of the total num-
| ber They are of six varieties-the white or soft
maple, being the most popular, with the ash
| leaved maple good second They fire the
| ideal shade trees for the streets an3 hardly
have rival as general utility tree Suited for
all sorts Of soils and situations. just at present
the linden is attracting great deal Of atten-
| ton and is being extensively planted. 1t makes
| beautiful shade tree and there are now nearly
| six miles OF them in Washington, principally
| on Massachusetts avenue. 1t is the intention
OF the parking commission, however, to plant
an additional three miles.
| LINDEN TREES.
Speaking of the linden trees. Superintend-
ent Smith, of the botanical gardens, said to
STAR reporter: II went to Berlin some years
ago for the purpose of studying and seeing the
far-famed Inter den Linden, and while the
| graceful rows were very beautiful, I must say
that was disappointed. There are half q
| dozen streets in Washington that will compare
| favorably with it, and even now We have three
times as many lindens in this city as in the
German capital. Our trees too, thrive better
than in Germany, the climate seems to suit
| them"
THE CAROLINA POPLAR.
| Another tree which is a favorite with the
parking commission is the Carolina poplar, over
seven thousand of which have been planted
here. The parent of every one of these is still
alive and can be seen from Pennsylvania avenue
looking down I'd street. 1t stands just inside
| the walls of the botanical gardens and is one
OF the handsomest trees in the city. Mr.. Smith
gave 20 cents for the saphng years ago and
planted it with his own hands. Break leaf
from this tree and press the juice out of it be-
tween your teeth and it will be found almost
| unbearably bitter. It has wonderful malaria
absorbing qualities, and will be found growing
In wild state near the swamps Of the Caro-
| linas, where malaria is SO prevalent By actual
experiment it has been found that the pres
| ence OF this tree has reduced to a great extent
| the prevalence of malaria, and it has been prin-
| clpaly planted in the lower sections Of the city
along the waters edge.
| SANITARY EFFECT OF wAsH1NaToN's TREES.
The effect produced by the presence of trees
upon the health of the city is question which
must interest every one. A great deal of at
tention has from time to time been given to
this important matter, and the general opinion
is that it is good, though few people maintain
that 1t is the reverse. Certainly the results are
not against the former idea, for malaria is
| much less prevalent in the city than it was sew
eral years ago. Then, again, the atmosphere
| il cooled by the overhanging arches of green
| cry, and they diminish to a great extent the in
| tense rays of the sun. Some of the trees are,
Of course less healthy than others, and a re.
| cent order Of the Commissioners that the allan
thus trees be destroyed shows the presence Of
sentiment against them.
| OVER TWO HUNDRED MILES OF TREES.
| At the present time there are $40 miles of
shade trees on the streets and avenues of WASH
ington. This makes 120 miles Of shaded streets
and the cost to the government of the attention
they require has for the past ten years averaged
| $20, 900 per annum. The maple shades IS miles
Of streets the Carolina poplar is planted on is
miles, 10 miles are beautifed by the ash, 6
with the linden, and 10 with Norwegian
varieties The remaining streets are planted
with other and less popular trees, such as the
sweet gum, the oak, the white elm and the