Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-31

freparing . Census Of Trees In Washing.
NJ ssrests and R-sssrvseAons.
THE VARIETIES THAI BEST RERE-rHE
ADVANTAGES OF cAREFuL PRuSINoNrREW
PLANTED TOO CLOSE roazrHEs-How IT Is In
OTHER CITIES.
YNHE EMPLOYEES on THE PARKING
Il commission are devoting all Of their spare
time to the taking Of q census Of the trees
planted in the streets and reservations of WASH
ington, and the result of their labors is to be
published in IN interesting and instructive
volume.
OF course the number Of trees planted since
the commission has been in charge is known,
but there is the natural growth to be accounted
for, and then hundreds of trees have died or
been removed by accident and other causeA
So it is that no one can give any correct statis-
tics on the subject. This information at first
thought will appear Of but little use. Such is
not the case, however. 1t is not only proposed
to gather data concerning the number Of trees
now growing about the city, but the varieties
and the present condition and aee viii be taken
into consideration as well as other interesting
points.
WHAT VARIETIES LoURIsH BEST.
d. Lulb ul6aUS Lu6 COUlmlbSlOul 10 u tHc Oplu-
ion that it can do its work much better by
learning what varieties flourish best in this eli
mate, the relative beauty and value of the differ
emit trees and those that live longest. Much Of
this is already known, but it is to a great extent
a matter of opinion, and without the figures
nothing definite is known. It will be at least q
year before the volume can be given to the
printer, and as it is proposed making 1t COM
plete in every department no haste will be
made in completing il.
The work Of getting the information for the
volume is being done in conjunction with the
regular winter work OF the commission. Just
at this season Of the year they are busily en-
gagged in pruning such trees as need such atten-
ton. Contrary to the impression of a great
many people all trees will not admit of this
operation. Naples, perhaps better than al
most any other variety. thrive under pruning
and thousands of them have already been re-
heved of their superfuous branches.
TREES TOO CLOSE TOGETHER.
at is a pity" said Superintendent Smith Of
the Botanical Gardens to STAR reporter yes
terday, shat all OF nearly all of the trees
planted on the streets of Washington cannot be
pruned. for 1t would make a great change in
their appearance. A great mistake was made
in the planting Of the trees or rather most Of
them. They were put too close together and
as the years go on this is becoming more and
more evident in the crowded appearance of
eOIltt u tic EOMb. TuuAu n luc OulN IcUAcoy
for this state of affairs, but as 1 before re-
marked only certain varieties can be treated in
this manner.
among a large class Of people there is a
very decided opposition to pruning trees. and
time and again / have been called q butcher.
OF course a tree after it has been trimmed is
not very handsome in winter. but then the i'm
proved appearance the ensuing summer more
thar compensates for this. The majority Of
people do not understand that unless certain
~tH&,o 80 80. go. n-n-a1 x11,r ne Ill L.
shortened many years and besides their tops
will grow yellow and die. This is caused by
the lack of moisture. The roots are interfered
with because the trees had to be planted SO
near the deeply buried curbstones that on one
side the roots Of most of them are punched all
together and have not a good chance to
spread"
IN OTHER CITIES.
Mr.. Smith has Just returned from an extended
tour Of the northern cities and while away he
took occasion to examine the trees on the
streets there. "Of course / saw nothing to
compare in any way with our own trees he
said to the reporter, but l noticed that in
every city ] visited the authorities were awaken
ing to the value Of trees on the streets, not
only as adjuncts to the beauty Of the thorough
fares, bnt also as the most efficient of sanitary
a gents. They can never have anything like
the variety to be found here. for the streets are
too narrow and wide t~horoughfares are neces-
sary where many trees are to be planted. But
there are a number OF varieties that are adapted
to narrow streets, notably the Lombardy pop
lar, as it grows straight and tall without any
wide spreading branches. We are going to
plant more of them in Washington
on the narrow streets where there
are a few now growing nicely. The
Canadian cities are especially turning their at
~tention to the planting Of trees. / visited Mon
treal and Toronto. and in both places they were
busy planting. 1t made me sigh as I looked al
some of the magnificent silver birches in this
latter city and all through the country. This
is one Of the most beautiful of trees. The
famous birch canoes of the Indians are made
from its bark. But it is one of the few varieties
that cannot be transplanted to this climate. !
have tried three separate times to transplant il
here and each time the attempt has been un-
successful. But there are not many varieties
that will not grow here, and today there il
dourishing in this city over fifty varieties OF
trees, nearly all of them doing az well as il they
we're growing in their native chimes. This il
the natural meeting place for the trees of the
world it would seem and the magnolia of the
south fourishes side by side with the linden OF
the north.
ADVANTAGE OF FOREIGN TRAVEL.
'There are many interesting things about
trees not generally Known continued Mr.
Smith. snow, here are two magnolias stand.
ing side by side in the Botanical Gardens. Bott
hliO HULL JIG bdil0 plhCc OTlklIisllN, NeL YOU
viii notice that while the one is green and
healthy. the other looks faded and sick. TIL
first tree can boast of an ocean trip, having
visited France. where it spent some time, and
was then sent back here. It seems that foreign
travel did it good. The other came directly
from South Carolina and, while 1t is alive, it il
not nearly 80 much 30 as its brother"
The parking commission think a great deal
of the American oak and they would like to sec
more OF, them growing in Washington, but fol
various reasons they do not make a good stree,
tree. The willow-leaved oak was always a ia
vorite tree with Thomas Jefferson and many Of
the oaks now growing in the mall sprung from
acorns brought here from Virginia. Permis.
sion has been asked of the Secretary Of the
Treasury for the privilege Of planting o mum
Der OF these trees on the avenue opposite the
Treasury Department as q sort Of memorial tC
the great financier, who has no monument here
in Washington. Mr.. Window has the reques,
under advisement and il the requisite permis
sion is granted the commission will plant the
trees this spring.
THE SPRING WORK.
It will not be long now before the regula,
spring work of the parking commission will
commence in earnest and the planting Of young
trees has started. The last Congress gave thu
commission charge Of the planting in the numer
Gus subdivisions that have sprung up about thu
city in the last few years, but as no appropria
ton accompanied the power to plant the worl
will be confined to the city proper. About
2.000 young trees will be planted during the
coming spring, and they will be for the mos
part sycamores. This is the hardest tree
growing in this climate and it lives between 20(