Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-16

THE cRITTESDoN TREE (GREAT ovERcUP OAK
and public squares with a luxuriance seen no
where else in the United States. and. under the
hand of eOnsummate art, they make of this cap
ftal a veri!able paradise of living LEAKAGE all
summer long. They include more than 500 dis
tinct kinds and species. and among them are
more than a score Of famous memorial trees
planted by eminent men OF the country. from
George Washington up to Benjamin Harrison.
besides many rarities TO be found nowhere else
on this continent.
WHEN TREE PLANTING BEGAN.
While tree planting was an important detail
in the original design OF the city it was not en-
tered upon with anything like system until
1872. when Gov. Shepherd and the board of
public works set about practically and vigor-
ouslv to execute the plan framed bv the fathers.
Advantage was taken of the peculiar structure
of the city. and the open spaces formed where
ever the avenues I1tersect the regular streets
were ayailed of in the construction of little
parks or reservations, some circular
in shape. some square and others
triangular and ellipticsl. There are 331
of these reservations, all told, including the
great consolidated government reservation
reaching clear from the Capitol westward to
the monument, two miles away. and they cover
IN aggregate area of 900 acres and year by
year until now. in pursuance of the policy then
begun. most of these reservations have been
literally set with forest growths of ornamental
and fancy varieties While the streets and avenues
have been handsomely fanked with trees of
proven fitness for shade purposes. Nearly
S75.0O0 is expended annually by the govern
ment and the District in the cultivation plant
ing. preservation. trimming and renewal of
these trees, under the auspices OF the engineer
department of the army and OF the parking
commission. and for this outlay the nurseries
pubic green houses and prCpegating gardens
are made to produce rich harvest Of arboreal
wealth
REVELATION IN ARBORICCLTURE.
The result Is a revelation of the possibilities
Of advanced and enlightened arboriculture that
may well serve as an example to the whole civil
hzed world. Few people can fully realize what
exceeding beauty there is in trees until they
see them under the ideal conditions and man
agement that obtain in Washington. Central
Park in New York. Fairmount Park in Phila-
deiphla and even the Arnold Arboretum near
Boston have no collection that can in any re-
spect approach, much less rival, those in our
capital city.
ONE HUNDRED DISTINCT vARIErIEs
approximately every variety Of tree that will
grow in this latitude can be seen here In the
Presidents Park alone there are no less than
100 distinct varieties Of deciduous trees and
nfty-two OF evergreen trees. In the Smithson-
Ian Park are seventy-eour varieties of deciduous
and tventy-six Of evergreen. In Lafayette
square are thirty-seven varieties Of deciduous
and tventy-four Of evergreen In most of the
puo1e spaces the rarer species are legibly
tagged at the trunks, both with their botanical
and popular names, so that he who runs may
read and understand
The sailing pine; the cedar proud and tall;
Ihs prop elm the poplar never dry;
She builder OAK, sole king Of forests all
Hne aspen, good for slaves; the cypress funeral,
Ana poes ;ase ,Ss % ar sS.Is sssSsth %
The willow, worn Of forlorn parsmours;
The yew. obsdient TO the bsnder's will;
Ihe birch for shafts the sallow for the mill:
She myrrh. sweet bleeding in the bitter wound;
Ihe Earlike beech the ash for nothing ill.,
Ihe fruitful olive. and the pIat4ne round;
Hns carver holm, the maple, seldom inward sound ~