Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-18
SILVER MAPLE (SEyER pRUSED).

"Trees planted in streets subjected to
many influences tending to render them I'M
healthy. The roots. confined under pave
ments of brick or concrete, suffer either from
want OF water or from too much of it in cases
where the drainage is bad. The branches
suffer by being exposed to the reflected heat
from buildings. Such causes weaken the vital
ity of the plants and bring about conditions
favorable to attacks by insects When for
these or other reasons trees get into the condi-
ton technically known ''stunted," they
quickly become the prey to scale insects or
bark lice, which. if not disturbed, will cover
all parts Of the tree and ultimately cause its
death.
To exhibit what mean by the evils of ex-
cessiye pruning will show you two photo
graphs Of trees Of the same variety and about
the same age In the city of Washington. One
OF them has never been touched with the knife,
while the other has been subjected to what is
termed improvement by artifice. You can
take your choice and decide which is the sort
Of tree you admire.
TREES AND GAS PIPES.
"There is a loss Of life among trees where gas
pipes are laid near their roots. Escaping gas
permeates the soil and destroys the roots. 1t
is not possible to prevent this always. When a
case of il is detected it can be promptly reme-
died. Unfortunately, it seldom discovered
until the damage has been DONE The earth is
well saturated with gas before the fact has been
found out, and i. is then too late. The best
that can be done is to remove the soil, replace
ing 1t with fresh material and plant another
tree. This NAV not always provo successful ut
first. as it is difficult matter to take away all
of the poisoned earth. and sometimes several
removals are required before healthy growth
is secured. Gas-poisoned soil il the unsus-
pected cause of many deaths among trees in
cities.
''In cities where street-planting is prosecuted
systematically n tree nursery should be estab-
li~hed. Thus the kinds OF trees required will
always be on hand and in the best condition
for setting cut. Most of the trees are easily
and quickly propaSated from seed which is not
difficult. to procure. The young plants should
be removed from the seed-rows when they are
from one to three years old and from eighteen
inches to three feet in height. They then
set out in rows. where with few exceptions,
they may remain until needed for their perms-
nent stations.
"A common mistake in tree planting is that
of placing the trees too close together. Those
of the lar gest size-such as lindens ems. syca-
mOres and silver maples-shouId be forty-fve
feet apart. Thirty -fvc feet is quite close
enough for any trees in street This allows
each tree room for expansion and avoids tho
evils OF too great density OF folisge and total
exclusion of sun rays-eyiis which are apt to
develop into nuisances, depriving dwellings of
the sanitary influences of air and light. Too
much shade Is worse than none at all.
Among the qualities required for street
tree are compact stateiness and symmetry of
general form and outline. ample supply Of
foliage. of early spring verdure healthiness. SO
far ar being exempt from disease, and able to
withstand the Disadvantages of plant life in
the city, and, finally. freedom from attacks of
insects and from fading flowers. An ideal
street tree should bear removal and transplant
ing without much difficulty. L. should be of
vigorous but notexcessive growth. tree Of
very rapid growth is usually short-lived.
GOOD TREES FOR THE STREET.
ut is hardly possible to select any one tree
which possesses all of these qualifications, but it
is practicable to choose among number Of
species which approach nearly to such perfec-
ton. Among them | should put first the silver