The herald., 1895-07-20
Street Trees of Southern California;
How and What to Plant
By nrs. Flora M. kimbaiI of National City

By nrs. Flora M. KimbaiI of National City
The subject of good roads and town i'm
provements and tree planting is an old
one and has been discussed at farmers
and citizens meetingssever since farmers
organized and citizens awoke to the great
importance of these things. And yet the
subject is always fresh. and real home.
loving men and women never weary of
discussing it. There are always lew
thoughts advanced that help the new
town builders, and the same old story will
bear repetition. Tree planting depends
SO largely on road making and town i'm
provement-the one is so linked with the
other that to discuss one we must discuss
all. Road making must precede tree
planting, and desire to improve the
town must precede the making of roads.
And here | wish l might deepen the
conviction beginning to take possession of
the minds Of even the conservative. that
town improvement is only housekeeping
on large scale. and the esthetic taste.
love of order and cleanli iness-attributes
OF the good hous skeeper-shoult be
brought into requisition by the house
the management of a town can only be
attained by the united INTEL gence and
wisdom OF men and women. Just as the
best results of the household are realized
when both heads Of the family take coun-
sci together. Wouen nee municipal suff-
rage just as they need the right to pur-
chase suitable clothing for their children
and to prepare food adapted to the growth
and health of their families.
So thought an energetic little New Eng
land woman few yeras ago. whose home
was IN a dilapidated. tum ble-down town
in Massachusetts.ss ssThe contrast between
her polished floors, her neatly kept rooms
and systematic housekeeping to the dirty
streets, rckety fences and unsghtly rub
bish decided her to extend her sphere of
labor outside the four walls of her house.
Calling to her assistance number of boys
and girls, in few years the town was
transferred into one of the most charm
ing of the many beautiful ones in the
state. That was the beginning of town
or village improvement societies. A little
later another good housekeeper in Con-
necticut organized a society of women who
by the various feminine devices usually
resorted to to raise funds, soon had
several hundred dollars in their treasury,
and spent it religiously in a general out
of-door house-cleaning.
Henry Ward Beecher cassed good road
making among the best fruits of Chris
tlanity, and he might have added tree
planting and the promotion of general til
diness. Educational. religious, social,
commercial. agricultural and manufactur-
ing industries must languish where the
roads are impossible half the year, and
the town reyels in such disorder that peo-
pie OF refinement refuse to settle there.
The Mohammedans esteemed it on act
OF charity and deso to provide for the
safety of travellers, as n meritorious as the
establishment OF temples OF worship and
hospitals for the sick. In ancient Greece
road viewing was relegated to the king as
one OF the highest duties in the king
dom. while large numbers OF our road
masters seem to have been selected with
no other qualification for the work than
their supreme unfitness.
am glad that the gospel OF good roads
is being preached in Southern California,
and hope that every man and woman
south of Tehachepi will be SO thoroughly
converted that backsidng will be pos
sible. The few model towns like Red
lands, Riverside and Pasadena are our
best missionaries, and the pity is that
they cannot travel about as object lessons
to show the possibilities in our peerless
climate, supplemented by energy and per-
severance. We at the extreme south are
yet IN the kindergarten OF town improve.
ment, and If we never attain the ideals
north of us we shall have at least the
happy consciousness of having tried.
Ornamenting highays in haphazard
manner IS even worse policy than build
ing road on an unscientific basis. The
latter is menace to pros. ,'erity. and the
former constant jrritant to we'll
trained eye and refined sensibiiity.
All that is done in the way of street
tree planting until the roads are graded
and width of sidewalk established will be
lost labor. To promote symmetry-a
most desirable thing for the streets
al kaI L.
rooted out 10 grso place to others, or for
the purpose OF grading the walks. or set
ting them at the proper places. Diversi-
ty in the grounds and system on the
street is good rule to insure the best re-
suits. Tees irregularly set and OF diff
ferent kinds. height. shape and hue de-
tract from the beauty of the finest pave
ments and most elegant Architecture.
l have in mind an otherwise podel
town where the many kinds of trees on
each street give such broken, irregular
vista that the many hundreds of dollars
expended on the work have been literally
wasted.
Since Governor Morton of Nebraska,
aided by his excellent, tree-loving wife,
set apart day known as Arbor day, de-
voted to tree planting, most of the states
have followed his example. and the result
has been worthy of Califorpia's follow
ing. Twenty thousand school children in
1i.ulobdlcu ny butiI teaCueIS,
accompanied by military battalions and
bands OF music. planted at Eden park
trees in memory of authors and states
men. few years since. | recall how.
through the liberality of Mr.. Adopn
Sutlo, 40. 900 trees were furnished to the
school children OF San Francisco. who.
under The leadership of Herr Wagner.
joaquin Miller and Others, planted them
out on Yerba Buena island. The OBJ
of Arbor day is one of the most
patriotic of our school days, but candor
and observation compel me to say that | |
believe much of the time and energy ex-
in these practical exercises is
valueless. Arboriculture is not part of
our public school curriculum. hence the
children who plant and large ma jorty
of the teachers who direct, are lacking in
the requisite knowledge for successful
work. A few lectures or talks on the sub
ject to the schools by orcharoists who
have made tree planting study might
prepare them to carry out the work intel |
|igently, and in future years it would |
prove source of pride.
Having had a little experience in tree
planting, but hardly commensurate with
the kindly notice it has received, 1 will |
give you what in our locality | consider |
the best.
First 1 selected only evergreen trees. In
Southern California we need trees for |
verdure and shade in the dry season when !
the brown hills convey the idea of barren
ness.
My second object was to selecr such as
frnD 0INu Yin, I <hr;x,