The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-12
TO MAKE TREES STORM PROOF.
DendrolOgist sudwOrth Says Proper
Trimming VIII Do 1t.

Trimming VIII Do 1t.
The wholesale destruction of trees in
Savannah by the storm of two weeks
ago, makes interesting a plan by Den
drologist Sudworth of the Department of
Agriculture, to make trees storm proof.
Speaking of the effect Of the recent
storm on the trees in Washington, he
says:
Since the storm have made a careful
inspection of the trees injured IN
Washington, and have found
that the trees in the streets suffered
more severely than those in yards. One
reason for this is that the roots of these
trees are cut off to a considerable extent
on the street side of the tree. Another rea-
son Is that the trees that were broken
were OF a species that break easily. They
were mostly soft or silver leaf maple, ash,
and poplar. The elTnS suffered compare
lively little from breakage. They were
and generally are the last to give way.
The reason that the destruction Of
these trees was so great is that they were
either top-heavy or had been injured when
being trimmed. The system of trimming
trees in this city is one that is not con-
ducve to the health of the tree.
Generally, If 1t becomes necessary to
cut off a large Dough, the limb is so cut
that it leaves a stump of considerable
flush with the trunk of the tree. When
the limb is cut off the wound should be
covered with a coat Of tar or similar sub
stance, to permit it to properly heal. This
is not done in this city as a general thing,
and the result is that decay sets in where
the limb was amputated, and 1t extends
to the trunk, often reaching a considera-
BILE distance in it. The tree in consequence
becomes wormy, loses its strength, and is
unable to etand the strain Of severe wind
storm. In such cases had the limb been
cut off flush with the trunk and properly
treated, the trunk would not have been
diseased. If they were properly
trimmed the strain from the
wind would be greatly lessened.
If the trees had not been top-heavy the
night of the storm the destruction would
have been a great deal less. The trees in
this city are permitted to grow too high.
The tops should be cut off. BY cutting
off the tops the beauty of the tree is
marred for year but the small branches
that would shoot out would be better
equipped to stand a storm. 1t Is just
as necessary to properly trim a tree for
a storm as it is for a sailor to lessen the
canvas on his vessel. This is doubly nee
essary in regard to street trees, which are
necessarily not deeply rooted or firmly
held by the ground
do you believe 1t wise and economical
lar and ash?' Prof. Sudworth was asked.
mo, 1 do not, but the trees are planted,
and the only way to properly get rid of
them is to adopt the plan used about eight
years ago. At that time there was a row
of poplar trees on one street. Each
alternate poplar was removed, and sturdy
oaks were substituted. When the oaks
took firm roots and began to thrive and
give shade, the remaining poplars were
dug up and in their places more oaks
were substituted, The change thus made
did not interfere with the beauty of the
street, or diminish the shade to a very
great degree. In my judgment all the
soft wood trees should be removed and
hardy ones substituted.
"a number of trees were lost that might
have been saved had they been attended
to properly Immediately after the storm. 1
mean the trees that were uprooted. The
younger ones could have been replanted
in the hole they were taken from. This
is not good season of the year for such
work, but stil it would have been well
to have tried the experiment. All that
would have been required was to deepen
and widen the hole, place rich earth in it
and water and replant the tree sustain
ing it in position by guy ropes or wire
In all upTooted trees a large number of
roots remain IN the ground uninjured. but
strained. Trees have been replanted else
where in this manner, and l can see no
reason why they could not successfully
have been treated in the same way here
OF course, the spring time is the best sea-
son for such work"
How may similar disasters to the
trees be preVented@'
1.-THE only way Is to study the better
kind of trees and put them in the place
of the inferior kinds, and then to keep
them properly trimmed This trimming
is very necessary, for street trees do not
develop roots as strong as those that
grow in fields. and they are not strong
enough to hold up a top-heavy tree in a
gale. The trees all over this city are
now much in need of trimming"