The evening times., 1899-12-27
4 REPORT ON CITY TREES
Interesting Facts Concerning Their
Painting and Culture.
The Superintendent of Parking De-
scribes the Various Varieties
Available for Streets and Makes
Some Recommended ation.-The Sil-
yer Maple u Popular Favorite.


in the District foi the past ten years Il
tins report 1t is claimsd that If a careful
count of the trees were made 1t would b.
founi that there are enough in Washing
ton to line both sides OF. a boulevard be
tween here and New York. the trees be
Ing placed thirty feet a part. These con
sist of more than fifty varieties. but thos,
principally used in supplying shade iol
the city number only about twelve differ
ent species.
| The silver maple numbers about %, 0G0
| or nearly four times any other variety
| the repor; says. 1T is almost a perfect
street tree. as it stands transpianting we'll
IS quite rapid grover. and has beautiful
foliage. which is never too heavy to ALLOW
free circulation Of air. 1t loves moisture
hut nevertheless stands seasons OF drough,
better than many others. 1t cannot at.
tain at the ccrhstone the magnificent pro.
portions that it has in the park or fell
and must be trimmed at times very Sc
verely.
1T is seldom attacked by the catsfpil-
| lar, but some years ago scale appeared
| on the trees that caused serious thoughts
| of their removal. This has since disap-
| peared, and the trees are in healthy con-
dition. II taught the lesscll, however. that
| IL is well not to have most trees of one
silver maple may be seen on S Street. and
good examples of severe trimmings on
Third Street northwest, and on 7 Street
northwest from Third TO Fifth Streets.
The Norway maple numbers about 5000
trees, and IL is unfortunate that more OF
them were not planted in past years. They
require considerable care in transplanting
ana are little too thick in foliage. They
are handsome il leaves and'form and arc
thas "a st.uf -
storms well. Insects seldom trouble them.
Two splendid rows Of them may be seen on
Eighth Street northwest above G Street.
on Sixteenth Street northwest above II
Street and on Thirteenth Street north
west, above X Street.
The American elm numbers about 5000
trees planted on various avenues. 1t is a
tree of spreading form. SO that on road
ways fifty feet wide its limbs arch the en-
tire space. From this ii is. liable to be
split by storms. 1t presents magnificent
appearance at certain times of the year, but
the elm-leaf beetle has preyed SO constant
ly on this tree that il is either doomed to
disappear as street tree or else be limited
to a small number. New Jersey, New York.
New Hampshire and Rhode Island avenues
are planted with this tree.
The buttonwood. sycamore. or plane
tree numbers 5000 trees. 1t is tree Of
as a street tree. The Western plane is not
an altogether handsome tree, its shedding
of bark giving its trunk an ugly appear
ance, which is objected to by many As
shade producer it has no fault.
The Eastern plane is its superior in
many respects, and ii seems unfortunate
that its merits were not recognized sooner.
Its size and nature make ii better fitted for
avenues than the narrower streets. Its TO-
;e ~ Srt. n
er thickness. II is free of insects II the
elms were replaced. in part at least, by
this tree, much would be added in way OF
ornament 10 the city. Good examples OF
the Western planes may be found on Elev-
enth Street northwest and Tenth Street
northeast. The Eastern plane is best seen
on Indiana Avenue and at the Peace Monu-
ment. magnificent specimen stands on
the centre Of Lincoln Square, on East Capt.
tol Street.
The American linden numbers 5000. !
Most of them are on Massachusetts Avenue,
which has four rows. nearly four miles in
length. In early summer they are at their I,
best. when their flowers fill the street with
their fragrance. They need ample space
and are apt TO suffer much from the I
drought. They seem TO have been planted
too close in this city, and have grown very /
little in late years.
THE tulip tree numbers nearly 1000. II I
can hardly be considered good curbstone |
tree, as il requires good conditions for its !
development. Ii is fine in appearance and |
does well on wide parkings, as on Sixteenth I,
Street which it occupies jointly with Nor /
way naples. the latter along the curb.
"The Carolina poplar numbers about I
6. 200. and was probably planted on account ,
of its rapid growth. 1t is a good curb /
stone tree in many respects-is assertive,
free of insects. and is OF good foliage. Its |
bad qualities are, brittle limbs. which are |
always broken by storms, and persisten-
cy of root growth that is fatal to side !
walks. Money considerations have DOOM |
ed them, and they are being replaced With f.
more desirable trees.
THE aspen poplar and ash-leaved maple, |
numbering about 1000, although of good i
foliage. have been condemned as street /
.rees on account of their liability to ct /
tacks of insects. The ginkgo or maiden /
hair tree. although few in number here.
has been found to be good curbstone tree. !
The pin oak planted in the parking on 1
East Pennsylvania Avenue has shown it
self an ideal tree for an avenue or wide
parked street. The catalpa, along the
same avenue. will be removed in the near
future. Horse chestnut trees have grown
with some success on Thirteenth Street
northwest but cannot be called a good
street tree.
The sugar maple. although queen
among trees, needs too good care for an
ideal street tree. No success has been had
in this city with it. although ii may be
said that attempts have not been persist
ent. A fine specimen stands in the parking
northwest of Thomas Circle
'The red oak planted on Twelfth Street |
where it is surrounded by good conditions.
has been a great success"
The Superintendent concludes his report
as follows:
If required to arrange a list Of the
trees in this city in the order Of their
merit. and in the light of what has been
here shown. should place the silver ma
Die. Norway maple, and eastern plane side
,y side in the first rank. Then the ginkgo
md Western plane and last those that re-
Iuire extra care and are well fitted for
vide parkings-the American linden, the
,ak. and sugar maple. The planting and
are of trees in Washington grow from
'ear to year. and the future will probably
lemand more skill and judgment thAn in
'ears past. About $4,000 is spent annu-
lily. most of it in the care of old trees.
from 1000 to 5000 young trees are planted
Turing the spring and fall of each year.
rhe nursery has several thousand of the
,est varieties ready for planting"
The German-Uruguayan Treaty.
Consul Swain. of Montevideo, In a let