St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-04-26

roots of the trees. The remedy, if trees
are to be planted where the rain that
soaks down in the soil is insufficient
for the health or life Of the tree, is to
convey to their roots by artificial means
the necessary moisture. In such cities
as Salt Lake City and Denver, where
vegetation has to endure prolonged
drought each year, irrigation pipes for
the purpose of supplying water to the
city trees have been successfully intro
duced. In our eastern cities the water
cart is found to be an effective remedy.
Another question to which city tree
planting associations are directing their
timely attentions is the careless laying
and jointing of gas pipes in the streets.
This permits leakage and the absorption
of the poisonous gases by the soil, and
indirectly brings about the death OF
many fine city shade tree. The equally
malignant sulphurous fumes that come
from factory chimneys will not disap-
pear until a complete combustion of
smoke in cities is enforced by law. All
of our native trees, however, are not
deleteriously affected by these smoke
fumes, the American elm being almost
entirely immune.
1t naturally follows that the most de-
sirable shade trees for cities will be
those having sufficient hardihood of con-
stitution to Withstand the unhealthy
emanations of chimneys and gas MAINS
and strong enough to endure the cold OF
our winters and the drafts of our
summers. Pre-eminent among its fell
lows, in its ability to do this, stands the
American elm. 1t is not fast growing
tree, but its massive trunk, its thick
crown of foliage and its gracefully in
terlacing branches make it beautiful
object. Long colonnades Of full grown
elms can already be seen in many New
England towns, forming beautiful gothic
arches of shade and verdure. Next, per-
haps, comes the sugar maple Acer
saccharinum), which attains long life
and is model of symmetrical growth.
The silver leaf maple will thrive in
damp soil, so if planted in urban streets
must be well watered. Its one other
fault as a shade tree is that, while be-
ing the fastest growing variety of tree
in our country, there is always dan
ger of its larger limbs giving way be-
fore high winds.
The red oak is an excellent shade tree,
but to be successfully transplanted must
be nursery grown. In the nursery the
young oak is deprived of its taproot
and consequently sends out lateral roots
not entering too deeply in the ground
The Carolina poplar has the advantage
of being very speedy grower and, lik'
the native horse chestnut, seems to en-
joy a peculiar immunity from all at
tacks of insects dangerous to more deli
cate growths.
OF these insects that attack cit,
shade trees certain borers and the tus
sock moth are the most destructive. T,
keep these pests in check requires mucl
vigilance and labor if undertaken by in
dividual citizens.
AS our cities grow older and our citi
zens grow wiser more and more tree
will appear along their streets, soften
ing and breaking the bare dull lines an
ugly badness of brick walls and mo
notonous roofs and house tops, protect
ing man from the heat of the sun il
summer and from the fury of the win
in winter. 1t has often been said tina
God made the country and man mad
the city. 1t still remains for man t
make his creation more like Gods b
identifying and enriching his hand
work with those priceless trees whic
covered the hills and valleys long befoi
the first city came into existence.
ANDREW Downs.
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