The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-10-20
CARE OF The CITY'S TREES
Continued from First Page.)

! most damage TO our shade trees, are
the elm scale and the maple scale, both
which are fully described in the report.
| An example Of a maple badly infested
with this latter pest stands on the cor
ner of Wall and Orange streets, The
| white masses of Waxy material look
! ing like cotton are seen in the creVices
Of the bark and on the under sides of
! leaves and branches. These insects kill
the twigs and ultimately the whole tree
by exhausting the sap.
There are several kinds of borers
which damage trees. The maple borer
is extremely destructive Of our naples
and the track of its tunnels between
beachwood and bark are very readily
seen on almost any street where large
| NAPLES are growing. Some trees are
almost completely girdled by them.
The elm tree borer also does good
deal of damage.
Lack of knowledge and skill has of
ten resulted in the acceptance of poor
stock for planting in oVercrowding of
trees, and in the improper selection of
species. Thus on one of our streets,
within two blocks, may be found Nor
way, Sugar and Rock naples, bass
wood, white ash, elm, locust and cherry
jumbled together without system.
Whether or not the electric currents,
which occasionally leak into trees form
wires whose insulation is defective, are
a cause of injury has not yet been de-
termined.
The committee next discusses the re-
medal measures which should be
adopted.
/. For old age there is no remedy;
but the life of old trees like the life of
old people, can unquestionably be pro-
longed by abating those attacks which
weaken the vital forces and thus hasten
decay and death,
2. Lack of water and air about the
roots. This is not very severely felt by
trees standing in the squares with some
green sward about them. In time of
protracted drought a single copious
watering, equal to at least one-half of
the normal average rainfall, would be
a great help. Even on paved streets
the tree roots may yet get an adequate
supply of air and water if the streets
are bordered with well kept private
lawns. But on the narrow paved
streets in the center of the city little
can be done and it is doubtful how
long trees in such situation can sur
vive. On streets newly laid out and
where the lots are deep enough to allow
suitable air space between trees and
the building line 1t would greatly help
if trees We're set near the property
line instead of the curb line.
The trees would thus have more open
ground above their roots would be
protected from horses and from the
cutting Of their main roots for street
Improvements and the street would
have broader look.
g. Lack of plant food should be rene
died by an annual dressing of the soil
about the trees with an efficient, odor-
less fertilizer. Such fertilizer would
be mixture of so pounds nitrate of
soda, 300 pounds of cotton seed meal
100 pounds of acid phosphate and 100
pounds of muriate of potash. These
materials should be mixed before US
ing and sowed broadcast on each acre
as soon as the leaves start in the
spring. An application of 500 pounds
of slaked stone lime or 700 pounds OF
oystershell lime per acre in the late fall
or winter is also recommended. The
total cost per acre, exclusive of team
ing and sowing, will be from $11.30 to
$12
4. Mutilations The city ordinances
should be rigdly enforced which for
bid any person to "cut, bruise, iniure
or destroy any tree or shrub for shade
ornament or use, in any street or pub
lie square," also ito fasten any horse
or other animal to any shade tree In
any street in such manner that 1t may
iniure any shade trees" also to mis-
chievously injure or remove any fixture
placed around any tree for its protec-
ton" or ''to attach any guy rope, show
bill advertisement, or any other thing
upon any tree without the permission of
the board of public works,
1t might be advisable to require that
the strinsing of electric wires in the
streets should only be done under the
supervision of an inspector furnished
by the board of public works at the eX-
pense of the company doing the work.
The cutting of roots in laying curbs,
walks, and cutters, as well as gas and
water mains cannot be prevented and
the liability of damage to trees from
these causes is inseparabe from the
necessity of properly constructed
All trees of whatever age, near the
curb, within reach of horses should be
so protected by frames or wire netting
so that their bark cannot be bruised or
bitten.
The mutilation by unslilful trimming
may be easily avoided by intelligence
and care. The way in which limbs
should be removed is described by the
5. Poisoning by illuminating gas. The
committee recommend that the police
should be instructed to report at once
to the board of public works and to
the gas company any suspected leakage
of gas and that all citizens cooperate
in this work The gas company should
be required to make immediate eXamin-
alton and repairs if found necessary.
In some cities when tree has been
killed by gas leaks the company is re-
CURED to pay the expense of removal
and of planting new one under the di-
rection of the city authorities. Such a
regulation seems eminently just and
its adoption in New Haven is well
worth considering.
g. Insect pests. 1t is recommended |
that the trees on the interior parks of
L