The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-02-11
WITH DANGEROUS PESTS
AND ARE TOO SUBJECT TO
SCALDS BY THE sun.
THE SORT THAT SHOULD Be PLANTED
The Best Varieties Are the Oaks, Gums, Tulips
Mognolias, Chestnut, Coffee Irees
Naples, Elms, Popars, and Lin
dens Undesirable.

To the Editor: The growing tendency
of the city authorities in North Carolina
to beautify streets by planting shade
trees along residence thoroughfares is
certainly commendable But unfortun-
ately for lack of expert knowledge Of
trees and of the correlation between tree
species and local climate, the good in
tentions of the municipal officers may
be frustrated. Too often instead of long
avenues OF handsome and healthy trees
we may find sickly and pest-ridden eye
sores which are anything but beautiful.
The city Of Raleigh has during the last
two years set out great number or
trees Of the silver maple species-Acer
Saccharinum. This is one OF the hand
soonest shade trees in existence i'll
cool climate, but is not at all suitable
for a street tree in Raleigh, nor anywhere
in North Carolina east of the Piedmont
section. There are five species of maple
native to North Carolina. OF all these
the silver maple is the least desirable for
a street shade tree. 1t is liable TO at
tack from numerous destructive insect
pests the worst of which is the maple
or gloomy aspidiopus tenebricosus.
The spittle scale. and a larger hairy cater
pillar attack the leaves as does three
species Of noXious fungi. The tree, too,
is very liable to injury by sun scald,
producing dead patches of bark on the
south or west side. These dead patches
soon invite wood bOres which shortly
eat in to the heart of the tree. producing
unsightly holes. Eventually some strong
Il h., off ut ono of
these injured points. | am sorry to say
that examination of number of the re-
Gently planted maple trees along one of
the streets of Raleigh has shown me
that these trees are infested by the de-
structive gloomy scale. This scale will
surely destroy the trees within a very
few years. The scale can of course be
fought. but the determination of the pest
- is almost impossible. An annual clean
ing will be required 10 keep the trees in
fair health. This will in the end cost
far more than the trees are worth. The
cheapest way of Graduating the scale
pest on tree is TO make fire wood o.
the tree-and this should be done before
the pest spreads to trees now uninfested.
The selection of shade trees whether
for the lawn or street is Il matter re-
curing expert knowledge both of trees
and local climate. The catalogues of
nurserymen will afford much misleading
information. What makes a desirable
tree for one kind Of soil and climate
may prove wholly unsuited for different
soil and locality.
A good street shade tree for any To-
caity should possess the following five
qualifications:
LIST. The tree should not he liable to
y ncfc y1nr
to sun scald
2nd The tree should be of medium
height with tough wood and able to re-
sist high winds
Bird. The tree should not bear edible
or poisonous fruit or nuts. nor dangerous
thorns. Should not have q strong or dis
agreeable odor or attract disagreeable
yermin
4th. The tree should be of handsome
FORM push it's leaves early in spring and
hold them well into the fall. When the
leaves fall they should all come down
together so as to make only one or two
sweepings necessary.
9th. The tree should be able to with
stand the disadvantages insperable from
city life. Should be adapted to the eli
mate and reasonably long-lived.
The number of tree species adapted to
any local climate and possessing all the
above enumerated good points is by no
means great. Yet we can not say that
any one or two species possess enough
of them TO justify us in planting these to
the exclusion of the rest. We should not
put our eggs into one basket. We should
have as great variety of shade trees as
our case permits. But different species
should be planted on different streets
each street having but one species or
variety.
Among the trees well suited for street |
shade in Raleigh and central North Caro-
lima may be named the following:
I. Red scarlet, yellow white. burr |
shingle and willow oaks. These are by |
far the best shade trees for this section. |
They have more good points and fewer
bad ones than any other class.
- Sour and sweet gums These arc !
native and hardy trees and make fine
shade trees on moist SOIL
3. Tulip or white poplar and Geirgke |
These are two of the finest and most
beautiful trees in existence. They are /
perfectly hardy and practically exempt
from insect and fungouS pests They
deserve extensive planting, but are eX-
pensive to buy.
A. Magnolias of five or six species
Catalpa. Horse chestnut and Paulonna.
These are fine trees which in spring bear
large and beautiful flowers. They are
substantially free from pests except
caralpa. which is some times infested by
a caterpillar. but never much injured.
> The Sophora. kentucky coffee tree,
and Ailonthus These are all fine trees.
or the last only the female tree should |
he planted The male gives out n |
strong ard disagreeablc odor when i'll
flower
The trees which are unsuitable for our
section. and especially so for street trees. |
are the following:
All the NAPLES. efnls. locustS cotton |
weeds. poplars and Iindens. The box