The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-21
MORE TREES NEEDED.


There is need of many more trees
on some of our principal streets. we
are sure that there is nothing that
could be done towards beautfying the
city that would be more generally APP
preciated by both citizens and visitors
than the planting of trees, particularly
on such streets as Jones and Liberty
Unless trees are planted more llberally
than they have been during the last
year in the older portion of the city,
Savannah will cease to be known as
the Forest City.
1t is true that a double row of live
oaks has been planted on 9th street,
and in the course of ten or a dozen
years that street will be one of the
most attractive in the city, as far as
trees are concerned, and a good many
trees have been planted on the extend
ed portion of Bull street. but where
trees are needed just now is in that
section which is visited by large part
of the city's population pretty nearly
every day, and which comes directly
under the observation of visitors.
We understand of course that the
city does not undertake to plant trees
along the sides of streets in front of
residences unless requested to do so by
property owners, because the expense
must be borne by them, but it seems to
us that for the general good, and for
the welfare of the city, the Park and
Tree Commission should use its influ-
ence to greater extent than it does
in trying to get property holders to re-
quest that trees be planted before their
homes.
Jones street, for instance is begin
ming to look very ragged. The resi-
dences along that street are, in many
Instances, far from attractive in ap-
pearance. Most of them would be much
more desirable and would probably
command higher rent if they were
shaded and partly hidden by handsome
trees The same is true in respect to
residences on Liberty street and Ogle-
thorpe avenue. 1t looks as if the dou-
BILE row OF Magnolia trees on Liberty
street was going to prove a failure. We
do not know what per cent. of the trees
is dead, but it seems safe to say that
fully half of them are now in a condi-
ton to be removed. When the commits
sion gets ready to remove them would
1t not be advisable to take into consid-
GRAFTON the question of putting some
other kind of a tree in the vacant
places? 1t seems to be a difficult mat
ter to get Magnolia trees to live,
though the tree is a hardy one when
once it gets fairly started in it's growth.
The live oak trees in the middle
ground on Oglethorpe avenue are com
ing on rapidly, particularly west of
Whitaker street. There the old trees
have been cut down, thus giving the
young trees the full benefit of the sun.
On the other part of the avenue the
trees are not doing so well. There are
several dead ones, which ought to be
replaced by new ones this fall. In the
meantime the identifying of the sides
of the avenue ought to be encouraged
by every possible means. The little
stretch in front of the residences Of
Gen. Gordon and Capt. Blum shows the
kind of improvement that ought to be
made. There the grass is we'll kept and
the trees are young and vigorous.
OF course the Park and Tree Commits
sion cannot do everything in the way
of improvements. The people must
help it. 1t is the wish of almost every
citizen to see the city improved and
beautified. This can be done only by
the people and the commission work
ing together and by the spending of a
reasonable amount of money.