The Jersey City news., 1902-03-29
STORM BENT
New Jersey Trees That Suf-
fered From the Sleet in
February.
NAPLES DAMAGED MOST
Hardy Films. Oaks and
Beeches Expert Advice
on Planting and Care.

While still busy removing much Of the
wreckage, or rather breakage, of the
trees, caused by the severe sleet storm OF
February p and %, it seems to me that
few remarks in connection with observa-
tions made the day after the storm would
not be out of place, says Jules Girtanner,
of Linden, in the Newark Sunday Call.
In my thirty-fve years of practical ex-
I perience with trees there never was such
destruction as has this .ate storm caused.
Speaking principally of the territory lying
between Jersey City and Philadelphia, as
traversea by the Pennsylvania Railroad,
one could readily observe the many points
where, through open tracts OF country,
the storms fury did its greatest work of
destruction. With the gale blowing as it
| did, from north by northeast. at the pos
sible rate of sixty miles per hour. few
trees in its path could withstand this fury
and the tremendous weight of sleet car
ried with>it.
Little need be said or repeated here of
the damage caused to all the telegraph
lines. A,ong this route to Philadelphia
alone several hundred poles wero snapped
off like matchsticks. Is it any wonder.
then, that our beautiful trees should not
escape?
The most severe sufferers of our many
varieties of trees growing in this section
of the country were the naples. These
were mostly silver red, Norways and
sugar naples. the latter are the strong
est of all the naples and therefore suf-
fered least.
The trees which best witstood the storm
We're the elms, oaks, buttonwoods a.ld
beeches. There are few beeches growing
in this section. but they are invariably
so-ealled storm proof. While there IS
considerable breakage to many OF our lof
ty elms l venture to say that, if closely
examined, one will find that many of the
branches broken have been much weak
ened by insects, the borers and other
larvae, which mostly attack the upper
crowns, working their way in the WOOD
downward
1t is to be regretted that among our
tree loving people there is not more care
taken in fighting our insect pests ard also
in judicious pruning each year, strength
ening and preserving thereby tree growth
This latter work is almost an unknown
art. | do not include here the fruit trees.
although very little is ever practiced
there, compared with what should be
done. but the fruit trees have, with the
exception of the peach, suffered least be-
cause they are usually Of much lower
! growth and stronger crowns than are our
shade trees. Taking, for instance, Car
| olina poplar, which is one of the fastest
| growing, but also one of the softest
wooded trees. and thereby among the
| first victims in severe storms. these even
could be made storm proof by timely and
/ iudieious pruning Proof of this can be
| obtained by viewing the well cared for
row of trees planted along the driveways
| of the Catharine Drexel Home at Corn
wells. where not a branchlet was broken,
! though every other tree in the vicinity
! surrounding them received natures blow.
| AS a rule people viii generally sslect
the fastest growing tree for shade, and,
once planted. it has received the final
4 touch by human hand The owner may be
| tempted to put tree guard up, if it Is
On the street, to prevent injury from
/ horses nibbl;ng or boys pranks of cutting
/ or girdling. but there never is the least
| though given to the care of a crown of
the tree.
1 Speaking of the silver map.e as the
most used CT al on account of its fast
growing habit Il could be equally as well
strengthened as the poplar by judicious
pruning. This maple will usually divide
from its terminal shoot when young and
grow up into long, erect and tender
shoots. AS these grow stronger num-
i Der of smaller branches viii lead out
| from these. Such trees. If allowed to
| grow of their own will and without the
aid of human hand will surely meet dis
aster. not even waiting for winters siest
storm, for any ordinary rain storm
! through the summer will be apt to dis
| figure them by twisting and swapping
/ off ita long and untrimmed feelers.
brought down by the weight of rain
soaked foliage.
The conifers suffered, comparatively,