New-York tribune., 1902-04-14
CARING FOR CITY TREES.

We are not quite that people in this city
take any interest In trees They used TO do So
They rejoiced in the fact that while New-Yo
was chiefly A treeless city there We're at least
a few streets beautifully lined with rows of
stately elms, naples and lndens. The upper
part OF Broadway particularly n thing of
beauty and a joy to every citizen of taste and
public spirit. But In the last year two there
has been a wholesale and largely wantOn de-
struction of the best of those trees. such as
might well dshearten all men and cause them
to dismiss forever all thought of further tree
culture in streets. If. however. there are
any who rise superior TO that unparalleled van
dalism and hope to see the wrong repaired and
the city made lovely with greenery. COM
mend to their consideration for comfort and
inspiration, the brief account of the trees Of
Paris which is given in letter from Paris
correspondent published elsewhere in to-days
paper
The name of Baron Haussmann is not always
spoken with respect. But he was unquestion-
ably in certain particulars a worker of great
good for the French capital, and in none per
haps. much more than in his splendid achieve
ments in arboriculure. His words quoted by
our correspondent-"The ideal modern city
should have its streets lined on both sides with
'trees''-are worthy TO be craven upon the door
posts and iintels of every city hall in Chrsten-
dom for the continual remembrance of the
municipal government Haussmann not only
said those words: he lived up to them. He gave
Paris-counting the parks-'a tree for every
inhabitant." Apart from the parks. there are
on the streets of Paris more than eighty
seven thousand trees. Proportionately New
York should have more than one hundred and
four thousand. How many are there? Espe-
cially how many are there in Manhattan south
of Central Park? For we must remember that
the streets of Paris which best supplied
with trees are those which correspond in other
respects with our Broadway and Fifth-ave and
Twenty-thrd-st.
More significant, however. than the mere
showing of numbers is what our correspondent
reminds us of concerning the care of trees. Men
say here that trees will not grow well in cities
because the gas and electricity which leak into
the soil and the heat from steam pipes kill
their roots and the watertight asphalt paving
depriyes them of moisture. Paris refutes the
saying. II has gas and electricity and steam,
but it contrves to dispose of them that they
will not hurt the trees. Around each tree
circle Of soil at least nine feet across is kept
paved, and twice a day it is flooded with water
for the moistenng Of the trees roots. In other
ways the welfare of the trees is diligently cared
for. In brief, the trees are treated valuable
objects to be preserved and cherished, instead
Of as here. as things TO be merely tolerated and
to be abused neglected and destroyed at will.
There is no question that New-York could do as
we'll Paris does in tree culture if only its
citizens had the mind TO require it. Such
slaughter Of trees there has lately been on
Broadway would have been simply impossible
in Paris. 1t should have been impossible here.
The laying of pavements close to the trunks Of
trees. the nlutilation Of trees to make room for
electric wires, the of tree trunks as pegs for
guy ropes and posts upon which to nail all
sorts of signs-these and many other abuses
should be made impossible. Then the adorn
ment of the streets with trees, to the great gain