New-York tribune., 1902-04-21
where. This Is a queer tale, giving ne pleasure
and certainly ne edifeatien te the reader
TREES IN NEW-YORA.
POSSIBILITIES FOR HEALTH AND BEAUTY
UNDER THE NEW LAW.


To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: The very interesting letter OF your fafis
correspondent the cultivation Of trees IN the
streets of the French capital and your editorial
comments that subject should be supplemented
by the information that Governor Odell has JUST
signed bill providing for the planting and cu!u-
walton of trees in the streets of this city by the
Park Department. This bill is the outcome OF
studies of the of the excessive mortality OF
children during the summer months. 1t appears
that upward of four thousand children die during
the months of June. July, August and September
in excess of the number dying during the remain
ing eight months of the year. A comparison OF the
temperature records with the mortality RECORDS
shows that when the former rise above u degrees
Fahrenheit the latter follow like wave, ascend
ing and descending with the utmost regularity, but
at an interval of about thirty-six hours So per-
fectly do temperature and mortality correspond
that when the temperature falls during the heat OF
summer for twenty-four hours owing to cloudy ana
rainy the child mortality falls during the
next thirty-six hours nearly the average or the
cooler months Even the sudden fall of tempera-
ture due to a thunderstorm with high winds is fol-
lowed by a fall in the death rate n about thlrty-
six hours Another feature Of this study, OF great
Importance in view Of the possibility Of applying
remedial measures is the fact that as the area OF
stone and brick increases and the area of open
grass covered spaces diminishes the summer NOR
tality of children steadily advancing 70 higher
and still higher level. 1t is. indeed, at the peril OF
summer months. in the best residence dis
tricts.
Fortunately We have in vegetation. and especially
Iii trees the means Of counteracting the evil ef-
fects of heat upon the public health
Vegetation gives to the oxygen essential 10
his life. and absorbs for its own sustenance the
gases In the air which poisonous to man. The
power of tree to cool the air is twofold: First.
the temperature of tree is about 10 degrees
Fahrenheit at all times. and hence its presence
and in prirT
second the surfaces of the leaves emit large guam
titles of vapor into the air. which is a powerfully
cooling process. The amount Of vapor thus thrown
off increases with the increase OF temperature the
maximum being reached on the hottest day. test
of the influence Of a tree On temperature showed
that when the heat Of the pavement in an avenue
130 degrees Fahrenheit IN the shade OF tree
The canacity of q single tree was established by
Professor Pierce. of Harvard, who determined by
Cambridge a. of moderate size, produced a
crop OF seven million leaves exposing surface of
statement may have in front of cur residences
II The faH r G Which hee9S eeGs Gs he Winows
This study led to the drafting Of bin which
elusive care control OF the trees and here
se sTtT on9 f liz e of fhe coms
soners being at present limited TO the trees IN the
iatures Of 1893 and 1900 but was not approved by
Mayor Van Wyck for reasons never made public
lature, and through the efforts of AsseInblynan
H.
berg passed; it received the prompt approval
Of Mayor Low and signed last week by Gov
ernor Odell. 1t is entitled An act TO extend the
jurisdiction of the Park Board of the City of New
York to the preservation. planting and cultivation
of and other vegetation in the streets thereof
for the purpose Of improving the public health. 1t
empowers the Park Board to bureau Of
tree culture, the chief officer of which must be
skilled and experienced arboriculturist: it may
make rules and regulations and ordinances govern
ing the planting ard cultivation of trees in ac-
cordance with which persons plant their own
trees. Violations Of these ordinances are punish
able miSdemeanors. 1t may raise its own tree
plants in the parks where this be done without
detriment the park used
1t is believed that this law Will fnaugurate a
most useful reform, both regards the public
health and In the direction of beautifying the city
New-York is far behind other cities in the cutiva-
ton Of trees in her streets Paris has S7.693;
Washington has upward Of 5000; Kansas City
planted 1900 last year, and other cities are show
ing equal activity. We have unbounded facilities
for planting and cultivating street trees. especially
in the new suburbs, in Richmond, Queens. The
Bronx and large sections of Kings and Manhattan
If city authorities would plant trees in the
streets, under the direction of skilled and expert
enced officials. giving the proportionate number of
trees to the inhabitants that holds in Paris-viZ.
33-tfey could make New-York the healthiest, most
beautiful and most attractive residential city both
summer and winter. In the world
NewYork, April II, 1902. STEPHEN SMITH.