New-York tribune., 1903-01-04
TREES AND WATER.

TREES AND WATER.
So far as we able to ascertain the Only
argument in favor of the destruction OF the trees
along the Croton and its affiuents is that thus
the water will be kept free from fallen leaves
or couparatively free. for it would be necessary
to destroy all trees within some hundreds OF
wards of the streams to keep all leaves out OF
the latter. 1t does not appear that the eho
sought justifies the means. The leaves DO not
contaminate the water. They do not make IL
rni,eaIthfuI. 1t is doubtful IL they ever give it
any perceptible flavor or color. why rheh'
should such desperate efforts be made to keep
them from falling into It? Because the leaves
accumulate in great quantities and threaten TO
clog the pipes and form veritable beds OF muck
=, the reservoirs Wherefore, cut down the
trees drain the swamps straighten the water
courses and transform the streams which now
wind about between mossy banks and under
,shadowing trees into straight canals, bounced
by banks of sunburned clay and simmering In
the blazing sun!
lust so we have known people TO destroy the
trees in city streets TO object to the planning
of them, ''because the leaves made such an un-
tidy litter! It never seemed to occur to them
that the health and comfort and beauty given
by the trees would a thousand times repay the
little labor of sweeping up and removing the
leaves as tney 1ell- DO IL upeS hoL Sccii ~
occur to these tree destroyers in the Croton
Valley that the leaves might be removed from
the water from time to time, and that the little
labor and expense thus caused would be a thou
sandfold repaid by the advantages Of having the
streams and the bordering land well shaded. 1t
is q safe estimate that at the minimum rate OF
$50 a million gallons the water which would be
lost to this city through the destruction Of the
trees would be worth more than the cost OF
straining and raking the leaves out of the
streams and reservoirs. Considering all that
we hear nowadays about the scarcity Of water
and the urgent need of increasing the city's
supply, it certainly seems false economy to
sacrifice SO worth of water TO save 50
worth of work. Suppose. moreover that by
lessening the Croton supply, through de-
struction of the trees, and by squander7ng 1t
at this end of the line through leaky pipes and
faucets. water famine is produced. and we are
driven to seek an enlarged supply from the
Ramapo hills, or from the Adirondacks, some
are suggesting, going to begin by cutting
off all the trees which shade the streams
in those regions? Why. the whole Adirondack
region would not give US the water we need, If
all the trees there were destroyed.
The fact is that the trees which now so densely
embower the Croton and its tributaries not only
conserve and regulate the supply of water in
quantity, but also protect it in quality. This
must be obvious to every one who is familiar
with that region and who has studied the prob
lem intelligently. The overshadowing trees pro-
teet the water from contamination by decaying
vegetation. Where the stream is well shaded
the bottom is free from mud muck, and free
from aquatic plants. 1t is a stream of crystal
water flowing over pebbles and powders. But
where the trees have been destroyed and there
is no shade the bottom of the stream is covered
deeply with mud and vegetable muck, and there
are rank growths Of yellow water lilies or
''muckshoreS." and smartweed, and other gross
herbs, which put into the water a thousand
times more organic matter and are a thousand
times more likely to give the water a bad taste
or color or smell than all the fallen forest
leaves of yallombrosa
Or. Smith. formerly of the New York Health
Beard. was quite right when in his interview
in The Tribune on Friday lie denounced the
cutting down Of trees along the Croton and its
branches as pure vandalism and urged that
instead of destroying the trees the authorities
should plant more trees. The whole Croton
Valley should he as denseiy wooded as possible
The strips of land which the city owns along
the banks of the streaLS and lakes should be
planted thickly with trees. so that every water
course will be embowered That is the rational
policy. dictated alike by engineering and by
sanitary considerations. One has only to notice
how shaded streams maintain an even flow all
summer while unshaded streams dry up and
how pure and sparkling the water of the former
is. while that of the latter when there is any is
turbid and foul, to convince him of the folly
and worse than folly of the reckless course now
being pursued in the Croton region.
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