The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-15
WILL GROW TREES
THE CITY AND COUNTY To EsTAB-
LISH A NURSERY.
CONTRACT ALREADY DRAWN.
PARK AND TREE COMMISSION WILL
BE IN CHARGE.

Comfy Furnishing Twenty Acres Of
Land and the City VIII Maintain
the Nursery-Contract Made for 81
Years with Privilege of Renewal
for Same PeriOd-Under New
scheme City VIII Plant Trees
Free of Cost and a system of
Uniformity viii Be Preserved.
Within very short while the city
and the county will establish and
maintain tree nursery. City Coun-
ell has, by resolution, authorized the
Mayor to sign a contract with the
county that was drawn up several days
ago.
The nursery will be for the bene-
fit of the county as well as the city
Its establishment is looked upon as
one of the most important moves to-
wards improvement and advancement
that has been undertaken in some
slime.
The maintenance of the nursery
means that the city will eventually
pass ordinances that will forbid citi-
zens planting trees in front of their
property at will. All trees will be
planted by the city, without cost to
property owners, and in this way only
one variety of tree need be planted on
one street. The carrying out of such
a policy would add much to the beau
ty of Savannah and would mean UNI
broken avenues of elms, live oaks,
willows, etc. There would not be as
at present. palmetto and an oak side
by side, or a sycamore and an elm.
Plans Are Agreed Upon.
The city and the county have already
agreed upon the plan for the estab-
lishment of the nursery, and all that
remains to be done is the signing of
the papers. This will be done in day
or two. The city engineer is now en-
gagged in making map of the land
that will be cultivated under the di-
rection of the Park and Tree Commits
sion.
With the paving of Abercorn street
from Park avenue to Estill avenue will
probably begin the work of uniformity
in tree planting that the Park and
Tree Commission now has in mind.
On this beautiful residence street it is
most likely that the first trees will be
planted and that within very few
years it will be a beautiful avenue.
The contract between the county and
the city provides that in considera-
ton of the mutual and reciprocal bene-
fits and advantages flowing to each,
and the payment of 81 by the city,
the county leases to the city about
twenty acres of land east of the tracks
of the Savannah Electric Company
near Pritchards Station. This tract is
bounded on the north by the Bona
bella road, on the east by the Skid
away road and on the west by the
electric company's track On the
southern boundary is an artesian well
owned by the county.
At Expense of City.
The contract is for period covering
! twenty-five years. but the city is
! granted the right to extend the time
! twenty-five years upon written notice
to the county one year before the ex-
piration Of the contract. 1t is pro-
vided that the land must be used al
the expense of the city as tree nurs-
cry and for no other purpose, and that
| if the city shall abandon the use OF
the land as a nursery for two consecu-
tive years, it shall revert to the county
1t is stipulated that the land shall
be used in the planting each year OF
seedlings, cuttings, young trees oil
SuIuDS, ana dlSO III the pIObSi SulLl
walton of trees and shrubs in the nurs-
cry the cost of planting and cultiva-
ton to be not less than 800 in any one
year. The city is required to keep an
account of the money expended, and
to submit this account to the County
| Commissioners whenever called upon.
1t is further provided that if less than
800 is spent any two consecutive years
the contract becomes void.
Trees for the County.
The city is given the right to use
the artesian well on the southern boun-
dairy of the tract for irrigation, but
that it must at no time conflict with
it's garbage dump. The city is given
the right 20 bore additional wells on
the land, these wells to revert to the
county when the lease ends, and to be
used by the county during the life of
the lease, without cost.
The county is given the right each
year to remove and use for planting
upon the county roads, or other coun-
ty property, as many of the nursery
grown trees and shrubs as it may de-
sire, not exceeding in any one year %
per centum of the trees and shrubs
that may then be suitable for trans
planting. The suitability of trees
for transplanting, and the particular
shrubs and trees to be removed will be
at the discretion of the city and of
the Farm Committee of the County
Commissioners.