The Savannah morning news., 1904-01-05
BEAUTY OF THE CITY
AS MAINTAINED BY PARK AND
TREE COMMISSION.
IN HIS ANNUAL REPORT
CHAIRMAN DAFFIN DwELLS ON
NEED OF LARGER APPRoPRI-
ATT0NS.

Commission Must Have Money to Do
Its Work ThOrOUghIy-The Public
Grounds of Savannah Contained
More Than 100 Acres-ThOusands
of Plants and Trees Are Accounted
for by Chairman DafIin-NearIy
$4,000 Bulbs Planted in Forsyth
Park and on Bull Street During
1908.
In the annual report of the Park and
Tree Commission it is shown that the
city has over 1925 acres in parks
and squares.
Chairman Daff1n fully reviews what
was done by the commission in 1903
and takes occasion to compliment Clerk
William H. Robertson and Foreman
!. B. Wise.
The report was completed by Clerk
Robertson last night. and is probably
the neatest, and most exhaustive that
has been gotten out since the commits
sion was created.
The report shows that there are now
in the Green House 7.175 plants of all
varieties. The commission also has a
total of 2.715 stock plants. During
the year there were planted in Forsyth
Park, and in the Bull street squares
1880 bulbs. The commission planted
S37 trees in 1903. as follows:
Sugarberry, los; magnolia, 1872; dog
wood, II; live oak, 81; red bud, 2;
sycamore, l; sweet gum, As; maple, 1;
ironwood Z; elm, Is; white oak, 6;
lagerstromia, 375; crab apple, 2, and
palmetto, 80; total, S37.
We have sprayed a number of trees
this year for various kinds of in
sects, the trees mostly infected were
the live oak, elm, dogwood, sweet gum
and magnolia.
In the report Chairman Daf1in has
a great many things to say that are
of interest to Savannahians. Among
other things, the report says:
In reviewing the history of the past
and what has been accomplished by
the Park and Tree Commission, es-
pecially as to the influence of it's work
upon the progress and prosperity of
the city, l cannot too strongly insist
upon the Importance of a liberal pro-
vision for such improvements, even
from a money standpoint.
The more attractive we make our
city in the way of well-shaded trees,
beautiful parks and grassy lawns, the
more people will be inclined
to make their homes with us
and help us bear our burdens
Such Improvements as the rows of
large, vigorous live oaks, and pail
metto trees on Oglethorpe avenue, Co
lonial Park and CASTOR street, cost
money but they not only attract the
attention of visitors, but they induce
strangers to cast their lots with us in
our beautiful city and become dwell
ers among us.
We beg to report that during the
year we delivered rs double
wagon loads of wood to the various
public institutions of the city and also
to a number of the worthy poor. We
have deposited at our lot a quantity
OF large wood that is in block but
as yet have not had the time to split
it up so that it could be delivered to
those who are in need of wood.
We have removed during the year "A
dead trees, cost of removal being borne
by our regular appropriation. The fol-
lowing will show the varieties and
number of each: Chinaberry, 6; water
oak, %; mulberry, 8; elm, s; sycamore,
81; ironwood, l; poplar, l; pecan, l, and
live oak. /: total. IA.
We beg to report that we have this
past year eSta D1SneQ tree nursery,
and during the spring of 1903 purchas-
ed and planted 1921 nursery grown
and 2,200 forest grown seedlings, or a
total of 4,521 seedlings. at a cost of
$52.S5. We also collected 1,163 native
forest seedlings.
The young trees and seedlings made
a remarkable growth the past summer,
and we are quite sure that in the
course of the next few years we will
have a lot of fine, healthy, well-rooted
and shapely trees to be planted in the
city and along the county roads, as per
the contract with the county under
which we have the use of the land for
our nursery we must furnish a GER
tain amount of trees to said county
each year when such trees are ready
for planting.
We have purchased this fall 10,490
nursery and forest grown seedlings at