CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1906-04-12
Friday

A popular but erroneous impress
sion among people unfamiliar with the
possibilities of the soil and climate
of Colorado that the only kind of
shade trees capable of being success
! fully grown here are the cottonwoods
and other indigenous varieties OF soft
woods; none Of which are specially
adaptable for the purpose OF affording
relief from the rays of the summers
sun. No greater mistake could be
entertained in relation to our limita-
tions in this respect than to suppose
we were restricted in our choice of
shade trees to those of native origin
and growth, although the dominance
OF the cottonwood as a shade tree in
all OF the older communities OF the
state might lead to conclusion that
II was the only variety that would
flourish in this section of the country.
The pioneers of Colorado. like the
settlers of any new country, naturally
planted about their homes those trees
that were more accessible, and, the
cottonwood, being easiest to obtain
and of quick growth. was chiefly
drawn upon by those who came here
q generation ago when looking for
some means of sheltering their habi-
tations from the heat of summer and
the cold of winter. Because the
largest shade trees to be seen In the
Arkansas valley are cottonwoods
does not imply that they are the only
kind that will grow here. Their prev
alence In such large numbers is due
to the fact that the pioneer had no
other trees at hand. and they testify
to his wisdom In making the most OF
his opportunities. There were no
nurseries for the propagation of shade
tress here forty years ago. and be-
tween the settler and the elm. the
maple and the ash Of the eastern
states. stretched out five hundred
miles OF semi arid plains, the inhab-
tants OF which were mainly Indians,
buffalo. coyotes and cactus.
Many a visitor to Canon City has
remarked. III you only had the
splendid shade trees here that we
have back in Illinois, or Ohio or New
England. you would have one of the
most attractive communities in the
country" The only reason that we
do not have In the irrigation parts of
the Arkansas valley as magnificent
specimens of the elm and the maple
as they have in any section of the
country is because we have not had
time to develop them. To bring tree
TO maturity requires long time. and
who shall say that in the years to
come Canon City or Colorado Springs
or some other town in the Rocky
Mountains. shall not be as famous for
It's shade trees as New Haven, Con
necticut. or Jacksonville. Illinois.
There are hundreds of hard wood
foliage trees growing along the pub
lie streets of Canon City and every
year is adding to their attractiveness
and beauty. Their healthy, symetri-
cal growth is demonstrating their
adaptability to their new environ
ment and should be an incentive to
property owners to plant others like
them, for they have proven them
selves to be no longer an experiment
in this locality.
How much Canon City people owe
TO Henry Harrison. Gov. Rudd. Eu-
gene Weston. Wilsh Helm. Capt
Rockafellow. Dali DeWeese and other
enterprising men In the matter OF
tree planting cannot be estimated al
though the grateful shade OF the trees
set out under their supervision years
ago Ia appreciated by the visitor who
walks along the streets or drives