Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-11
City Trees.

There is an unbecoming shabbiness about
thousands of the capitals trees. Whether
this Is due to the season, to the caterpillar
or to other causes is for the tree men to de-
termine. 1t may be that their foliage Is
rusty and threadbare from the summer
wear and tear and that they feel the on
coming of the frost time. Anyhow, many
of the city trees appear seedy and unhappy.
The street trees seem more untidy and I'M
thrifty than those in the parks. 1t may
be because their life is harder. They suffer
more from dust and noise and their roots
have less natural environment than the
park trees, but are they quite up to their
September form? Do the electric lights and
traffic sounds break their rest at night? Do
the caterpillars sap their strength?
The avenue trees are especially ragged,
cherries and dsconsolate. The planes are
a notable success in the Capitol grounds
but along the great avenue they seem ILL
matched and detected. Washington should
take care of its trees. They deserve it.
They are the city's pride.
The preservation of city trees is coming
into prominence as a problem. 1t required a
long time and long discussion to educate
public opinion up to the point of demand
ing trees in streets. All kinds of arguments
and beliefs and prejudices had to be over
thrown. Now, trees are met with in all
cities where the citizens pretend to have
liking for nature and art. =, Washington
was one of the cities early to recognize the
tree a civic asset '--- --..- --a' -
But now that the city tree has been plant
ed comes the question of it's preservation
Complaint is made in many cities to the
eastward that it appears to be languishing
The New York Mail recently said:
1--WE have plenty of trees, but Just at
present We taking wretched care of
them. The trees of Central and other parks
are left TO the raVageS of countless cater
pillars. which lay their eggs and cover their
cocoonS in the interStices of the bark until
the big trees look as If they were Wrapped
in dirty cottonwood. The worms and cater
pillars have already made their annual meal
of the entire foliage of hundreds of trees
and shrubs, and these beautiful ornaments
OF our parks and g1punds are as bare and
desolate In August DIS they will be in jan
uary.
Meantime the gypsy moth and the brown
tall moth are moving upon us In myriads
and threatening to make clean sweep Of
the foliage Of the parks-and apparently
nobody in the park board cares. Private
owners know that the maintenance of the
beauty of their grounds means continual
warfare with pests. by spraying and other
wise. Are we to suppose that our experts
are ignorant of the necessity of this? Or
Is 1t simply that they have no real interest
in any part of their work except the draw
ing of their salaries?"
The gypsy and brown-tail moths have
spread southwark and westward from New
England and erudte entomologists seem
as hopeless in the combat with these pests
as In the warfare against the boil weevil.
The hope is strong that the capital city
may not be deforested because of the neg
ligence of the citizens or the activity Of
the pests.
Washington has had varied experience in
tree culture. 1t has made numerous mis-
takes which in the light of experience it
has rectified. The planting of the early
trees of the quick-growing varieties was
unsound policy and not many of the Nor
way poplars survive. Then the authort-
ties thought they had found the highest
form of street tree in the silver maple. It
was of fast growth and ample foliage. But
In time 1t took on a weedy shape and was
unstable in heavy winds. For some time
hardy trees Of compact crowns have been
planted-the American and European lin
den. buckeyes, hard naples and red and
willow oaks. The eastern and western
planes have done well where they have had
plenty Of room, for by nature the plane is a
snraa ding tree