The Havre herald. [volume] (Havre, Mont.) 1904-1908, 1908-09-02
STREET TREES VALUE 4
Index of the Character of ANY
Community.
HINTS ON PLANTING THEM.

That When Fully Grown Its In
dividuai Beauty VIII Not Be Lost.
Care of Young Stock.
Street trees and their condition are
largely an index, for they have much
to do with the character and growth
Of city or town. While they add
much to the comfort and pleasure OF
the inhabitants. the evident determina-
sion to be comfortable bespeaks the
character of the people. Not only do
street trees concern the present, but
assures one of still better results in the
future If one but takes the trouble to
look the matter up it will be found that
a majority of the larger cities east Of
the Mississippi started as we'll planted,
we'll cared for villages. Often this
marvellous growth may be traced back
TO where some enthusiastic individual
or small band of workers determined
that their village should be made beau
riful and attractive to home seekers.
Many can, if they would, start this
work with swing and gait that could
not fail to succeed, thereby adding to
the property values Of both self and
neighbors. "Why stand ye idly by?'
Do not overplant streets. Allow each
tree sufficient room so that when fully
grown its individual beauty will not be
lost. Trees so planted always make
the more satisfactory growth. Their
root systems start forth equally dis
tributed in all directions. II placed too
close to each other when Of large size
the space between trees is soon eX-
hausted Of plant food and completely
filed with roots; then the feeders make
a frantic rush at right angles to the
row, seeking plant food wherever most
easily obtained. In country districts
this often results in these starving
trees sending their roots into orchards
comparatively near the surface and
nearly destroying the nearest row Of
fruit trees.
A most thorough preparation or a
deep soil bed for the young trees Will
start roofing system down deep III
the natural reservoir of plant food, ana
the feeders will not then push up near
the surface to forage because OF short
rations at home. Roots reaching into
and interfering With orchard or garden
NAV in the case Of old trees he cut by
digging a trench parallel with the row
and cutting them off. II the tops are
also properly pruned, the tree Will NOT
need such an extensive root system to
support it. If the street tree Is given
an occasional feed and cultivation, as
is always the case with orchard trees,
it might be induced to board ut home
for all time, The need Of ample room,
IL we are to secure the best tree de-
yelopment, is strikingly shown in the
case of the common blue gum, forest
tree. When grown in commercial plan
tations or shelter belts 1t sends up D
tall, straight shaft With scarcely q
branch of any note. When standing
alone 1t develops q handsome, umbra-
geous form and often makes IN ideal
shade tree.
One Of the most serious drawbacks t.
street tree planting is the inability tt
obtain capable men to do the work. II
spite Of the fact that men on every
hand may be found who claim to be
trained gardeners very few are at al
competent to plant trees or care fol
them after planting. Even the best
gardeners are seldom trained in those
lines which have to deal with stree
trees, and q well trained orchardist il
to be preferred for the planting, while
special training is required for intelli
gent pruning IF more good men were
available, our larger cities and towns
might be encouraged to appoint tree
wardens Or city foresters. AS it Is tht
authorities feel somewhat helpless, ant
the matter drifts along, the property
owner planting and the wind Or wirt
stringer pruning until no respectable
trees are left. Some day the city o.
town awakes to find it has no stree
trees worthy the name, and move
ment IS made to begin all oyer again
reclaiming such trees rs are still OF
value, roofing out and replacing oil
marred stunps, and only by a genera
upheaval is it possible to place the mu
nicipalty on the road toward the cit,
beautiful goal.
Young street trees growing yigor
ously need attention In a variety 0
ways. Abnormal and useless growth
must be cut off, aud so must the tol
at proper height, the latter to Undue
branching into a low heading tre
rather than continuing upward into
spindly and insufficient exclamation
point on the landscape view. Al
young trees, as Il rule, need stakin
and tying, and no halfway measure
should be adopted in this work. Hav
the stakes strong enough to resist tn
heaviest windstorm and the cor
equally effective. The latter should b
large and soft that 1t may not cut int
the tender bark rs we'll as making
closely knit knot that will not com
united or slip. Frequent and copiou
irrigations must be given during th
first summer following planting NOR
especially if unusually large hole
have not been dug, so as to induce