Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-07-23
STREET TREES Value
Index of the Character of Any
Community.
HINTS ON PLANTING THEM.

Give Each Tree Enough Room So
That When Fully Grown It's In
dividuai Beauty Will Not Be Lost.
Care of Young Stock.
Street trees and their condition are
largely an index, for they have much
ito do with the character and growth
of a city or town While they add
much to the comfort and pleasure of
the inhabitants, the evident determine
ton 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
majority of the larger cities east of
the Mississippi started as well planted,
well 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
Itiful and attractive to home seekers.
Many can, if they would, start this
work with a swing and gait that could
not fail to succeed, thereby adding to
the property values Of both self and
Ineighbors. "Why stand We 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
Itributed in all directions. If 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
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
comuaratively near the surface and
nearly destroying the nearest row OF
fruit trees.
A most thorough preparation OF a
deep soil bed for the young trees Will
start a roofing system down deep IN
the natural reservoir of plant food, and
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 be cut by
digging a trench parallel with the row
and cutting them off. If 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,
lit might be induced to board at home
for all time. The need Of ample room,
lif we are to secure the best tree de-
velopment, is strikingiy shown in the
case of the common blue gum, forest
tree. When grown in commercial plan
Itations or shelter belts 1t sends up
tall, straight shaft with scarcely
branch of any note. When standing
Ialone it develops handsome, umbra-
geous form and often makes an Ideal
shade tree.
One of the most serious drawbacks to
street tree planting is the inability to
obtain capable men to do the work. In
spite of the fact that men on every
hand may be found who claim to be
trained gardeners, very few are at all
competent to plant trees or care for
them after planting. Even the best
gardeners are seldom trained in those
lines which have to deal with street
trees. and a well trained orchardist Is
Ito be preferred for the planting, while
special training is required for intell1-
gent pruning. If more good men were
available, our larger cities and towns
might be encouraged to appoint tree
Iwardens or city foresters. AS 1t Is, the
authorities feel somewhat helpless. and
THE matter drifts along, the property
|owner planting and the wind or wire
stringer pruning until no respectable
trees are left. Some day the city or
town awakes to find it has no street
trees worthy the name, and a move
lment is made to begin all over again,
reclaiming such trees as are still of
value, roofing out and replacing old
marred stumps, and only by general
upheaval is it possible to place the mu-
nicipality on the road toward the city
SOd1
Young street trees growing vigor-
ously need attention In a variety of
ways Abnormal and useless growths
must be cut off, and so must the top
at proper height, the latter to induce
branching into a low heading tree
rather than continuing upward into a
spindly and insufficient exclamation
point on the landscape view. All
young trees, as a rule, need stalking
and tying, and no halfway measures
should be adopted in this work. Have
the stakes strong enough to resist the
heaviest windstorm and the cord
equally effective The latter should be
large and soft that it may not cut into
the tender bark as well as making q
closely knit knot that will not come
united or slip. Frequent and copious
,irrigations must be given during the
first summer following planting. more
especially If unusually large holes
have not been dug, so as to induce
free, farreaching root system. 1t Is
well TO remember the old admonition,
'"As the twig is bent the trees
inclined" few minutes pruning
when young will remove the necessity
of unsightly hacking" in the future.
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