The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-01-09
MUNICIPAL CONTROL OF SHADE
TREES.

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shade tree commissions in munich
pallties.
Municipal Engineering Magazine
describes the workings of the COM
mission in East Orange, N. j. Since
1904 about 200 trees have been
planted. The species used we're the
Norway maple, the sugar maple, the
red maple, the European linden, the
American linden, the pink oak, the
dingko, and the ash. Only the
red oak, the Oriental plane, the
species of tree was planted on a
street. These were set at uniform
distances apart, averaging about
thirty-eight feet, and all trees we're
supplied with wire guards. The ad
vantages of such a system Of plant
ing can readily be seen. In select
ing proper species Of trees for street
use, hardy trees are taken, Of SYM
metrlcal shape, of well filled head,
neither too open nor too compact.
BY placing the trees at proper dis
tances apart on the street, each tree
is allowed to develop its character
istic beauty, and when matured,
there is sufficient space between the
outstretching limbs for the admis-
sion of light and free circulation Of
air. Streets that have become fam
GUS for their beautiful shade trees,
both in this country and abroad are
planted with one species of tree.
This plan is followed in Washington,
whore some Of the most notable
streets are East Capitol street,
planted with American elms; In
diana avenue. planted with Oriental
planes; Massachusetts avenue,
planted with American lindens and
other streets.
The first cost Of plant shade trees
is very small, compared with the
other assessments for street i'm
provements. Last year the assess
ments of the shade tree commission
of East Orange for furnishing and
properly planting a tree, stalking 1t
and supplying It with a wire guard,
were 1915 per tree. This makes the
tree assessment less than 21k per
cent of the cost of the improvement
Of the roadway proper. While the
use of the road will cause IL to deter
iorate and it will need repairs. The
first cost Of the trees will become in
significant with their increased
value a number of years after
planting.
The choice Of the proper species of
tree becomes an important factor in
contributing to the beauty of the
street. The Carolina poplar grows
very rapidly, in fact in a short time
1t becomes too large for the average
street. AS a result II is repeatedly
cut back in order to force 1t TO as
sumo a medium sized head. The
planter tries to counteract. shortly
after planting, the very characteristic
which recommended It's first choice
as a shade tree. The result is an alb
normal tree, with a thick trunk and
small head This pruning con-
tinues with a great degree Of Sc
verify and the poplar becomes ugly
and repulsive. The roots of the poplar
are also an undesirable feature, for
the fine rootlets fill up sewer pipes
and stop the flow OF water, and the
larger roots lift up flags and put the
curbing out of line.
In the matter of the choice of trees
there Is popular notion that oaks
grow slowly and for that reason
these trees are not planted. People
an oak tree to reach any consider
able size. Such an idea is easy to
| overcome by showing what oaks will
do when properly planted and cared
! for.
Some Of the finest streets in the
city of Washington are planted with
oaks, notably Pennsylvania avenue,
! planted with pink oaks, and Twelfth
street, planted with red oaks. In the
city of East Orange some streets were
planted with pink oaks four years ago
and they have grown in many cases
even more rapidly than the other
species, with the exception of the
Oriental plane.
There are about seventy miles OF
streets in East Orange. The trees on
about forty miles of these streets
were pruned under the direction OF
the shade commission since its or
ganization. In this work, too, the
street was treated as a unit. All
trees were pruned to a uniform
height, a height that would permit
the unimpeded passage of vehicles
and would allow all street lights to
be seen at night.
Few things are more important in
the care Of trees than proper prun-
ing. The cut should be made close to
and even with the trunk. When
pruning is properly done the scar
will heal. When short stumps are left
they dry and rot, prevent the
wound from healing and carry decay
into the tree.
A matter that is neglected when
trees are left for the individual TO
look after Is the placing of guards
around them. OF all mechanical in
49, 1.