Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1909-04-28
TREES AS BEAUT|F|ERS
Results Obtained In Holland
Through Systematic Culture.
EXAMPLES FOR AMERICANS.
Small Cost Per Capita For Care Of
Trees In Utrecht and The Hague.
Valuable From Hysienic Point of
Visw-Their Worst Enemy.

Trees In Utrecht and The Haoue.
Valuable From Hygienic Point Of
View-Their Worst Enemy.
Now that there is beginning a gen.
eral movement in the United States to
bring about systematic cultivation Of
trees, not only by reforestatlon on n
grand scale, but by the growth of
shade trees In towns and cities for the
ornamentation Of streets. the experi-
ence Of Holland in providing forest
effects for its citizens should be of in
terest to Americans. There Is perhaps
no other well populated country in the
world which has so many well wooded
towns rs has Holland. Most of the
streets and grachts. or canals. have ay-
enues or trees. Utrecht has two rows
OF trees on either side Of its quaint ca
nails. Its canal banks are constructed
as II In two stories. The lower story.
almost flush with the water level. Is
lined with warehouses and vaults
while the upper story has dwellings
and shops. Both levels are planted
with trees, the tops Of the lower ones
Just reaching the street level.
SO many avenues of trees make a
Dutch town exceedingly pleasant, es-
pecially on hot day. The foliage |
tempers the glare Of the sun, and the /
vistas Of green are refreshing to the
eye. But these abundant growths in
thickly populated towns are hi, bly,
useful as we'll as ornamental. 1t is rec
ognized that from hygienic point Of
view they are valuable to the citizens.
Not only do shady walks tempt peo-
pie to enjoy the open air, but the liv-
Ing roots In the soil have a purifying
erect, which was by no means to be
despised In the past, when the drain
age OF Dutch towns left much to be
desired. Further, the foliage produces
ozone and, purifes the air. 1t also
tends to keep the air moist and to
temper the wind, thus causing less
dust to be blown about In the au-
tumn the fallen leaves give the same
Kind OF service that Is given by tea
leaves scattered on a floor when the
room Is to be swept-they lay the dust.
More important still, trees wage war
upon noxious bacteria, for investiga-
lions by scientists show that these
harmful growths are comparatively
rare where trees are plentiful. Be-
sides all this, the aesthetic value Of
beautiful trees certainly is not small.
In Holland all these useful services
Ire gratefully recognized and the trees
Ire carefully tended by the municipal!-
les. The cost Of this care per capita
n the different towns varies some |
What. Last year, for example, Utrecht |
levoted p cents Dutch to its trees |
or each inhabltant and The Hague % II
ents for each Of its $4,000 citizens. II
t takes 212 Dutch cents to equal an II
american cent. About ten years ago II
be annual cost Of caring for the trees H
( The Hague was 10 cents Dutch II
er capita, but since that time many II
ew trees and shrubs have been plant II
throughout the city, and new parks II
ave been laid out. II
1t has been found that not every II
Ind Of tree will thrive in the streets II
town, for trees have many enc II
les both above and below ground H.
as escaping from pipes underground
the worst enemy Of trees, because =
lite small quantities Of 1t are deadly.
Or this reason special precautions are
ken against the leakage of gas In
itch towns. How electricity escap- '
6 under ground acts upon trees as Ne
t has not been sufficiently studied not
be understood. Trees will not grow we
very narrow streets where the tiy
uses are high. Neither will they der
rive If the pavement does not let In the
DISTURB and air In sufficient quaint gay
s. Mis-
Che best trees for street planting in for
bland are elms and llndens, but the Ho
n is the harder of the two and will all
wv where linden will not. Trees age
these kinds reach n great age, like ldel
old elms along the quiet grachts Of thrC
am, one Of the dead cities of the wal
yder Zee, which saw the fleets Of He
n Tromp and De Ruyter In the har- dan
Of Edam-the harbor which ap- and
rs so tiny to modern eyes that one so
h difficulty imagines "the terror Of ton
North sea" anchoring there. Then fort
re are the magnificent lindens Of the
Maliebaan in Utrecht, which ap- is Il
led to the French monarch, King
lis XIV. Those lindens he COM
lded his soldiers TO spare on peril Of Tt
r lives And there are the lindens and
he Workout at The Hague. Who they
ever forget them after having othe
lthed their perfume on an evening Th
lte June or early July or seen them snap
heir array Of gold and orange In signs
ember or October?-W. J.. L. KiebI displ
hicago News. OF Il