The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-03-15
TALK ON TREES
Bernard M. Rifkin Tells
How To Care For Them.
SAYS OUR NAPLES ARE IN BAD
SHAPE PEDESTRIANS EN-
DANGERED BY FALLING
BRANCHES - METHODS OF
TREE PRESERVATION.

Bernard NJ. Ritk1n, W1lkeS-Barre,
an expert in tree-dentistry, spent
Saturday in Honesdale by invitation
of the Honesdale Improvement As
sociation. He inspected Central
Park and Riverside Park. When
seen by a reporter for THE CITIZEN
he said:
"The sugar naples throughout the
city are generally in a very bad con-
dition, and it's due more to neglect
than anything else. In my estima-
tion some are past redemption; at
their age limit, especially along the
streets where they have been bitten
by horses and bruised by tree butch
ers Treating them is a very eX-
pensive operation, and in some cases
totally inadvisable.
There are some in a very danger
Gus condition as far as the public is
concerned because of dead and de-
cayed limbs. There is evidence of
one or two places on Church street
of limbs decayed and ready to fan
on some one at any time.
Save Those Elms.
Central Park should have it's
elms preserved. The elm is tree
| JudJ > NcIy lOuS-llNSu, anu
more preferable than the sugar.
naples which predGminat.
Some of the sugar naples in the
Park should be removed but only
after proper planning. We can't go
in there and remove those trees
promiscuously. You can't remove
tree promiscuously, any more than
you can plant them promiscuously.
81 wouldn't want to start any
wholesale slaughter. No trees ought
to be removed until so recommended.
| Such removal would permit of more
sunlight getting into the remaining
trees, and adding to their health,
and increasing the growth of grass.
Norway naples are too tall to
live in the city parks. They would
be overshadowed. In ten years they
could be replaced They are the best
shade trees for the streets.
There are plenty of trees now.
The better of the naples ought to be
thinned out, the deadwood removed,
and also some 'cementary' given
them, but only by people who under
stand the business.
I'm Riverside Park ] would rec
ommend the preservation chiefly of
the elms there, and putting the best
of the naples in good condition.
"The elms should receive attention
first. They have reached period
where they are becoming stately and
beautiful, and most of them have the
true elm type; and that no other use
should be planted there without the
recommendation of a landscape arch
itect.
Replace Willows BY Elms.
TlA trri11 hn nct Nf
Riverside Park should be replaced
by elms. This can be done by re-
moving alternate trees at stated
periods. The young elms could be
protected against the bruising of
bark by the ice, by tree guards.
"These elms would in the course
) of ten to fifteen years give better
security to the bank against being
; washed away, of course, than the
present willows, in addition to which
they are more permanent.
Slow, Sleepy Scranton!
Il want to make some general rec
: concentrations. The creation of a
! Shade Tree Commission here is the
: only salvation for the trees. There
: isn't a borough of any size in Penn
sylvania that has not accepted the
: Act, and is not the better for it. e. G
Forty Fort, Kingston, Altoona, Har-
risburg. Scranton hasn't anything
Scranton has been backward in this
r movement. They have no Park Com
= mission at all.
Shade Tree Commission.
This Shade Tree Commission, in.
stead of having a salaried Superin'
tendent, could engage tree experts tc
come up her occasionally, and give
them advice, as well as training g
crew for that purpose.
You might say that this public
body will eventually prove almost
as useful as any committee in the
municipal government.
They have started this movement
I in the schools elsewhere. The chill
q dren take it up in the springtime
$ They have their little gardens ant
I each school goes into competition fol
; a prize.
D "In Wilkes-Barre the Women'i
: Civics Society and Parents Teachers
e Association are endeavoring to have
i school yards devoted for that pur
{ pose.
! Generally speaking, trees have
a first to deal with comfort, in so fa
- as IN summer time the aJmOSpner'
: about the trees is twenty per cent
cooler than elsewhere. People ar
y wrong when they say trees are de
S trimental to health and that the.
D cause rheumatism. The reason 70
e it is too much dampness, The sun
/ light doesn't get in.
+ Mr.. Rifkin for more than sixteel
i years has been engaged in the pro
u fession of tree dentistry, doing worl
d in Wilmington, Del, for the Wilkes
/ Barre Park Commission and on tn
} River Common of the latter city
o He received an A. B. degree fron
u New York university. His frs
= knowledge of the subject was game
u in Jersey City, n. j., where he sery
W ed as landscape architect for mum
IT ber of years.
Is He came to Honesdale for a yer
f. small consideration, and chiefly TO
u the love of the work. He has as
a. sisted in Park planting in and aroun
70 Jersey City.
10 Value OF Cementary.
sNap,autfno q traaS, ha oaif