The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-08-21

Do you question the importance Of
a fair number of trees on county
highways and city streets? No? But
the conditions prevailing in many cit
les and towns seem to define dis
tinct viewpoint of real estate owners,
that shade trees, after being set out
must Shift for themselves,
The linemen of telephone and tele-
graph companies Top off limbs or
heads. Are they supervised to see that
the city's interests are conserved? In
some parts of the state, these injuries
are sighted, Just as the laying of ce-
ment walks or curbings hacks and
hicks the base of the trunk; while
bitches, run in our streets for water, |
sewer, gas pipes, and other improve
ments. annihilate whole sections OF
the root-feeding system. Overhead
wires shock the vitality of the tree
by cross-circuiting electric currents
underground gas mains suffocate the
roots with leaking gas in Boise. like
wise streets surfaced with waterproof
paving choke off thrifty growth. with
out provision for short gas pine or
other drains about the base of the
! trunk, supplying in this way both air,
water, and occasionally fertilizer The
oldest of all abuses in country towns
is where a careless driver let's his
horse bark the trunks, keeping open
sores ripe for infection from bacteria,
! funig and insects.
Very few even of the tree-lovers
adequately value shade trees. Ger
tain trees are highly priced, but the
schools fail to impress the majority
of citizens with the facts of value.
! Satisfying shade increases the as
sets of the real estate they border.
If planted so feet apart, there will
| be about 200 trees to the mile of
street, both sides None of these
can be replaced for less than $40
each: and in the full grown shade
trees can hardly be replaced for 500.
Figured at the minimum replacement
value. according to DR.. e. p. Felt, the
properly pladted city streets must
have a shade value of GOx200) $4,000
The total mileage Of the streets of
Twin Falls city is probably over 30
miles, whose proper shade value
should not be less than 100000. The
total mileage of the county of Twin
Falls approximates 1900 miles. al
though some of the section lines have
not yet been invaded by roads. If all
these roadways were capable of sup
norting trees. tho minimum value
would be about S3,00O,000. In the
| northern part of the state, where the
rainfall is sufficient to keep trees
growing without special irrigation
the value of MoscOw's tree mileage isl
nearly the same as Twin Falls, but the
county of Latah comes to only $4,000
IT.
| figures of 1900 miles for the county
The total mileage of the cities and
towns of Idaho is not available. hut
| the state highway engineer gives the
| total mileage of the country roads of
/ the state as 23.109 miles. whose shade
value may be committed at a similar
rate, a sum of S46.21S.O 900 There may
he other ways Of figuring this value
deducting for honorable areas of the
state highways, etc, choosing a low
err rate of value. or choosing a higher
rate of value based on the greater
need of shade in the more heated
parts of the state, but the above fig
ures follow eastern ways of comput-
ing the value, and give an idea Of real
value involved The thesis of value
in shade trees must be admitted be-
fore we can study what is a conser-
vative care for valuable trees.
Eastern cities lose as high as eleven
or twelve miles of their shade trees
in year, or $4,000 loss in taxable
property or real estate, due to the
ravages of European and American
! insects, operating in addition to mans
needless ways described in foregoing
paragraphs or attracted to trees
weakened by mans neglect. Recent
1 correspondence shows that some OF
theae same insects are apparently
spreading in southern Idaho, the elm
aphis and scale insects. the cottony
maple scale, the popular and willow
hOrer. the antique tussock moth cat
erpillar, the red spider mite, the Am
erican sawfly, the flat headed bOrel
and perhaps the round-head on frui
trees and mountain ash. the San Jose
scale which attacks most of the shad,
trees though primarily a fruit pest
and the various ants. termites, at leas
in north Idaho. and other borers
r. which complete the doom of the nobl
- est trees after the other insects have
weakened the sap flow.
It is suggested that cities must have
an eye to their trees before they ge
q so insect-ridden that they are pas
Il beauty. On the other hand it is sug
y, gested that when roads are being
made or repaired is the time to at
tend TO tree planting, while the regu
+. Tor gangs are at the work Col VIM
Fox long AFRO suggested that only tw
per cent additional added to the cos
> of newly built state roads will pro
l. vide for setting out trees alongside
Il Is the time not ripe also for count
70 or road commissioners TO plan com
prehensively for better tree protec
tion against the time when the inseC
II hosts advancing from the east an
west shall he upon us? Otherwis
our trees shall become as fleebitte
and descrepit as in the coastal citie
of the United States. Already Der
r. Yer, Colo, has to spray vigorously
RI protect her trees in several parts {
= the city and everybody knows Denve
" is far better isolated by wider an
H. greater mountain chains and dr.
O. pl.ine i'm bplte hotter for Drofactio