Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-07-05

having the fee simple on the land to the
center of street. For this reason, ac-
cording to James II. Lowry, superintend-
ent of parks. the matter of planting.
spraying and trimming of trees has been
handled through a permit system. The
department merely has undertaken to
protect the property owner from having
his trees butchered By wrong trimming
and spraying. This is accomplished by
licensing all men who do work con
nected with trees.
During thefpast year the special service
has been conducting a campaign for the
elimination of dead and dangerous trees.
The city has been zoned and all bad tim
Der is being ordered removed in each
district as fast as inspectors can make
the rounds The department has power
to do this under a city ordinance
FORESTRY
DEPARTMENT.
This Kidding of the city Of dead tim
Der is the first step toward the estab-
lishment Of new division Of the park
department. the forestry department. In
dianapolis will have to have a distinct
organization working all the time for
the planting and maintenance of trees
along streets on the public lawns space
If IL is to take care of its forestry prob
lem properly Mr.. Lowry believes
Not much additional legislation viii be
required to operate the new division be
cause the park board already has con
siderable powers in this direction.
The big reasons for having a forestry
department, according to Mr.. Lowry. are ::
To insure uniform planting of trees
throughout the city instead of the pres
ent haphazard way; to care for trees
once they are properly planted and to
rid the city Of several types of tree
diseases which are practically denuding
some streets.
An existing law gives property own
ers the right to petition for tree plant
ing under the citys supervision on the
lawn spaces between sidewalk and
street in front Of their homes. Those who
favor a forestry department believe that
this should be extended so that the for
estry department be primarily responsi-
BILE for the planting and would set out
trees along streets which need shade
without waiting for property owners to
act The city could do this compare
lively cheaply because it can raise the
saplings at the city nursery at River
side Park. The nursery is one OF the
largest. if not the largest, municipal tree
and shrub plants il the country.
OYSTER SHELL SCALE
TREE MENACE.
1t has been estimated that a forestry
force could be maintained for approx
mately $4,000 per year. Most cities
which have such a branch appropriate
from S25 900 to $4,000 for 1t. The most
expensive feature of the work of such
a division here would be in spraying
because Of the very serious infestation
of oyster shell scale and other tenacious
tree diseases. Unless something on a
city wide basis is done to combat these
menaces, such as the giving of power
to some department to require property
owners to spray trees on their private
ground. as well as citizens or the city
to work on those in the public lawn
space indianapolis is going to lose thou
sands of trees. In fact, it is losing hun
dreds today. Every year the trees of
indianapolis die faster than they are
planted.
Fighting tree disease is only one of
the concrete services a forestry depart
ment could render. Some specific in
stances of what intelligent supervision
of planting and maintenance might have
avoided win be discussed later.