Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-02-27
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM

/ ~ ~ W. ~ tA /
TREES AS GOOD CITIZENS. Charles
Tree Association.
You remember that, day when the
young god Prometheus, angered at the
naughty elder gods, stole fire-the most
jealousy guarded treasure Of olympus
and gave 1t to man. That was the very
moment, you recall, when Zeus and his
war lords were seriously considering the
total destruction OF this troublesome
and pestiferous race OF men. The neigh
borly act Of Prometheus, however. not
only saved man from humiliation but
1t secured to him, as we'll, the prime
wherewithal Of continued existence
gods or no gods. The gift Of fire was
mans salvation. And thereafter trees
the great fire food-became something
other than home Of hamadryad, or tenn
pie of worshipful rite to the gods of
Olympian skies. Throughout the years.
since that day, the trees have stood
shoulder to shoulder with man in the
business Of creating warmed and fur
nished world.
But not all of them. Certain Of these
have held aloof, unresponsive to the
sacrificial adventure in usefulness. Pa
gan trees. maybe, throwing back to re-
mote ancestral types, waiting, one
fancies, for the cycle to round again
upon the pagan belief that beauty is its
own excuse for being. Up to recent
much to God and the poets and other
Impractical folks who. liking the look
and feel Of them. planted others around
their homes and along their streets. And
these companionable. do-nothing trees
were gathered loosely up under the
name of shade trees.
* x y
Mr.. Pack offers this book in an ardent
and very practical advocacy of shade
trees. Good citizens he calls them,
maintaining that they deserve this
title, not only by the quality and scope
of their public service, but by the legal
status that they have finally acquired,
as well.
Stepping a little back from this
book, to get free view, one finds
that It has two outstanding features.
One of these rounds up a record Of
shade-tree movement. so general, so
spontaneous, so quickly responsive of
every part of the whole. s to suggest
g renaissance of the ancient tree cult,
subdued and modified by the natural
process of adaptation to the mod
arn outlook and aim. The other sums
to body Of nstruction-simple
enough to meet anybody, practical
enough TO appeal to the go-getters of
the world. Every craftsman prefers
to work with his own tools. The sci
enlist is no exception. But. to take
no chance on meeting his definite pur-
Ill ociI hn
technicalities of tree life and culture.
and. in the pIainest of words. talks
about tree much as he might talk
a bout man. He tells of its looks
its disposition. its habits: of the places
which it likes most and where it
thrives best; of its proper schooling
and training: of it's occa sional all
ments and the treatment that prom
ises to set it speedily upon it's grow
ing way again, of its service to the
community and its high standing
therein.
The author then moves out into the
general field of shade trees He
points to Washington and Paris as
star examples of tree culture, won
dering. in passing. what these cities
would be stripped of the forest green
cry in which each is set. He tells Of
the keen rivalry among cities for pre-
eminence as shade-tree centers.
Springfield. Mass. is, at present, for
its population. the foremost Of our
cities in this respect. The author
describes methods of tree appraisal,
according to accepted formula. and
the money value that many cities
count among their assets. on the basis
of such competition. He analyses the
laws that have been enacted through
out the country to protect both the
life and the rights Of these good cit
liens"
The shade tree in history makes a
somewhat familiar story. a deeply
interesting one. From this ii is but
a step to the Hall of Fame, estab-
,ished in honor Of famous trees. These
are nominated, elected and confirmed
in proper form. This institution
proved to be a tremendous influence
in spreading interest in the shade
tree movement. Many Of these trees
deserve mention-one in particular.
It is the Gen. Sherman sequoia, in the
redwood forest of California. Thls
tree gained admission to the haIl on
the statement OF age alone: ~ is
more than 1000 years old. a giant
growth when Christ was born twenty
centuries ago
The memorial tree idea sprang into
life at the signing of the armlstice,
wnen the people of the United States
adopted the tree as a symbol OF their
tribute to peace. Immediately every
sort of organization responded with en-
thusiasm to the beautiful and s1gnlncant
ceremony Of memorial tree planting TIL
the entire country stands now com.
munity in this enterprise. The most
Thrilling instance of the rite accompa-
MED the burial Of our Unknown Soldier
at Arlington and at the same tune
marked the opening OF Armistice week
two years ago.
The planting Of memorial trees, ex-
handed. is producing the roads OF re-
memhrance' where shade trees, miles
and miles Of them. are stepping INTO
line along the great highways that soon
will loon our cities and towns and fields
together into a commonwealth Of grow
ing friendliness and intimacy. These
roads are placed and described here
In terms of their present achievement
and along the lines Of their ultimate full
fillment.
And so this stimulating book goes on
"a kind of splendid, portable arbore-
tum. Chapters and pages are packed
with tree lore. Instruction for. the
learner is here in rounded body OF
fact and method-simple, definite. COM
pIete, for the purpose involved. Here,
too. is instruction. supplemented by ex-
ample and suggestion, for munlcipal-
ties and other governing bodies. to the
end that the tree planting project may:
in every community, take advantage Of
experience already gained. And here:
for everybody, is an inspiring story of
fine achievement. Both the news and
the literature of the tree movement are
lAl hot tho or