Evening star., 1939-08-20
Drive 10 Protect
Trees in Capitals
Parks Planned
Funds Are Available to
Hire 50 Experts and
IS Luborers

AS soon as men can be hired under
$40 900 public works allotment, the
ONCE of National Capital Parks will
start an intensive drive to improve
the condition of the more than L.
100000 trees In Washington's park
system.
A group Of so tree surgeons and
IS laborers can be hired for the pur-
pose for a period OF six months,
Frank T. Gartside. acting superin-
tendent of the National Capital
Parks, said yesterday
The drive will progress along two
lines. The men will remove dead
and fallen timber along roads and
sidewalks where it might endanger
the public and prune and cable trees
in need Of such attention. They will
also feed and aerate trees affected
by dry summer weather or having
root systems cut off from adequate
water and food supplies by hard
packed earth, and remove girdling
roots.
Girdling Roots Big Problem.
Girdling roots are one of the major
problems encountered in caring for
park trees, Mr. Gartside said yes
terday. "A tree will suddenly die
and an autopsy will show that 1t
has strangled itself with a girdling
root which has cut off the flow of
sap from other roots" Mr.. Cart
side explained.
The second line along which the
work will be carried on will be ex-
perimental work in controlling tree
diseases.
Disease is a constant threat to
park trees, Mr. Gartside said, espe-
cially elms.
For purposes of experimentation
100 healthy trees have been set
aside for observation as to disease,
and so infected trees have been
grouped in five units of 10 for treat
ment by five different methods of
disease control
Fungi and insect life are the two
main threats to tree life, Mr.. Cart
side said. Among the fungi, cephalo-
sporium, Dutch elm disease and
Oriental plane tree blight are the
most prevalent here he said.
Precautions Being Taken.
Cephalosporium, he explained. at
tacks elm trees in such a way that 1t
is hard to detect Methods of con-
| trolling it are likewise hard to de-
wise, he said. Dutch elm disease
has not hit Washington hard as vet
, but is momentarily expected, and
precautions are already being taken
to detect 1t as soon as it strikes.
oriental plane tree blight (an ORR
entail plane tree resembles closely
/ sycamore is so powerful that it
can kill healthy trees overnight,
Mr.. Gartside said.
/ Insects are divided into two main
groups, the suckers and chewers,
The suckers have to be treated with
a contact spray, which covers the
insect and causes its death. The
chewers have to be treated with
deadly spray.
In addition to disease and other
work the tree surgeons and laborers
Will aid in transplanting material
being taken from the National Air
port site at Gravelly Point and the
: section Of the Mount Vernon Memo
rial highway near the airport to
other points in the, park system.
! Methods Of disease treatment to
be tried on the trees are as follows:
l. Aerate and water. 2. Spray with
Bordeaux mixture and arsenate of
lead. 3. Feeding. T. Combined spray
ing and feeding. S. Checking, or
cutting out infected parts.
! Mr.. Gartside hopes the additional
force Of tree experts will be able to
shed light on methods Of treatment
which will insure healthy park trees
for the future.