Evening star., 1940-08-11
Solution Might Be New
Plan of Sewers of Paris
Effects of Street Widening
Point to Need of Organized
Tree.Planting Campaign

power company together on any
thing?"
Where streetcar lines exist a
modified, or double. system could
be used-one adjacent to the tracks
on either side.
Taken all in all, underground
utility lines are perhaps the greatest
menace to Washington's 126,000 odd
street trees. However, there are
many other threats to street tree
life and limb.
First, of course. there, Is impervi-
GUS pavement, through which water
and air cannot filter. Some streets
which have been widened have
sidewalks which extend to the build
ing lines. Most downtown streets
are equipped only with tree wells
instead of strips of open ground
extending between trees as well.
Solution for this condition would
be to sacrifice sidewalk width, de-
spite the plants of merchants, and
have tree strip extending the
length of the block, surfaced with
brick laid in sand. Water and air,
thus, could reach roots in far larger
quantities.
Heavy pedestrian traffic. the
demands of merchants and the
additional expense of the brick
work are reasons given by the High
way Department for not taking this
course.
Then there are:
Disease, adequate control of which
would entail greater expenditures
than are permitted out of the S120,-
600 appropriated for trees and park
ings now.
Lack of maintenance. Under
present appropriations and with his
present force, Mr.. Lanham estimates
it would take him IL years to make
a single round of pruning Washing
tons street trees.
AS for fertilizing and performing
tree surgery, they are practically
out of the question under the small
amount of money appropriated each
year-only 025 per cent of the total
provided in 1910 for street and high
way purposes.
Lack of fertilization. This Is
impossible on an adequate scale
under present appropriations. Sug-
gestions that public utility trenches
be partially filed with rich top-soil
for the trees have met with the
assertion that such soil would not
support street pavement.
Lack of enforcement of tree pro-
tective regulations, which exist but
are allowed, usually, to molder on
some little thumbed page of the
citys law books. Permits allowing
utility companies to work on the
streets and contracts for street work
simply state that work must be done
in such way as to protect the
trees and a list of other public
property without stating just ex-
actly what is to be done to protect
the trees. 1t is rare day in Traffic
Court that sees a motorist charged
with injuring a tree with his vehicle.
although, if he damaged a fire
hydrant the arm of the law would
be swift to strike.
Lack of comprehensive tree
planting plan which would see all
new trees planted with a view to
the ultimate width of streets. If
this had been done in 1872, today's
widening program would not neces-
state cutting down trees. The city
of Cleveland recently set up a
w. P. A. project which resulted in
a complete survey of all street trees.
On the basis of the survey Cleveland
is starting a tree program which
may some day make 1t the envy of
all other cities.
And yet with all the enemies
which trees must face in order to
live on Washington's streets a sur
prisingly small number have been
dying each year-so far!
Only 2,199 trees we're lost in 1899,
according to Mr.. Lanham. OF these
sos were cut down to widen streets.
This leaves 1904 trees which died
in one way or another-from seeping
gas, lack of air and water, from
having their roots cut, from disease.
This does not seem large number
to lose. Under present appropria-
tions more trees are planted than
lost each year. IL
But 1t must be remembered that
the mature trees which are being
lost now got their growth under
favorable street conditions, COM
paratively speaking. f
What will happen to their Sue
cessors no one can tell. When small.
trees are given rich earth within
tree wells on which to get a start.
After that, Lord knows!" Mr.. Lam
ham exclaims.
All that can be told is that the
dds against their successful growth
have been immeasureably increased
in the last decade or so.
Only time can tell whether Wash
ington, the metropolis of the future,
will have what Washington, the big
town of the past, has had, what so
many Washingtonians take for
granted-a never-ending park for
its sons and daughters; a park
greater by far than the actual park
system in the city, shading them
from the sun, making their city