ARBORICULTURE 



389 



Carlessness of Citizens. 



As an instance of the gross careless- 

 ness of City authorities and citizens in 

 regard to shade trees we cite the city 

 of Connersville, Indiana, home of the 

 editor of Arboriculture. 



A manufacturing town of ten thous- 

 and people, and as well, a city in which 

 almost every house is owned by its oc- 

 cupant. 



There are approximately 36 miles of 

 streets which are kept in excellent con- 

 dition, and some 72 miles of first class 

 cement side walks. There are approx- 

 imating 23,000 shade trees along the 

 streets, by far the greater majority of 

 w^hich, w^ill be dead w^ithin ten years. 



In fact we venture the assertion that 

 two hundred live healthy trees of good 

 sort, cannot be found in the city. 



Many of these trees are so far de- 

 cayed that they are already dead, or 

 "wul be in a year or tw^o, w^hile all are in 

 a very unhealthy condition. 



Cottonw^ood and soft maple compose 

 the majority of the trees, only a few of 

 the better class having been planted. 



The same situation exists all over the 

 country, complaint of similiar condi- 

 tions being made by the authorities at 

 Indianapolis and elsewhere. 



Ten feet apart is the rule of many 

 planters, with the result as given above. 



If citizens could only be brought to 

 think of these matters a different con- 

 dition would soon be found. 



The following from the Farmers Re- 

 view is opportune: 



DISTANCE APART TO SET, SHADE TREES. 



Shade trees of beautiful form are very scarce. 

 It is surprising how few can be found in any 



one of our great city parks, where trees have 

 been planted close together. Nature sometimes 

 gives us magnificent specimens, but they are us- 

 ually found grow^ing alone in some field or 

 pasture where the ax of the woodman spared 

 them long ago w^hen they were very small. 



With nothing to shade them, they have grown 

 up fully developed on all sides and have devel- 

 oped a large number of branches heavy with 

 foliage. In a fev^r of the great parks of this 

 country, this has been looked out for and every 

 tree has given been given room in which to do 

 its bestt This is seen on the grounds near the 

 capitol at Washington, where are to be found 

 some of the most magnificent trees in the 

 country . They are a joy forever. 



Planting trees close together will give shade 

 but will not give beautifully formed shade trees. 

 A solid wall of trees along a country road will 

 give shade but they will not give the landscape 

 effect that is to be obtained by having perfectly 

 formed trees set at intervals of 100 feet. The 

 landscape effect is probably w^orth more money 

 than the solid wall of shade which at many 

 times is of no benefit, such as on cool days in 

 summer, on rainy days, on w^indy days and on 

 days when the clouds obscure the sky. But the 

 ornamental trees set at a hundred feet apart are 

 ornamental at all times. 



Moreover, the solid wall of the trees frequent- 

 ly kills out the grass under its solid shade and 

 leaves a bare and uninviting aspect below. The 

 ornamental tree lets in enough of the sun to keep 

 the grass alive, and the green sward vies w^ith the 

 green of the trees to produce a beautiful effect. 

 A single tree on a lawn is both useful and orna- 

 mental. Its great branches hold the ends of the 

 swing rope, and under its generous boughs, the 

 family meal is spread on a carpet of silken grass. 



Unfortunately, the American idea of tree set- 

 ting has been and is, to get just as many trees in 

 a certain area as possible. Often the result ob- 

 tained is the opposite of that desired. In twenty 

 years, we find the owrners cutting out the too 

 abundant trees and leaving a mutilated arboreal 

 wall that will never be healed of its raggedness. 

 It is far better to so plant that in coming years 

 no such amputation will be necessary. 



