DO NOT LET THE CURBSETTER RUIN YOUR TREES 



By Samuel Newman Baxter 



ARBORICULTURIST, FAIRMOUNT PARK COMMISSION, PHILADELPHIA 



AN observer of tree life in cities would have no 

 difficulty writing a book on the vicissitudes of street 

 trees, so ample is the material on this subject and 

 so manifold are the adversities, both preventable and 

 unpreventable, to which trees are exposed when intro- 

 duced by man to city life. Nature would never select a 

 city sidewalk on which to rear her brood of trees, yet 



PRACTICALLY RUINED BY CURB SETTING 



This beautiful Silver Maple was ruthlessly cut at the base by 

 the curbsetter, who "had no idea that it would hurt the tree." 



man, in quest of the shade, health and beauty which they 

 impart, invariably expects nature to care for her own 

 under these artificial conditions and fails to give a help- 

 ing hand by imitating nature and providing natural con- 

 ditions so far as is possible. 



In this article we shall not attempt to cover all the 

 vicissitudes but confine it to a chapter on desecra- 

 tions by the curbsetter, illustrating how to .spare trees 

 from the ruthless work of this individual. 



Not long ago a property owner appealed for help to 

 n-irain men who were resetting curbing nearby, and 

 w^rkin- toward his direction, from cutting the roots 

 ui Mrc<-; iiccs. .An inspector was assigned posthaste to 



see the offender and have him respect the ordinance for 

 the protection of street trees. When reprimanded for 

 cutting the tree roots they happened to be sugar maple-. 

 a tree which resents abuse more than most trees the 

 curbsetter expressed surprise that he had injured the 

 trees. 'Why," said he, "I cut more than that from treo 



up on Street three years ago to set the curb and 



the tree is still alive." Yes, the tree he had cut was still 

 alive, being a rapid growing silver maple it tried hard 

 to survive the shock, but in submitting this photograph 

 we leave to the reader how long it will live, or rather, 

 how long it should be allowed to remain in its dangerou- 

 position. 



Can you imagine greater stupidity than was shown 

 by this curbsetter when he deliberately cut into one-third 



HERE, AGAIN, THE TREE WAS CUT AT THE BASE 



To maintain the .straight line of the curb, quite a cut was made 

 on this old Sugar Maple, a species peculiarly sensitive to injury. 



the trunk of this large silver maple that the curb might 

 be laid? Aside froiu its effect upon the health of the 

 tree, the undermining has caused it to lean over the 

 highway at a dangerous angle, a constant menace to 

 passing vehicles and likely to be blown over in a high 



