608 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



IT IS gratifying to inform the mem- 

 bers of the American Forestry 

 Association that the late Miss Eliza- 

 beth Shippen, of Philadelphia, has 

 bequeathed to the Association the sum 

 of $5,000. This was one of many be- 

 quests made by Miss Shippen to or- 

 ganizations which in one way or the 

 other are working for the public good. 

 Miss Shippen was for many years 



deeply interested in forestry and in the 

 need of educating the people of this 

 country to a realization of all that trees 

 and the forests mean to them and to 

 the country, and she was in hearty sym- 

 pathy with the work of this associa- 

 tion. Her money will be used to aid 

 in spreading the doctrine of forest con- 

 servation and inspiring a love of trees 

 and forests as she wished. 



THERE is hardly a progressive 

 city in the entire United States 

 which has not in the last few 

 years awakened to the need of 

 having a skilled forester, or else a park 

 superintendent with sufficient knowl- 

 edge, to take charge of the planting and 

 the care of its shade trees. In many 

 cities this work is by no means easy ; 

 note, for instance, the conditions in New 

 York City as outlined in an article in 

 this number, and one of the chief diffi- 

 culties to be overcome is the ignorance 

 of the average citizen regarding trees. 

 These citizens must not only be taught 

 to give some measure of care to the 

 shade trees in front of their residences 

 and in their yards, but they must be 

 educated to a realization that much of 

 the beauty of a city depends upon the 

 trees in its streets and that liberal ap- 

 propriations are necessary if the city is 

 to have trees which spur the pride of 

 the citizens. 



That Columbia, South Carolina, has 

 difficulties to contend with in this re- 

 spect is apparent from reports of an 

 address made to the city council by 

 Richard D. Sullivan, a citizen, who 

 voiced an eloquent protest against the 

 damage done to trees by the telegraph 

 and telephone companies of the city. 

 Said Air. Sullivan ; 



"It is more than passing strange in 

 the ordinary justice of things in this 

 day and generation when a citizen finds 

 it necessary to stand before an assem- 

 bled body of men and plead for the 

 lives of common shade trees. But, gen- 

 tlemen, such is the case, and here I am. 



"There never was and never can be 

 presented a bona fide argument against 



the growth of trees and their proper 

 care. True, the commercial interests of 

 a great social body like this city may 

 necessitate a few treeless thorough- 

 fares ; we can and do undersand such a 

 condition. But the time will never 

 come when there will be justification 

 for cutting the vitals of city shade trees 

 that have required years to develop, 

 simply because men who do not under- 

 stand and care nothing for the beauties 

 of horticulture have authority from the 

 city to cut and destroy them at will. 



"The best brains of America, of 

 Europe and of the Orient," said Mr. 

 Sullivan, "have proven that trees can 

 be made to perform service for man- 

 kind in shade, in decoration, in fuel 

 and in building material without injury 

 to the basic growth. In the Nether- 

 lands, where trees are grown for fuel, 

 these treasures are jealously protected. 

 The beauty of the public highways and 

 woodlands of England, France, Ger- 

 many and other countries is enhanced 

 by the scrupulous attention given the 

 forests and shrubbery. The broad ave- 

 nues and boulevards of many of our 

 own cities have been praised by foreign 

 and domestic visitors alike. 



"I wish to contravene the rights of 

 no man. My only hope in thus coming 

 before your honorable body, is for the 

 general betterment of our city to the 

 end that it may be a more beautiful spot 

 for strangers and our friends to visit- 

 in short, the best and most desired place 

 in the world to live." 



Mr. Sullivan's eloquence won, and 

 the council took vigorous action to 

 insure proper care of the trees in the 

 future. 



